The Important Question I ask of Gay Couples in Counselling
When inviting a gay couple to think about their relationship, I ask a particular form of question, deliberately constructed to provoke thoughtful conversation between the couple.
The Six Developmental Stages of Gay Male Couples (McWhirter, Mattison 1984)
Over a 5-year period (1974 to 1979), David P. McWhirter, MD and Andrew M. Mattison MSW, PhD interviewed 156 gay male couples about their significant/intimate couple relationship. This is a summary of the developmental stages discovered in gay male relationships.
