| Transgender people often face a multitude of challenges when they begin to transition, potentially including relational difficulties if they are partnered prior to transition. Dominant narratives suggest that couples often end their relationship during the transition process and therapists are often ill equipped to work with transitioning couples, pointing to a need for more research into couple dynamics during gender transition. Using a qualitative methodology and an interpretive-constructivist approach, this dissertation investigates the experiences of transgender couples with a transgender male partner and female, sexual minority-identified partner, particularly seeking to further understand relational strategies the couples utilized to approach the following domains that may be impacted by gender transition: gender identity, medical and social transition, sexual identity, relationship issues, and the role of support and community. Through interviewing 12 individuals within six couples, this research intended to better understand relational strategies involved in the transition process from the perspectives of both partners within a couple. Multiple relational strategies were uncovered across the five domains, with communication, joint processes, relational strengths, and the role of support and community encompassing the most prominent strategies utilized across domains. Love and commitment were identified as significant relational strengths partnered with the relational strategies found to assist the couples in thriving throughout and following the transition process. Clinical implications as well as suggestions on ways for increasing support and community for transgender couples and families are provided, along with limitations of the present study and recommendations for future research. |
