Healing Together by Expanding Boundaries: Couples’ Experiences in a Spinal Cord Injury Support Program

The consequences of a spinal cord injury fundamentally alter how couples live together, affecting not only the structure of daily life and the division of practical tasks, but also their emotions and attitudes toward each other, and their intimacy, including sexual relations. Support plays a critical role in alleviating additional suffering and, importantly, may be needed in reducing the risk of relationship breakdown and promote rehabilitation for the couple. This study aimed to explore couples’ motivation for participating in a couples-oriented rehabilitation initiative, with a particular emphasis on how support was provided to both partners, their experiences with it and its potential benefits. Using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach three zoom-based focus groups were conducted. One with three individuals with a spinal cord injury, one with the three partners and one with the three couples together. The analysis followed Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation. The injury had significant implications for the couple’s relationship. Five main themes and three sub-themes were identified: (1) Caring for each other, (2) Meeting each other as intimate partners (3) Connecting with others in similar situations, (4) Connecting with oneself through transcendence, and (5) Opening new potential and expanding boundaries. The Partners in Spine Couples Initiative grounded in Active Rehabilitation, appears to offer a framework that opens potential and expands boundaries for couples living with spinal cord injury. This study highlights the clinical relevance of dyadic interventions that integrate relational, experiential, and expressive elements to support both individual partners and the couple in adapting to life after spinal cord injury.