In recent decades, same-sex headed families have emerged in our contemporary societies. Often stigmatized because deviating from the traditional model, these families face unique and specific challenges, in addition to those common to all kinds of families. In particular, they face discrimination, the absence of socio-cultural models and lack of community support. Through this article, we tried to highlight the challenges and strengths of same-sex families. Starting from the theory of life cycle, we tracked the main key processes of their development from leaving home to the transition to parenthood. To illustrate our point of view, we presented a clinical case of a same-sex stepfamily. The interest of this case is twofold: it allowed us to understand the difficulties related to the relational dynamics of same-sex stepfamily structure and their complex interactions with ex-partners, families of origin and community. In conclusion, we suggest a series of guidelines to work with step same-sex families in order to contribute to better care in the clinical work of family therapists.
Keywords: Same-Sex Parenting; Step-Parenting; Stress; Resilience; Family Life Cycle.