Motivational Interviewing with Couples: A Framework for Behavior Change Developed with Sexual Minority Men

Based on more than ten years of research, Motivational Interviewing With Couples provides a comprehensive introduction to the theoretical foundations, processes, and strategies unique to Motivational Interviewing (MI) with couples. Drawing on Interdependence Theory, this approach to MI positions the couple as the client. Relationship functioning--the extent to which partners are satisfied with, invested in, and committed to the relationship--is viewed as a mechanism to achieve change. MI-based interventions historically have been shown effective in promoting behavior change across a broad range of problem areas, including substance use and sexual health, two issues that are discussed at length in the book. While the initial concepts of this intervention are substantially informed by work with sexual minority male couples, the principles can be applied broadly to couple-based processes relevant to a wide array of health behaviors and regardless of clients' gender and sexual orientation.

In addition to introducing Interdependence Theory and discussing its implications for MI, Motivational Interviewing With Couples offers a lexicon of counseling techniques used specifically in couples' sessions. These strategies address the challenges of balancing attention to the relationship as well as both individual partners, drawing out relationship strengths, clarifying shared goals, mitigating conflict in session, and planning together for change. Chapters include extended examples of MI sessions involving sexual minority male couples to illustrate the practice of couples MI. Three special issues chapters focus on common challenges in therapy; future directions for MI research and practice; and how to integrate attention to sexual satisfaction within couples as well as sexual safety, helping to shift the view of sex therapy as a specialty field focused on dysfunction or sexual risk reduction to one that integrates sexuality as a component of overall health and well-being.

Tyrel J. Starks is Associate Professor of Psychology at Hunter College of the City University of New York and a member of the faculty of the Health Psychology and Clinical Science (HPCS) training program at The Graduate Center. Dr. Starks earned his undergraduate degree from the University of South Dakota (2003) and his doctoral degree in child-clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2009). For more than a decade, he has studied relationships and health, particularly substance use and HIV-related health in sexual minority men. Dr. Starks is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.