Even if you aren't a spiritual person or don't have a spiritual practice, we have strategies that allow us to avoid facing reality and minimize feeling difficult emotions during times of turmoil. We're going to discuss why we do this, what spiritual bypassing looks like in real life, and how to tell when you're engaging in healthy coping mechanisms versus unhealthy avoidance tactics.
Read MoreThis week's episode is for everyone out there who has had a loved one come out to them as non-monogamous. There are a lot of feelings that may come up; you may feel confused, afraid for their wellbeing, or you may have not even heard the term before at all. Listen to this episode where we go back to basics of non-monogamy, some tactics for reacting well to your loved one's journey, and future expectations.
Some resources: A fantastic, short book which provides a great jumping off point for those who are new to the concept of non-monogamy and want to learn more: https://www.amazon.com/When-Someone-Love-Polyamorous-Understanding/dp/0996460187/ref=sr_1_5?qid=1689193889&refinements=p_27%3ADr.+Elisabeth+Sheff&s=books&sr=1-5&text=Dr.+Elisabeth+Sheff
Very informative blog posts on Polyamory, family, and more by Dr. Elisabeth Sheff: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-polyamorists-next-door
Additional podcast episode on coming out to parents from our friend Libby Sinback: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-your-mom/id1487987837?i=1000554057851
Great crash course on polyamory, definitions, what it is and isn’t etc… https://unknownmetric.medium.com/the-coffee-break-polyamory-primer-6c64b4dc53de
Read MoreToday we're joined by Billy Procida to answer some more of our Patreon listeners' questions!
Billy Procida is a stand-up comedian in New York City where he runs a monthly naked comedy show. He's been published in Mashable and Marie Claire, and has interviewed his exes for over 9 years on The Manwhore Podcast [feel free to give a disclaimer that it's not exactly the bro show they'd expect from the title — it's kind of like Dan Savage meets Marc Maron. Or just read out this bracket note. If you do read this whole thing out, please then also include that he *is* single and available in case Susan Sarandon is listening.]
If you want your question answered on one of our future Q&A episodes, consider joining our Patreon community!
On today's episode, we're talking about honesty...honestly. Many of us are taught from childhood that honesty is the best policy, but is it really? We'll be talking about radical honesty, selfish honesty, when "just being honest" might mean "just being a jerk," and, as always, we'll be sharing one of our communication tools at the end of the episode to help you approach honesty in the most informed, nuanced way possible.
Read MoreWe talk a lot about polyamory and monogamy on this show, but what about ambiamory? You may have heard it floating around recently; today we're going to talk about what it is, some of the potential challenges that might face people who identify as ambiamorous, and continue the age-old conversation of identity versus preference when it comes to relationship styles.
Read MoreAre you ready to talk about jealousy again?! For today's episode we're joined by Dr. Joli Hamilton, the relationship coach for couples who color outside the lines. She is also a research psychologist, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and AASECT certified sex educator. Joli also co-hosts the Playing with Fire podcast with her anchor partner, Ken. Joli’s been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and NPR. She’s spent the past two decades studying and reimagining what love can be if we open our imaginations to possibility. Joli helps people create non-monogamous partnerships that are custom-built for their authentic selves, no more shrinking, pretending, or hiding required.
Today, Joli is here to talk about her research on jealousy and go in depth about her five step approach to managing it, along with some of her other tools and experience she uses in her practice. Find more about her on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter at @drjoli_hamilton, and at www.JoliQuiz.com and www.theyearofopening.com.
Today's episode is a special crossover with actress, comedian, dating expert, and podcast host Natasha Chandel from the Kinda Dating podcast! Kinda Dating breaks down the modern dating world with different influential guests, exploring why so many of us have commitment issues. For this episode, we're discussing consensual non-monogamy in general, commitment and commitment-phobia, and much more!
Read MoreWe're back with another Q&A episode to answer some more listener questions! Today we're discussing open, honest conversations with non-romantic connections, feeling undesirable, romantic repulsion following multiple breakups/de-escalations, how to be a good hinge partner when starting new relationships, and more!
If you'd like to submit a question for our next Q&A episode, consider becoming a Patreon supporter and posting in our private community!
For this week's episode, we're discussing the current political and legal landscape for polyamorous and non-monogamous folks. We're fortunate enough to be joined by two experts on this very matter, Dr. Heath Schechinger and Diana Adams!
Dr. Heath Schechinger is a distinguished psychologist, scholar, and educator in the field of relationship structure diversity. Over the past 15 years, his work has delved into the challenges of monogamy, infidelity, and the emergence of diverse family and relationship configurations. He is a founding Co-chair of the American Psychological Association Division 44 Committee on Consensual Non-monogamy, Research Affiliate Faculty at The Kinsey Institute, Co-founder of the Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition, and Board Member for the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy. In addition to his roles in these organizations, he offers consultation services and maintains a private practice.
Diana Adams (they/them) is an international legal leader in advocacy for queer family forms beyond the romantic dyad. Diana is the Executive Director of Chosen Family Law Center, a nonprofit advocating for diverse family structures, & runs a boutique law firm providing mediation services nationwide for those hoping to negotiate intentional or polyamorous families. Diana’s TED talk ‘Why US Laws Must Expand Beyond the Nuclear Family’ explains their expansive vision of family. Find them on all socials @DianaAdamsEsq.
Today we're talking about saturation, or more specifically, polysaturation, or the state in which a polyamorous person has as many significant relationships as they can handle at a given time. We'll be discussing some factors that might influence polysaturation, such as time, distance, family, and health, as well as how it differs from burnout. Our goal is to better understand our own capacities and desires so we can better maintain balance and wellbeing, regardless of whether someone is monogamous or non-monogamous.
Read MoreThis week we're circling back to boundaries once again! In light of our book release, we're going to be sharing one of the special tools from it that we've come up with to enforce boundaries. But first, we'll go over what boundaries are, our take on what the difference between boundaries/rules/agreements, and talk about why we need boundaries in our lives.
For more episodes about boundaries, revisit episodes 178: The Basics of Boundaries, 227: Rules and Agreements ft. Boundaries, and 372: Needs, Desires, Boundaries, and More.
This week we're joined by Jessica Esfandiary for another Q&A episode to answer some more listener questions! Today we'll tackle topics like enjoying fun experiences without your partner, dating polyamorous newbies, imposter syndrome, and more!
Jessica is a dynamic writer, speaker, and podcast host whose expertise lies in the realm of open relationships and how the principles of these types of connections can be applied to everyday life. She is also the host of the Open Late podcast.
Dating often puts a strain on our wallets, especially as inflation rates increase, so today we're discussing financial pressures that dating puts on people. We're going to be going over recent dating trends, how to date without going broke, and finally, some fun, out-of-the-box, inexpensive date ideas for you all to try!
Read MoreToday's episode we're revisiting difficult conversations. In any relationship, there are often hard, emotional, or awkward conversations that we tend to avoid. Whether we're working through a conflict, setting boundaries, making a request, disclosing information, tackling a taboo topic, etc., it helps to understand why we have inhibitions when it comes to these discussions. We're going to talk today about the maladaptive ways we might try to get out of conversations we deem uncomfortable and some better ways to tackle them instead!
Read MoreToday we have another Q&A episode! We'll be discussing some of the challenges of being polyamorous in a monogamous world, rekindling friendships with metamours, and the special joys of polyamory!
If you'd like to have your question discussed in an upcoming Q&A episode, join our Patreon community at www.patreon.com/multiamory!
Spring is coming up, and so today we're talking about spring cleaning our relationships! Spring is a great time to do a big tidy up of your home, but cleaning up your relationships is beneficial as well, whether it's your romantic ones, friends, social media follows, or even coworkers. We'll be discussing how we can celebrate our relationships, mend ones that need some clean-up, and when we might need to let them go. Additionally, we'll be covering how to clean up your relationship with yourself, like clearing mental clutter, planting seeds for new growth, and getting out of your comfort zone for your own health and happiness.
Read MoreThis week, we're joined by one of our research assistants, Dr. Keyanah Nurse, to talk about safe spaces in the context of relationships. During this episode, we go into detail about the history of safe spaces on college campuses and how they have been used for various social justice movements, as well as considerations for making intimate relationships safer.
Read MoreWe're so excited to be joined by author Alyssa Gonzalez for today's episode! She is the author of Non-monogamy and Neurodiversity, which was published in February 2023.
Alyssa is a biology Ph.D., professional speaker, and writer. Her fiction uses science-fiction and fantasy elements to explore social isolation, autism, gender, trauma, and the relationships between all these things. She writes at The Perfumed Void (the-orbit.net/alyssa), on the subjects of biology, history and her experiences as an autistic ex-Catholic Hispanic transgender immigrant to Canada. She has also written a book about polyamory from a neurodivergent perspective. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with a menagerie of pets.
Today, Alyssa discusses her writing process and journey with us, traits of neurodiversity that make non-monogamy easier and more difficult respectively, stigma and tropes around neurodivergence, and more!
Let's dive into another Q&A episode with some questions from our Patreon supporters! This week we're talking about rebuilding friendship with exes, discovering one's own boundaries, managing past relationship trauma, how to give advice about non-monogamy, and more.
If you'd like to submit a question of your own, consider becoming one of our Patreon supporters!
Martha Kauppi has rejoined us today to talk about coming out of the closet and how it relates in particular to the intersection of our professional and personal lives.
For those who are just meeting her, Martha is a therapist, author, speaker, and educator specializing in complex relational therapy, sex issues, and alternative family structures. She trains therapists all over the world to work more effectively with a broad range of sex issues, and with clients who are in open relationships. She is the author of the groundbreaking new book Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit for Therapists (and Their Clients).
