Safe Spaces for Queer Couples: A Case Study

The importance of safe spaces for LGBTQ + folks cannot be understated, especially as these safe spaces are becoming more limited due to discrimination against and hostility towards the LGBTQ + community. This is especially true for LGBTQ + individuals and couples living in difficult political climates, where there is egregious anti-LGBTQ + rhetoric and blatant legal attacks on this minoritized population. Compounded trauma, influenced by the intersection of many identities held, manifests in adverse individual and relational effects. The present study explores a Queer couple’s experience living in a difficult political climate and their experience in therapy. Systemic therapists have made great strides in validating and centering sexual and gender minority identities and experiences, however there is less research into the impact of discrimination on a relational level for Queer couples in therapy. The themes from this qualitative case study highlight the individual and couple level impacts of larger systems. Implications and suggestions for systemic therapists working with LGBTQ + clients are presented using an intersectional and trauma-informed lens.