How to Navigate a Painful Polyamory Breakup With Confidence
Breakups are hard. Polyamory can add another layer that people outside of non-monogamous relationships don’t always understand. You might be grieving the end of one relationship while still deeply loving and participating in another. You may need comfort from a partner who has their own complicated feelings about the person you’re grieving. Or you might […]
Remarkable Benefits of Private-Pay Therapy for Polyamory: Privacy & Confidence
If you’ve looked for a therapist who specializes in polyamory, ethical non-monogamy, kink, or other non-traditional relationships, you may have noticed that many specialists don’t accept insurance. That is a choice I have made for my practice as well. I made that decision thoughtfully and with my clients’ benefit in mind. For some clients, that’s […]
The Hidden Truth About Jealousy in Polyamory: How to Navigate It With Confidence
What Jealousy Really Means in Polyamory Jealousy can feel especially complicated in polyamorous relationships because of the expectation that being comfortable with non-monogamy means you shouldn’t experience it. Consider feeling jealous a symptom of a deeper issue that deserves attention. The issue isn’t how you’re feeling, it’s what could be causing the feeling in the first place. […]
What to Expect from Polyamory-Affirming Therapy: An Honest Look
Therapy Should Feel Like a Place Where You Don’t Have to Explain Yourself For many people in non-traditional relationships, starting relationship therapy can feel even more scary than it would for people in more “traditional” or socially accepted relationship structures. To be fair, starting therapy of any kind can feel like taking a risk. These […]
6 Honest Things to Know About Compersion in Polyamory
Compersion has become a buzzword. But how relevant is it? For couples first exploring an open relationship or polyamory, you’ll often see or hear about the concept of compersion. I’d like to take an honest look at not only what it means, but if it’s required to have a successful open relationship. A common definition […]
Opening Your Relationship Isn’t a Conversation. It’s a Deliberate Process.
After working with couples for almost ten years, I have noticed a marked increase in the number of couples who are interested in opening their relationship in some way. For some, it may stem from curiosity. For others, they’re just learning the name for how they’ve approached relationships their whole lives. Whatever the spark that […]
Is Polyamory Really Cheating? The Truth About Consent and Communication
In a Word? No. It’s not. Though there are some common elements, there are some very distinct differences between polyamory and cheating in a monogamous relationship. The headline difference comes down to two things: consent and communication. Let’s get clear about what cheating is first though. Cheating doesn’t happen when your partner feels an attraction […]
Is Poly Therapy Right for You?
Welcome to Connected Threads Therapy! I’m Jenn. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Virginia and South Carolina. But that’s not what most people are wondering or why you clicked on this post. You want to know what makes me qualified to provide therapy to the Poly/Kink Communities. So let’s dive in! I’ve been […]