Patriarchy, power, and privilege: a narrative/poststructural view of work with couples.

Poststructural/narrative therapists working with heterosexual couples position themselves to attend to issues of power and privilege and how these variables differentially affect each gendered member of the couple. The poststructural therapist understands patriarchy as the grand narrative that influences us all, often invisibly, and creates conditions for people to respond outside what might be their preferences for performing relationships. This article takes the reader inside the work with couples and demonstrates how the narrative/poststructural therapist attends to aspects of the conversation, asks questions, makes comments, and otherwise intervenes with couples using patriarchy as a lens for understanding. Rather than challenging patriarchy in how it influences men and women, the intention is to bring forth more preferred ways of being that are outside of or on the other side of patriarchal effects. This way of working thickens people's accounts of themselves and of their relationships so that they might live in more satisfactory ways.