Marginalized Couples in Therapy - Interventions for Healing from Systemic Trauma

BIPOC and LGBTQI relationships have unique needs because minority stress, racialized trauma, and transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia can compromise one's ability to feel safe enough to connect to the world and others. Yet, all too often, marginalized couples are let down by conventional therapeutic models which were designed for white, cisgendered, heterosexual clients.
This book puts forth a therapeutic approach specifically designed for working with the impact of systemic oppression in couple's therapy. It emphasizes a courageous and vulnerable therapeutic stance rooted in an understanding of the lived experiences of marginalized couples, and a structured yet flexible path to healing. The author invites therapists to become active agents of change, making this not only a practical guide but also a call to action for fostering a more just and equitable world in which intimacy flourishes for all. With this innovative and inspiring approach, readers can help their clients journey towards liberation and authentic connection.

About the author

Akilah Riley-Richardson, MSW, CCTP, is a couples and trauma therapist based in Trinidad and Tobago. Dedicated to relational healing, she supports diverse communities and presents internationally, while also founding the Relational Healing Institute and creating the PRIDE model.

Product details

• Authors: Akilah Riley-Richardson
• Assisted by: Rae Alibey (Foreword), Menakem Resmaa (Foreword)
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 03.03.2026
• EAN: 9781324082965
• ISBN: 978-1-324-08296-5
• Illustrations: 7 black-and-white illustrations; 3 black-and-white tables
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Applied psychology; Social sciences, law, business > Ethnology > Ethnology; Ethnic Studies, Psychology, PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Couples & Family, Of specific Gay & Lesbian interest, Family psychology, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy: couples and families, PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / LGBTQ+, PSYCHOLOGY / Cultural Psychology, Relating to LGBTQIA+ people, Ethnic studies / Ethnicity, Psychotherapy: therapies or techniques