Polyamory Relationship Constellations There are an infinite number of polyamory relationship styles. Oftentimes, the chosen family is a large part of these constellations with friends and partners are often lumped together as “family.” Mim Chapman (2010) describes a number of different dynamics and constellations that can occur within ethically non-monogamous relationships, which are described below. …
Games People Play in Poly Workshop from Atlanta Poly Weekend In June 2019, Therapist Nicki gave a presentation entitled, “Games People Play in Poly,” at the Sheraton Hotel for Atlanta Poly Weekend. This presentation describes the therapeutic model Transactional Analysis (TA) and the Harmony Arion Relationship Tools (HART). HART combines TA and the Gottman Sound Relationship House. Therapist Nicki uses …
Polyamory has many definitions depending on which poly community that you are asking. For the purposes of this blog series, we are identifying “polyamory” as the practice of having more than one intimate relationship within the context of honesty, openness, and chosen family. Polyamorous relationships are traditionally romantic in nature, but sexuality is optional. There are …
What Does Non-Monogamy Mean? When discussing “non-monogamy”, it is important to clarify the difference between ethical and non-ethical non-fidelity. “Monogamy” is defined as having a single relationship or sexual partner over the course of one’s lifetime. In our culture, people practice non-fidelity all of the time, either through serial relationships, hook-ups, dating, or infidelity. However, because …
“Swinging” is the practice of ethical “sport sex,” or engaging in sexual encounters with no emotional attachment. Swingers resist any emotional connection with alternative sexual partners and tend to roam in couples. Swingers often hold a distinct bias against polyamorists because they often are uncomfortable with the “feelings” end of sexual encounters. Many times, swinging …
Sexual Outsiders and Kink Phobia Sexual, genders, and relationship minorities, also known as sexual outsiders, are currently not receiving the proper standard of care by mental health professionals. One of the barriers to the development of more educational programs about this population is the lack of mainstream science acknowledging it as an identifiable subculture. This manual …
2019 Atlanta Poly Weekend Pregnancy and Poly discusses how getting pregnant in a polyamorous dynamic can be a joyous occasion and it can also bring it’s own share of issues. Watch Therapist Nicki as she discusses the pros and cons of pregnancy in a poly relationship. You can also read some of Harmony’s blogs on pregnancy in polyamorous relationships. …
Pregnancy in poly relationships (polyamorous) can be a time of great joy or a time of huge stress. Asking certain questions before and during the pregnancy are important. Displayed below are 5 key questions to ask during this important conversation. Do you want children? This question can start the conversation off to a good start. …
Kink is Very Healthy! The Psychological community, outside of those who specialize in sex therapy, is notorious for viewing Kink and BDSM related activities as a pathology (Ortmann and Sprott,). Even the current DSM-5 stipulates that Sadism and Masochism are considered fetishistic and paraphilia and implies that these behaviors are dangerous or pathological. This makes it challenging for kinky …
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