Relational style focuses on how a couple organizes their relationship and deals with differences and conflicts. In contrast, the couple sexual style refers to how each person maintains their sexual autonomy (i.e., sexual voice) while being an intimate sexual team integrating intimacy and eroticism. Typically, a couple’s sexual style is different than their relational style. This concept can be motivating and empowering, especially for couples in therapy.
FoleyS.KopeS.SugrueD. (2012). Sex matters for women (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
2.
GottmanJ. (1999). The marriage clinic: A scientifically-based marital therapy. New York, NY: Norton.
3.
GottmanJ.SilverN. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Random House.
4.
JohnsonS. (2008). Hold me tight. Boston, MA: Little, Brown.
5.
JohnsonS. (2017). Emotion-focused approach to sex therapy. In PetersonZ. (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of sex therapy (pp. 250–265). New York, NY: Wiley-Blackwell.
6.
LeiblumS. (2010). Treating sexual desire disorders. New York, NY: Guilford.
7.
McCarthyB. (2015). Sex made simple. Eau Claire, WI: PESI.
8.
McCarthyB.McCarthyE. (2009). Discovering your couple sexual style. New York, NY: Routledge.
9.
McCarthyB.McCarthyE. (2012). Sexual awareness (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
10.
McCarthyB.McCarthyE. (2014). Rekindling desire (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
11.
McCarthyB.WaldL. M. (2017). The psychobiosocial model of couple sex therapy. In PetersonZ. (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of sex therapy (pp. 190–201). New York, NY: Wiley-Blackwell.
12.
MetzM.EpsteinN.McCarthyB. (2017). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for sexual dysfunction. New York, NY: Routledge.
13.
PerelE. (2006). Mating in captivity. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
14.
TennovD. (1998). Love and limerence. New York, NY: Scarborough House.
