The accommodation model of self-regulation: a framework for how couples communicate about problems with sexual desire

Problems with sexual desire are regarded as some of the most common of sexual issues experienced by couples. Relationship partners who experience problems with sexual desire can experience difficulties in regulating their own behaviors hindering them from constructively communicating about the problem. Therefore, understanding the role of self-regulation in how couples communicate about sexual problems can provide important insights into how relationship dynamics, in part, underpin such problems. In the current paper we, for the first time, apply a widely studied model of self-regulation in relationships, known as the accommodation model, to the area of sexual problems. Drawing on a research case study of a couple experiencing a discrepancy in sexual desire, we illustrate how specific self-regulatory behaviors can inform the case conceptualization, psychoeducation, and therapy of practitioners when working with couples dealing with sexual problems.