Shining a light into the darkness: bisexuality and relationships

Imagine you are a therapist and you find yourself serving numerous couples in which one partner identifies as bisexual and the other does not. These mixed orientation couples present to therapy for a variety of reasons – sexual functioning concerns, mental health symptoms, communication issues. 

Inevitably, however, bisexuality emerges as a critical topic within the therapeutic process, including identity exploration, stereotype threat, and what it “means” to be partnered with someone of a different sexual orientation. A major goal of this special issue is to highlight the intricacy of bisexual relationships and to provide greater direction to mental health providers working with bisexual individuals and their partners. From relationship structures and parenting to sexual satisfaction and alarming rates of intimate partner violence, this collection is intended to fill a major gap in the existing literature on bisexual health.