This doctoral thesis explores the experience of stroke from the perspective of both survivors and the partners of stroke survivors. It incorporates a literature review, a research paper, a critical review and an ethics section. The literature review comprises a metasynthesis of spousal experiences of coping with and adapting to care giving for a partner who has experienced a stroke. Seven themes were identified which suggested a number of coping strategies that spouses adopt although a number of barriers to these were also discussed, together with clinical implications and suggestions for future research. The research paper takes a focus upon the joint experience of couples when one partner experienced a stroke at a young age, which for the purposes of this study was 55 years or younger. Eight joint semi-structured interviews were analysed using IPA and indicated couples undergo an experience of trying to make sense of the stroke and also undergo significant relationship role changes. These changes incorporated a shift from being equal partners to a relationship where their reciprocal roles resembled those of carer and 'cared for' and in some instances, this also had echoes of the roles of parent and child. Implications for clinical psychologists and the wider rehabilitation team were discussed with a recommendation for the 'couple' to be viewed as the focus of intervention. Finally, in the critical review the researcher reflects upon the strengths and limitations of conducting the research, including the analytic approach and joint interviewing methodology. Suggestions for future research directions were also proposed.