Couple Therapy for Lesbian Women: Current Evidence-Base and Recommendations for Therapists
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Abstract
Despite the growing interest in the mental health issues of LGBTQIAPN+ people, few review studies have been published focusing exclusively on lesbian couple therapy. The aim of this study is to analyze the existing evidence in the literature on couple therapy with lesbian women, learn about existing approaches and identify knowledge gaps about their specificities. A systematic review was carried out searching for primary studies in PubMed, LILACS, PsycInfo® and Web of Science databases following the PRISMA guidelines. The inclusion criteria were: studies published between 2011 and 2023, in Portuguese, Spanish or English and that answered the review’s guiding question. Out of 789 studies retrieved, 12 records met the inclusion criteria and were selected for review. Of these, nine were empirical studies. With a low level of evidence, the studies focus predominantly on young and socioeconomically heterogeneous populations. The subject is still studied in an incipient way in the literature. There is a predominant tendency among therapists to generalize therapeutic intervention tactics used for couples who fit the heteronormative conjugality pattern. These limitations suggest the need to deconstruct the discursive effects of heteronormativity and invest in dialogical contexts and frameworks that are inclusive and sensitive to the expression of the differences manifested in lesbian couples. Future studies should focus on the need to safeguard the particularities that characterize lesbian marital dynamics in the space of couple therapy, especially in the current context of greater visibility for family configurations that diverge from the heteronormative model.
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Copyright to articles published in The Journal Of Psychology: Theory and Practice belongs to the authors, who grant Mackenzie Presbyterian University the not exclusive rights to publish the content.
Funding data
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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Grant numbers Processo número 2020/0964-3 -
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Grant numbers Bolsa de Produtividade em Pesquisa do CNPq Categoria A
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