Poly/Open Relationships

Poly/Open Relationships

People who choose open relationship come from all walks of life but are often bright and attracted to complexity. They tend to be extroverts; those who are of a quieter temperament can enjoy this kind of relationship if they find ways to refuel themselves and have enough reflective time. These relationships seem to work best for people who are deeply inquisitive and who have considerable energy for processing emotions. This requires a high level of verbal ability and the capacity to express and understand their own complicated feelings and those of others.

Certainly a lot of conventional relationships are not working well in today’s society, and people who are willing to try new ways of arranging their relationship lives open themselves to an unfolding adventure. I enjoy supporting and exploring these possibilities with clients and help you bring your empathic skills and curiosity to conversations that invite more love and more learning.

A variety of agreements and understandings between people are involved in open, polyamorous and swinging relationships. Sometimes I work on specific sexual issues with clients in alternative relationship, just like anybody else; problems with pain, orgasm, or satisfaction. Other times people in alt lifestyles are looking for help with general life concerns like anxiety or problems with alcohol or recreational drugs, but want to know they are not going to be judged or told they’re pathological. You may have even had experiences with other therapists who insisted that your open relationship was the cause of the problems you were experiencing.

I may meet with an individual, a triad, family or any combination. Frequently, managing one’s life responsibilities and time with various partners presents a significant challenge and can be a source of stress. Sometimes we are focused on using effective negotiation skills, figuring out how to reach agreements and be clear about expectations. If you’d like to talk or have questions about how I may be able to help you explore the possibility of opening your relationship, or improve the one you’re in, please feel welcome to contact me.