Lesbian Couples: A Guide to Creating Healthy Relationships

Though I've always been a bit skeptical about self-help books, I am supremely impressed by "Lesbian Couples." So much so that I have also, like another reviewer, recommended it to my straight friends. Never have I seen such a comprehensive, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and helpful book. Although I did recommend it to my straight friends, I highly appreciated having a book written by and for women loving women. I particularly appreciated the chapters relationship phases, maintaining separate identities, and negotiating conflict. My partner and I communicate well and have built a strong relationship, but I can already see how little things I picked up on in the book have reshaped our relationship for the better. I hardly think of books I read as worthy of 5 stars, but for it's comprehensiveness and quality insight into relationships, I can say nothing bad about it.

This book's advice has been so wonderful and has definitely helped enrich mine and my partner's relationship. I have even suggested this to some of my strait friends and they have benefitted from it's advice as well. The only advice I disagree on is the whole non-monogamy thing that they offer in part of the book as an option, but that's a personal preferance of mine and I am sure to those who prefer open/multi relationships will find it helpful. This is a definite MUST READ!

And that's really what this book is--a necessary part of any healthy lesbian relationship. Get it, read it with your partner, try to incorporate its tips into your life, and you will see the difference in your relationship. It covers every aspect of the lesbian relationship from both a personal and a theraputic aspect.

Women have been socialized to form couples, and, within the lesbian experience strive, for the joy and exhilaration of loving other women. Yet achieving and sustaining intimacy remains a challenge, just as it does with other types of couples. LESBIAN COUPLES targets the natural flow of intimate relationships. From mind reading and making assumptions, to conflict and disillusionment, LESBIAN COUPLES examines the strengths and weaknesses of relationships, flagging potential problem areas and offering real life examples and solutions to the challenges lesbians experience. Practical chapters include: understanding differences, managing conflict, sex, making decisions, family, children, cross-cultural and cross-race relationships, recovery and healing, disability and chronic illness, and later life. Whether you are beginning a relationship, maintaining a relationship, ending a relationship, or recovering from a relationship, this book offers something for everyone. As a matter of fact, heterosexual couples and gay couples will likewise find a considerable amount of useful information related in an open, nonjudgmental, insightful style. Dr. D. Merilee Clusis and Dr. G. Dorsey Green bring their own therapuetic and personal experience to the remarkable text, LESBIAN COUPLES. With sensitivity to race, class, physical and mental ability as well as geographical location interacts with chronological age, LESBIAN COUPLES addresses the challenges faced by lesbians seeking to establish committed relationships. While acknowledging the increased acceptance levels exhibited by society, LESBIAN COUPLES takes a long hard look at homophobia, racism and sexism as it affects individual lesbians and couples. While always exhibiting a profound respect for the individuals that create couples, LESBIAN COUPLES encourages self-exploration and self-honesty as individuals attempt to develop healthy and happy relationships. I spent about a month working my way through the book, journaling, and learning to implement many of the skills in the book, and feel that it has transformed my life. A book that must be added to every lesbian's keeper shelf, LESBIAN COUPLES earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence. Grace Weaver

This book is very helpful, easy to read, and is up to date on its research and theory. I like the way they draw from other material and make it applicable to lesbians. Both my partner and I are reading this book. We are at Chapter 3 and we are very impressed by the content and drawn to keep reading on.