ABSTRACT
Whether partners are of the same sex or opposite sex, most committed love relationships are difficult. All of us, gay or straight, carry into our relationships childhood wounds, unmet needs, and character defenses that serve as fuel for the power struggle. Successful relationships demand that partners give up or alter the character defenses they developed as children and that are no longer adaptive as they reach adulthood. Unwilling or unable to make this transformation, most couples eventually break up or divorce.
