ABSTRACT
As discussions around infidelity and best clinical practices expand, clinicians must more intricately understand how infidelity manifests within and impacts LGBTGEQ+ relationships to offer holistic, informed, and liberatory care. This chapter explores the evolution of LGBTGEQ+ relationships across the changing sociopolitical context in the United States, fosters a deeper understanding of queer relationship structures, and offers clinicians concrete intervention strategies to support clients in navigating infidelity within their relationships. Importantly, the chapter addresses consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) within LGBTGEQ+ relationships and differentiates this relationship structure from infidelity. Furthermore, adopting a non-comparative approach, the authors offer a review of the literature connected to LGBTGEQ+ relationships, highlighting findings and gaps in the literature pertaining to treating infidelity within them and ground therapeutic recommendations to enhance counseling outcomes within theories of intersectionality, queer theory, relational-cultural theory, and emotionally focused couples therapy. By integrating relevant resources, tools, and case studies, the authors provide a thorough, culturally responsive guide for clinicians supporting partners in LGBTGEQ+ relationships to navigate infidelity.
