Some Books for Lesbian Couples
When recently working on an upcoming project, I came to realize that at present, probably a significant proportion of the books on the Gay and Lesbian Issues webpage are for Gay and Bisexual men. So here are a few book suggestions for Lesbians to try to even up the balance a little bit.
Photo by Igor Rand on Unsplash
Lesbian couples: A guide to creating healthy relationships
is by D Merilee Clunis and G. Dorsey Green (and published by Seal Press)
Four editions are listed in the National Library of Australia (NLA) catalogue, dated from 2000 to 2005.
Clunis and Green have developed their own six stage model for Lesbian relationships (modified from David McWhirter & Andrew Mattison’s model, in their book on Gay Male relationships,) Clunis and Green refer to the following stages;
Stage One: Prerelationship;
Stage Two: Romance;
Stage Three: Conflict and Disillusionment;
Stage Four: Acceptance;
Stage Five: Commitment;
Stage Six: Collaboration.
So, like McWhirter and Mattison’s book, an opportunity to identify where you may be in the coupledom journey, and what you can (perhaps) expect, now and in the future.
Permanent Partners: Building Gay and Lesbian Relationships That Last.
By that icon of Gay and Lesbian psychology, Betty Berzon. This Is another book I have listed elsewhere along with The Intimacy Dance. (Amazing to think she passed away 20 years ago!) A book for both Lesbians and Gay men, looking to examine and improve their relationships. Admittedly, originally written many decades ago, before Marriage Equality, (either in Australia or the U.S.) but still has some interesting and probably timeless parts to it.
In the case of the Permanent Partners, the NLA catalogue has five editions listed, dating from 1988 to 2004. (Unfortunately, none in WA library’s).
Love matters: a book of lesbian romance and relationships
by Linda Sutton (5 editions listed in the Trove database, dating from 1999 to 2016).
The NLA listing says in part that:
Love Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance and Relationships is a collection of advice columns and personal reflections that will help lesbian couples validate and appreciate their unique relationships. With excerpts taken from the author’s “Love Matters” column in the lesbian newspaper New Phazes, this book explores real-life questions and issues that lesbians have about dating, sex, love, and relationship longevity.
Happy together: thriving as a same-sex couple in your family, workplace, and community
by Sharon S. Rostosky, PhD, and Ellen D.B. Riggle. This relatively recent (2015) book is for both Lesbian and Gay male couples.
The listing in the Trove catalogue refers to how:
This book helps couples work together to identify, develop, and use their strengths and skills to successfully navigate these issues and flourish. Tough tasks like confronting prejudice will never be easy, but thanks to the stories, tools, and resources presented in this book, readers will learn to manage such situations in a positive way.
When I’ve looked at my own copy of it, I particularly like that (in the same way as other books by the pair) it gives the readers some “homework” or activities to do related to the subject of the section or chapter.
In summary, a few books for those interested in the dynamics of Lesbian relationships. Hopefully these books will provide some potentially interesting reading on the subject, and assist those in them to identify what can perhaps be expected in a lesbian relationship. Whether it is a new one or one that is a bit more established. The hope being that being forewarned can mean being forearmed about what to potentially expect.
As always please feel free to contact my Business Support Office (M-F 8am to 5pm) on 1300 50 67 68 to make a booking to see me to discuss these matters further, (either in person or via Telehealth) or book 24/7 via HealthEngine.
