Normalizing Non-Monogamy - Personal Stories of Polyamory, Swinging, and Beyond

Courtney is back after more than 150 episodes to give us an update on all the ways he's been finding himself and crushing life over the last three years! This is such an amazing conversation about how we are all constantly changing and evolving in how we relate to one another, and to ourselves. While we definitely recommend listening to Courtney's first interview on Episode 165, this conversation stands on its own and is so powerful. Enjoy! Also! Courtney is the founder and director of an incredible non-profit called Something Positive for Positive People. SPFPP is dedicated to supporting individuals living with herpes using holistic approaches. They focus on navigating the complexities of stigma and relationships associated with the virus. Their mission is to provide stigma-free communication skills and other resources to sexual health service providers, including therapists, nurses, sex educators, and public health professionals. And! Courtney is organizing a virtual Herpes Stigma Conference on May 23, 2024. Get your ticket here! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Jess and Tyler have been together nearly a decade and have been married for about six years. A few years back, the idea of opening their relationship came up in quite an exciting fashion! Jess and Tyler take us through how they overcame their abrupt entry into the world of non-monogamy and how they used it as an opportunity to grow closer and to be more authentically themselves. What started out as a way for Jess to explore her sexuality grew into a whole new way of creating a partnership filled with love and expansiveness. Jess is also a licensed therapist and relationship coach who loves working with those who choose a less conventional path. You can learn more about her and her work on her website www.bothandcoaching.com. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today's questions are about navigating a polyamorous breakup while you're in a don't ask, don't tell (DADT) dynamic AND advice for a couple who have differing needs in terms of emotional connection with new partners before having sex. If YOU have a question, we'd love to hear it! Please, ask us anything by clicking here! We are super excited to be partnering with Meshai for the Ask Us Anything episodes! She first appeared on the podcast on Episode 233 and we're honored to have her back! Meshai is relationship coach with the team at Expansive Connection. She believes in the power of living as one’s authentic self, and the freedom that comes from changing perspectives. She loves putting the puzzle pieces of a couple's sexual energy together and aiding them in positive and explorative movement. Her coaching work implements creative synergy, openness, self-expression, and the confrontation of challenges through self-determination. She helps individuals from diverse populations move forward with their goals while being fully aware that trauma can play on the whole person. Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I am also working towards completing a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute and will be finished in late spring 2024. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Carrie has been married for over 17 years, has kids, and is in a polyamorous relationship… Yet, this conversation is less about where she is today and more about the beautiful and intentional path that led her there. Carrie takes us deep into her incredibly powerful journey of healing and truly getting to know and accept herself. The divorce from her first husband led her on a spiritual journey of healing and ultimately inspired her first open relationship in 2004. Later, when she met her current husband they shared openly about their mutual desire for a non-monogamous partnership, even though they set off on an intentionally monogamous path for the next decade as they built a home and family together. Then, a few years ago she met someone… Carrie Jeroslow is an international best-selling author, relationship diversity advocate, speaker, intuitive, and podcaster. She loves helping people learn the tools to relate consciously to themselves and others. She believes that when we learn and accept who we truly are, we are able to be more authentic in our relationships with others, which in turn brings an unparalleled sense of fulfillment to our lives as a whole. We highly recommend checking out all of her powerful work on her website www.carriejeroslow.com where you can find her podcast, books, and all of the other ways Carrie is changing the world! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Roy first came on the podcast with his partner Jessie back on episode 182 and now he's back to give us an update and to dig into his personal journey a bit deeper. This episode stands on its own and afterwards you can go back and listen to our first conversation. Today, Roy takes us through the changes the last few years have brought for him and we go deep in talking about solo polyamory and why it's the best fit for him right now. He speaks vulnerably about experiences from past relationships and the social conditioning that impacted his ability to speak up for his own wants and needs in relationships of all kinds. We also get to go behind the scenes to understand the work he has done to heal these parts of himself so he can show up better for himself and his partners. This is a beautiful conversation and we hope you enjoy it. Roy is a relationship coach and counselor who offers support and guidance to individuals and partnered people both online and in-person. He uses a variety of methodologies he was trained in, along with his extensive lived experience as a multilingual and multicultural global citizen. Please check out more about his work on his website openrelating.love. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Princess and DD have been together for almost four years and have both been exploring non-monogamy for about a decade. They each began their non-monogamous adventures by exploring swinging with previous spouses and have since entered into the worlds of BDSM, Dom/Sub dynamics, and polyamory together. More specifically, Princess and DD are in a Daddy Dom Little Girl (DDLG) or Caregiver Little (CGL) dynamic. They share with us how this dynamic unexpectedly developed between them and we have a beautiful conversation about the importance of educating yourself and having honest conversations to negotiate whatever relational structure you want. Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Noa and her partner met in 2008 and were initially friends and roommates during college. Their romantic partnership grew out of their foundation of friendship and often included sharing stories of their sex-positive and flirty adventures. As their relationship deepened, they were mostly monogamous but also kept a bit of the flintiness and openness with others. Noa shares with us the beautiful journey of self-discovery and growth that she has been on through the last 15 years, both with her partner and on her own. We have really incredible conversations about how she has had to rethink boundaries for herself, her relationship to change and the fear of change, and how she and her partner are currently in a place of redefining the container of their relationship to hopefully reduce hurt and disappointment. You will also hear throughout her story the huge impact that finding a community where she feels she belongs has had on her life. Speaking of community… Noa is the CEO of the Bloom Community App! Bloom Community is the social and community building app for sex-positive and edge-of-culture communities (non-monogamous, kinky, queer, etc) that helps you meet people organically through shared events. We have been using Bloom for a few years and absolutely love their mission. As you will hear, it’s not just a job… Noa is incredibly passionate about community. We hope you enjoy this conversation and that you will check out Bloom! We’ll see you over there! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Rose and Spade met in middle school and have now been together for over 30 years, and married for more than 20 of them! They've had open minds and communication since very early on. Even back in high school they would throw kissing and hot tub parties. They "officially" got into the swinging lifestyle about 17 years ago, when they were in their early twenties. They were quite active for a few years and then life got in the way.... They had kids, they each went back to school, they had jobs, and life was busy. Their swinging adventures naturally faded away for about a decade and then a few years ago, life eased up a bit and they got back into it. However, things are a bit different the second time around and a decade later and we get to hear all about it! We hope you enjoy this lighthearted and beautiful conversation. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today's questions are about advice for a couple who is considering a polyamorous quad with their best friends who just opened their relationship AND curiosity about making comparisons in non-monogamy. If YOU have a question, we'd love to hear it! Please, ask us anything by clicking here! You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I am also working towards completing a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute and will be finished in late spring 2024. We are super excited to be partnering with Meshai for the Ask Us Anything episodes! She first appeared on the podcast on Episode 233 and we're honored to have her back! Meshai is relationship coach with the team at Expansive Connection. She believes in the power of living as one’s authentic self, and the freedom that comes from changing perspectives. She loves putting the puzzle pieces of a couple's sexual energy together and aiding them in positive and explorative movement. Her coaching work implements creative synergy, openness, self-expression, and the confrontation of challenges through self-determination. She helps individuals from diverse populations move forward with their goals while being fully aware that trauma can play on the whole person. Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Evita is back after almost 100 episodes and we're so excited! She's been exploring non-monogamy for over a decade and brings so many different experiences and perspectives to this interview. Evita originally got into non-monogamy while swinging with her former husband. One of the main themes of this conversation is around how her approach to non-monogamy and relationships has shifted as a solo person without an anchor partner. She speaks vulnerably about the tenderness and care she needs to give herself on this journey to protect herself physically and emotionally. She also speaks to the power that comes from advocating for yourself and how hard it often is to do. Evita has also just released a new book! A Polyamory Devotional: 365 Daily Reflections for the Consensually Nonmonogamous is available now! Please grab yourself a copy and check out all of Evita's work and coaching on her LinkTree. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Sarah and George are back after more than two years! The first time they came on was on episode 169 under the pseudonyms Alice and Sam. But, never fear... You don't HAVE to go listen to that episode in order to get a ton out of this powerful conversation. They've been living together for over seven years and their relationship was open from the beginning. Non-monogamy was new to George when Sarah introduced him to it on one of their first dates. Since then, the journey of non-monogamy has taken many forms over the years. Today, they've arrived in a place where they're both exploring polyamory in their own way. This conversation digs into the really powerful work they have done to deepen their connection, while at the same time, fostering and supporting autonomy for one another. We absolutely love this conversation and hope you do as well. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Jo and her husband have been together for 18 years and have been exploring swinging for 17 of those years. They initially opened their relationship as a way for Jo to explore her bisexuality and things evolved from there. They're primarily exploring the swinging lifestyle and yet, swinging has always been about way more than just sex for them. We love this conversation for a few reasons... The first is that we get a really incredible look at the early days of what getting into swinging looked like for Jo and her husband. At the same time, we get to see what the evolution has looked like for them over nearly two decades. And, lucky us, we also get to have an incredible discussion about the shifts and growth they're both in the middle of right now. Jo is also the host of The Confident Swinger podcast and she's a confidence and lifestyle coach who loves helping people turn their dreams into a reality. Please check out her podcast and work over at www.theconfidentswinger.com. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

This interview with Beth and Mark is such a delight! They met in college on a blind date and have now been married for over 30 years! They decided to open their marriage about five years ago, but it wasn't a fast or easy process. During our conversation they take us inside their process in a really vulnerable way. They share openly about what they wish they had done different and how they worked together to heal and repair their relationship, and themselves, along the way. Today, they primarily spend their time exploring the swinging lifestyle, but as you will hear, life is a journey of exploring growth edges for these two. What it looked like five years ago is much different than today, and tomorrow is a new day full of possibilities. Mark is also a relationship coach who works with couples and individuals to help them explore what they need in their partnerships and to find their own path to opening up, if that's the path they choose. You can learn more about Mark and his work at www.openingus.com. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today's questions are about advice for someone who's transitioning from only exploring non-monogamy within couple to exploring as a solo person after ending a partnership AND what do we do when our metamours aren't treating our partners the way we think they should be. If YOU have a question, we'd love to hear it! Please, ask us anything by clicking here! You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I am also working towards completing a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute and will be finished in late spring 2024. We are super excited to be partnering with Meshai for the Ask Us Anything episodes! She first appeared on the podcast on Episode 233 and we're honored to have her back! Meshai is relationship coach with the team at Expansive Connection. She believes in the power of living as one’s authentic self, and the freedom that comes from changing perspectives. She loves putting the puzzle pieces of a couple's sexual energy together and aiding them in positive and explorative movement. Her coaching work implements creative synergy, openness, self-expression, and the confrontation of challenges through self-determination. She helps individuals from diverse populations move forward with their goals while being fully aware that trauma can play on the whole person. Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Today's interview with Adam is best summarized as an unforgettable, powerful, and transformative adventure. He describes it better than we ever could on the website for his new book "Seek The Risk" and so, we got permission to adapt his description slightly: Adam has spent most of his life pursuing adventure—climbing some of the world’s steepest mountains, snowboarding dangerous backcountry terrain, and BASE jumping off of cliffs. Then he met Jane... Jane was a sex educator with a PhD in psychology, a female sexuality empowerment activist—and a self-described slut, who rejected monogamy and the societal norms of what a sexually well-behaved woman should be. No stranger to extreme living and taking risks, Adam thought he could handle whatever his relationship with Jane threw at him. But the very publicly open relationship was more than his strong male persona could bear. Rather than walk away and protect his ego, Adam applied the lessons he had learned about fear while free soloing high up on rock faces and free diving a hundred feet below the surface of the sea to navigate an even more terrifying situation—the woman he loved having lots of sex with lots of other men. Neither a celebration of non-monogamy, nor a cautionary tale, Seek the Risk is a firsthand account of what one extreme sports competitor went through after falling in love with the “wrong girl.” His journey forced him to reevaluate his ideals about relationships, female sexuality, and his own masculinity. It was also the wildest ride of his life. Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Tasha and David have been married for about five years and have been together for about a decade. They've had variations of an open relationship (primarily swinging) from the beginning and have done a lot of work to learn and grow together. Tasha and David dive into how the 26 year age difference between them has impacted their relationship and how they view love and sex. David came out of a long-term monogamous marriage just before he met Tasha. For him, sex equals love. Or at least it used to. This wasn't exactly the case for Tasha. Tasha and David are also in the middle of a beautiful and common transition in their non-monogamous partnership... They are exploring what opening up their partnership to connection beyond swinging and sex with others might look like. They have found themselves answering a very common question... What happens when swingers catch feelings? Tasha is a Doctoral student who is studying relationship satisfaction across all relational dynamics. She would love if you would help her collect data to finish her thesis and dissertation. Here is a link to the confidential survey which takes about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for helping her and for helping to normalize non-monogamy! (Note: Tasha is a pseudonym. The survey and her research is published under her legal name.) Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Mariana is a wonderful 31 year old polyamorous woman in Portugal who is in a mono-poly dynamic with her partner of five years and an additional partner of about a year. Consensual non-monogamy is a relatively new concept in her life but she has been pushing back against societal norms and scripts since she was a teenager. She shares with us her beautiful and powerful journey of hitting rock-bottom in an abusive partnership before digging deep into who she is and what she really wants out of life and relationships. She takes us through the work she did for herself and with her partner to design the relationship she wants... And, it's everchanging. Speaking of designing relationships... Mariana is a designer and worked with her therapist to adapt the tools she used with her partner into a stunning game. You can find The Relationship Design Game here on her website and you can save 10% when you use the code "EMMA" at checkout! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Jessica and David have been in many different iterations of relationship together for over twenty years... They were friends, they dated, they were friends again, they dated again, they got married, they had a child, they divorced, they became friends again, and now they're nesting co-parents who refer to themselves as "poly intimates" and life partners. This interview is a beautiful and vulnerable look inside what that journey was like for them together and as individuals, and how they arrived here. And, where "here" even is. Jessica Fern is the author of the wildly popular book Polysecure. From her website: Polysecure is both a trailblazing theoretical treatise and a practical guide. It provides nonmonogamous people with a new set of tools to navigate the complexities of multiple loving relationships and offers radical new concepts that are sure to influence the conversation about attachment theory. She and David Cooley recently released their new book, Polywise. From her website: Using a grounded theory approach, they explore the underlying challenges that nonmonogamous individuals and partners can experience after their first steps, offering practical strategies for transforming them into opportunities for new levels of clarity and intimacy. Polywise provides both the conceptual framework to better understand the shift from monogamy to nonmonogamy and the tools to navigate the next steps. To learn more about Jessica's work, please visit her website. Similarly, to learn more about David's work as a restorative justice facilitator, please visit his website. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today's questions are about how to determine the difference between a personal boundary and an opportunity for growth AND two questions about group play. If YOU have a question, we'd love to hear it! Please, ask us anything by clicking here! You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I am also working towards completing a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute and will be finished in late spring 2024. We are super excited to be partnering with Meshai for the Ask Us Anything episodes! She first appeared on the podcast on Episode 233 and we're honored to have her back! Meshai is relationship coach with the team at Expansive Connection. She believes in the power of living as one’s authentic self, and the freedom that comes from changing perspectives. She loves putting the puzzle pieces of a couple's sexual energy together and aiding them in positive and explorative movement. Her coaching work implements creative synergy, openness, self-expression, and the confrontation of challenges through self-determination. She helps individuals from diverse populations move forward with their goals while being fully aware that trauma can play on the whole person. Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Rachel's first appearance on the podcast was over 300 episodes, and five years ago. She originally shared her story on episode 8 with her partner and used a pseudonym. A lot has changed since then. Rachel has been exploring non-monogamy for close to a decade. Initially, she and her partner were in a hierarchical relationship where they explored swinging, dating as a couple, and a bit of polyamory. As time went on, their dynamic shifted and they eventually found themselves in a pseudo-quad dynamic where there was much less hierarchy. More recently, she has embraced the concept of being her own primary partner, while investing in a committed relationship. Rachel is incredibly eloquent and vulnerable in this interview. We have amazing conversations about maintaining friendship after transitioning a romantic partnership, rekindling romantic partnerships after a breakup, processing the grief and loss of a relationship, the power and vulnerability in asking for help and leaning on your support system, and we dig into capacity and healing around commitments and expectations. There is so much that is wonderful about this conversation. If that wasn't enough... Rachel is also a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW-C) and an AASECT certified sex therapist (CST). She is kink, poly, and LGBTQ friendly with a wide range of experience working with individuals and couples on a myriad of treatment issues, including sexuality, communication, conflict, life transitions, lack of emotional or physical intimacy, depression, anxiety, trauma, and more. Please learn more at aliveintimacy.com. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

This conversation is beyond powerful. We say that often and we always mean it. This is no exception to the rule. About a year ago Anna and Andy opened up their relationship after being together for over 30 years. They'd talked about it for a long time, and finally did it. They even had a plan and lots of agreements. And then, the first person they met was J! J has been exploring non-monogamy for about a decade in a wide range of configurations and now he, Anna, and Andy are in a V together with Anna as the hinge. The power in this conversation comes from how these three vulnerably dig into the really beautiful work they've all have had to do to get here. Anna has ADHD and is Autistic, Andy has ADHD, and J is Autistic. Learning to navigate a hinge relationship while meshing multiple neurodivergencies has been revolutionary for all three of them. We talk a lot about the relief that comes from not having to mask anymore and at the same time, the challenges that come with it as well. We also dig into healing from intense religious upbringings (Anna and Andy were both raised by parents who were pastors), deconstructing the patriarchy and ownership, and forming relationships with metamours. Again, this conversation is beautiful, powerful, and even full of laughs. Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

This is such a deep, vulnerable, and beautiful conversation. Orit and her husband discussed opening their relationship fairly early on. However, personal history and trauma made the conversations scary and triggering for Orit. She shares with us her powerful journey of healing over the last decade and how she and her husband currently explore polyamory together. She speaks elegantly about her path of healing trauma, transitioning and grieving relationships, holding multiple opposing truths at once, her brief experiences in swinging, and so much about new relationship energy (NRE). We absolutely love this one and hope you do, as well. Orit doesn't just walk the walk, she also loves helping others. She is a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, and has a MS in Dance/Movement therapy with over 13 years of experience. As she says on her website: "I call myself a Trauma and Relationship Expert because I’ve helped thousands heal from past wounds and improve their relationships. But to be honest with you – I’m still making mistakes in my own relationships. I’ve had 10+ years of therapy, coaching, and plant medicine journeys – yet, I’m still learning. I’ve grown so much since the days I used to sabotage my relationships with uncontrollable jealousy and fear. A decade ago, I could barely stand the idea of my husband texting another woman. Now, we’re in a loving & stable polyamorous marriage. Healing does and can happen! I am living proof and it is my mission to share it with the world as best as I can. This has been far more than a personal transformation. This is my calling." Please check out all of her amazing work at www.oritkrug.com. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

"You have to do the work..." gets thrown around all the time these days in love and relationships. Never before have we heard a more powerful discussion of what "the work" is than this one with Bru and Mark. They talk through the raw and beautiful work they have both done individually, and together, to get to where they are today. They're both in their mid-thirties and are high school sweethearts who have been married for over 18 years. They're also about two years into a very slow and intentional opening of their relationship. They opened, explored, paused, redesigned, and are now opening again. Again, this conversation is incredible from beginning to end. Bru and Mark talk so vulnerably about their experiences growing up intensely Evangelical Christian, leaving the church, healing complex PTSD, and finding and rebuilding a loving and supportive community around themselves. Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Rachel Lark is a bisexual, kinky, polyamorous, cis female musician, performer, and writer. And that's all before she's had her morning coffee! Raised by two sex-positive philosophers, Rachel tends to question most things, rather than blindly following the herd. In a similar fashion, this is one of our more philosophical interviews about non-monogamy. We absolutely love it and hope you do as well. As we mentioned, Rachel is a musician and performer. What we didn't tell you is that she is an AMAZING musician and performer and you should definitely check out her website for more information on her work and her current fall 2023 tour! One last thing... Many of the world's greatest creative minds and artists make their living $5 and $10 at a time by finding their most loyal and supportive fans. Please consider supporting Rachel's work by contributing to her Patreon. It may seem crazy, and it's hard to explain how much getting a new Patreon supporter means to indie artists and creators. She has about as many supporters as we do in our virtual community and we know how much it makes our day when we get a new member. Emma and I still text each other immediately to celebrate. I imagine it's the same for Rachel. Here's that link again. Check out the full show notes here. Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Quick episode announcing the our new Ask Us Anything episodes! Fin is teaming up with Meshai from Expansive Connection coaching to answer all of your non-monogamy related questions! Click here to record and submit a question! Your question will be played on the podcast. Keep your question to 2 minutes or less. Do not use names or identifying information about people. Please be in a quiet place when you record. This helps ensure the highest audio quality possible. Thank you! Check out the full show notes here. Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

This is one of those interviews you'll listen to over and over... Chaneé is absolutely full of incredible experience and wisdom. She is a 36 year old, black, pansexual, polyamorous mom, wife, partner, event planner, coach, and educator. She grew up in an evangelical Christian family and ultimately started questioning who she wanted to be in the world around the time she was 19. Fast forward a few years and she and her now-husband opened their relationship pretty much from the beginning and then, accidentally found themselves in their first triad. Over the last decade, Chaneé has dedicated herself to researching, understanding, and teaching the world about polyamory and non-monogamy. One of the things we love about Chaneé's work is that her teaching is not theoretical. It is extremely practical and pragmatic, as you will hear in this conversation when she talks about what "good communication" actually means. And how to practice it. Please support all of Chaneé's work by checking out her LinkTree. And, please remember to pre-order your copy of A Polyamory Devotional! Check out the full show notes here. Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Lauren and Lars have been together for about 20 years and decided to open their marriage about five years ago. They initially opened slowly at a pace they both felt safe with. They used their weekly date nights to read and study The Ethical Slut and they got super intentional about their relationship and getting connected before they dove in. And then... Dive right in, they did! Lauren and Lars are pretty active in the swinging lifestyle and also blur the lines a bit between friends and more. One of the things we love about our conversation is how they embrace the power of human connection, regardless of labels. We also have some beautiful conversations about what the early days of opening up looked like for them when they weren't exactly sure what they were wanting, or what was even available. Bringing it around full circle, Lauren is now a lifestyle coach who works with people of all orientations who are interested in the lifestyle and consensual non-monogamy. She's a trained co-active coach and has completed Gottman Level 1 Training, as well. Please check out her website to learn more! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Natalie and her husband have been exploring non-monogamy for over 25 years. They initially opened their marriage as they were redesigning it after it was rocked by an infidelity. For about the first decade they explored swinging and dating together. When her husband got deployed, they decided to give polyamory a try and it opened a whole new world for both of them. Natalie shares honestly and vulnerably with us about the challenges, and the powerful beauty, of her decades long journey of exploring who she is through non-monogamy. She talks about how she's developed beautiful metamour relationships, built community so her partners aren't her only support system, and how she's built a home that now includes her husband's partner cohabitating with them. Still not enough for you?! Perfect! Head over to Natalie's Medium account where you can read so much more about her adventures! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

We absolutely love this conversation! So much of this episode is about the never ending journey of trying to figure out how to embrace who you truly are and how to love others for who they are. As Casey was growing up, she often had different interests than many of her friends and people around her. She learned quickly to stuff those desires down and developed a lot of shame around who she was. Casey started dating and got into her first relationship when she was a junior in college. However, she found herself struggling to maintain monogamous commitments and often ended up cheating or pursuing serial monogamy. Neither of which felt good to her, or were the ways she wanted to be relating to people she cares for and loves. About a decade ago, she entered into a partnership that was open from the very beginning. She and her partner worked together to open slowly in a way that worked for them and gave her the space to process some of the shame that she had been carrying for her whole life. Casey is now embracing and exploring her queerness and her polyamorous journey in her personal life and in her professional life. Taken directly from her website www.caseycalvert.com, "I realized that I really liked the part of me that I tried to keep hidden from the world, and I wanted to share her with more people. So I started moving away from topless glamour shoots to fully nude fetish. But that wasn’t enough. The exhibitionist in me wanted more. Hardcore porn was the next step." Besides being an inspiration in her personal and relational lives, she does the same as a porn performer, content creator, writer, director, and producer. She works closely with Erika Lust and ListCinema to produce fantastic feminist porn and sex-positive content. Her latest project is a series called Primary, which tells the stories of multiple people exploring polyamory in an honest and sexy way. We encourage you to please go check out and support all of Casey's work. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Bree is a queer, polyamorous, Chicana in her mid-thirties who is also a mother of two toddlers and has been married about a decade. Oh! And, she also has a boyfriend of almost two years. She's had a non-monogamous approach to relating as long as she can remember, but started being intentional about how she approached it when she met her now-husband in college. Bree and her husband slowly opened their relationship and began exploring from the very beginning. The initial stages were mostly making out with friends and crushes, but over time it grew into polyamorous connections for them both. In this beautiful interview, she shares with us the benefits of having different types of relationships and how they meet different needs and allow her and her husband to experience more of who they are in ways they never had. Bree is also an imagination coach, which is a title we absolutely love! She helps people and couples imagine what their relationships and lives can be through pulling together unique ways of looking at all aspects of who we are and challenging norms. Please go check out her work and learn more at www.baeleche.com. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Jeannie's story is an absolutely beautiful one. She had what she felt was an "average" or "normal" sex life until she was in her mid-twenties and then she felt her libido shut down. It became really apparent to her when she moved in with her boyfriend (now husband). This set her off on a journey of trying to reclaim and unlock the sexual person she felt she was. We are so grateful for her vulnerability in taking us behind the scenes into the really powerful and hard work she has done both individually, and with her husband. Oh, and spoiler alert... Her boyfriend of two years plays a part in the story as well! About a decade ago Jeannie and her husband started discussing the idea of non-monogamy and opening their marriage. After four years of talking about it, they took their first steps. They opened their marriage. Then, one of them unexpectedly fell in love and they ended up closing their relationship to do some more work together before opening back up. As Jeannie describes it, she went through a huge mindset shift in how she thinks about love, which opened up new ways for her to approach relationships. One of the best parts of all of this... Jeannie wrote a memoir detailing the whole journey. It's a combination of powerful epiphanies and some super sexy and powerful experiences. You can find out more at www.summerofsexiness.com. We hope you enjoy her book and this conversation! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

We are incredibly grateful and delighted to have Chloe and Drew back on the show for a third time. This conversation is so powerful and we know you'll get so much out of it, even without listening to their previous two episodes (Ep 89 and Ep 156). Chloe and Drew met in high school, got married shortly after graduating, and then had to grow up fast when their daughter passed away. Sadly, the grieving process opened the door for each of them to emotionally neglect their relationship. This led to an emotional affair, which ultimately ended with the two of them redesigning their entire relationship. This conversation is a snapshot of where these two are at after years of intense work on themselves and on their partnership. Spoiler alert... They have made monumental changes in how they love through their relationship and life together. Not only were we struck by how much has changed, but this interview is full, from start to finish, with practical and actionable strategies they have used. The way the two of them used a seemingly stupid game on their phone to develop empathy for one another is so beautiful, as is how they approach boundaries, and communicating with their children. Stop reading this and start listening. You will be glad you did. Enjoy. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Nikki and Michael have known each other since they were teenagers, have been together 27 years, and married for 20. They've also both been in the performing arts community for over 30 years. Their initial exposure a few years ago to exploring sexuality and connection outside of their relationship came through incidental and even some accidental experiences they had as part of that community. We love how Nikki and Michael take us through their journey in a very honest and vulnerable way. For them, it wasn't glamorous, romantic, or sexy in the beginning. In fact, the glamour wore off quickly for them as they realized it's about the human connection. It's about self-growth and learning about who you are, questioning your past and the scripts we're taught, and understanding the world around you. And, it can also be really hard, yet, extraordinarily beautiful and powerful. Nikki and Michael also took their 30+ years of experience in theatre, combined it with what they have learned about themselves, consent, sexuality, and life through their experiences in non-monogamy, and created an interactive play called Compersion! While we have not had the opportunity to experience it ourselves, we highly encourage you to check it out! It sounds incredible and unlike anything we have ever heard of. You can learn more at www.steamyromantics.com. Check out the full show notes here. Challenging Non-Monogamy Myths Workshop - August 2, 2023 Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Fernanda grew up in Mexico and moved to the US in 2016. She knew about the concept of non-monogamy before that, but her first real-life exposure came when she met someone at the airport when she landed in New York City and lost her wallet. They became friends and he introduced her to his Burning Man community, many of whom are non-monogamous. She spent a few years exploring variations of non-monogamy on her own before she met her current partner about five years ago. He was, and still is, monogamous. She is not. We have a wonderful conversation with her about how they slowly opened their partnership and how it has evolved over the last few years. We are so grateful for Fernanda's transparency and willingness to share how they navigate their version of a Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) partnership and how they have co-created the rules and boundaries, even when it didn't always feel great to one or both of them. Fernanda is also the host of the Polycurious podcast and a relationship coach who primarily works with people who are also exploring non-monogamy. The best place to find her work is on her Instagram page. Check it out! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Katie and Beau have an incredibly beautiful story and they are some of the most kind and loving people we've come across. This interview is truly a delight! These two grew up near one another but never met until a mutual friend set them up on sort of a blind date while they happened to both be in Ireland many years later. Let's just say the first date went well and they essentially moved in together, in Ireland, not long after. That was about six years ago. The foundation of their partnership is built on communication, integrity, and treating one another with love, respect, and trust. They had conversations about opening their partnership early on, but took some time to embrace it. About a year ago they decided to revisit the conversation as a possible option to help them navigate some challenges they were facing. Then, a few months before their wedding, Beau fell for someone and the journey got a whole lot more real. Luckily, the foundation these two built has been crucial in how they have only grown closer through the experience and they are now happily married, and happily in love with, one another and their new partners as well! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Nick has been exploring consensual non-monogamy for about a decade and is the hinge in a cohabitating triad with Jace (Episode 254) and Sammy. He shares how he and his partners balance their time, find time for themselves, and how they co-create a beautiful home dynamic where they each bring their unique strengths. Nick is also incredibly honest and vulnerable about his challenges and growth throughout his journey. We're also extremely grateful to Nick for sharing about his experience and journey of coming out. He grew up in a very religious Catholic home, played music in his church, and was married to a woman when he met and fell for his now husband, Sammy. His coming out changed his life in drastic ways and yet he feels like he is more able to be himself than ever before. It's also no secret that music is Nick's life... Don't forget to check out Nick's incredible band, Brother Hawk. You won't regret it! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

This interview with Liana is so much fun! Get ready to laugh... Liana describes herself as a "severely gay", queer, and polyamorous relationship nerd. Although, she admits the "relationship nerd" part is a bit newer and came as a result of being terrible at relationships when she was younger. We've all been there, right? Liana recognized her queerness as a freshman in high school but struggled with Catholic guilt for a few years before coming out during her senior year. A few years later, as a senior in college she discovered polyamory and started down that road, as well. Liana is super vulnerable in sharing about her journey of coming out multiple times and how they were linked but also very unique at the same time. We also have great conversations about being partnered through the process of coming out, making mistakes, and just being yourself. The takeaway today... It's okay to not know what you're doing! Liana is also a queer relationship and love coach who works primarily with people in the queer and poly communities and is co-host of the Queer and Poly Podcast. Check out all her work via her Instagram page. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Joli and Ken have known one another since Joli was born. Then, somewhere around 14 years ago something clicked on the dance floor. (Not a euphemism) Since that night, these two have been on a powerful and beautiful rollercoaster ride together as they have learned about themselves, each other, and how to relate in a way that feels right for them. Our conversation with these two is amazing. Not only are they super vulnerable about their growing pains, and sometimes just pains... But, they've done an astonishing amount of work to understand exactly what was going on for them during those times and how they can reflect on it with invaluable insights for the rest of us. Joli has taken learning about how to make her relationships better to a new level. As she says "My way out of trouble has always been to dive in 100%, so I got my doctorate in depth psychology, a certification in sexuality education, and became a researcher known for my work on the archetypal experience of jealousy." Lucky for all of us! Joli is now a relationship coach who works 1:1 and in groups to help people dream up and create relationships that work for them. Together, her and Ken also host the Playing with Fire podcast. Please check out all of their work at jolihamilton.com! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Frank and his fiancé have been together for about eight years and have explored a wide variety of flavors of non-monogamy. They opened up their partnership a few years back when one of his fiancé's former partners came to town and things just sort of happened. Since then, they've been figuring out what works for them. Some of the major themes from this conversation are how Frank and his partner thread the needle of finding people to connect with and how they communicate their wants, needs, and capacities to ensure they're co-creating the right kind of relationship or friendship with people. Frank is also the creator, writer, and star of Open To It! Open to It is a queer comedy series about a loving gay couple, who experiments with becoming a hot gay throuple. But threesome sex and open relationships come with more complications than limbs. It's absolutely hilarious! Check it out! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Leah and Brady have been together for about five years and came to the partnership with different backgrounds in non-monogamy, Leah was pretty much brand new to the idea and Brady had been exploring non-monogamy for about 20 years. Together, they decided to open their partnership from the very beginning. There are so many things we love about this conversation but there are a few things we extra love.! Leah and Brady are super vulnerable and honest about their struggles in finding a rhythm that worked for them. They're also really transparent about their individual growth journeys as they learned how to support one another, build a new family, integrate previous partners and kids, and create a partnership that works for both of them... Even if it's not 100% "equal" in how they approach it. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Sara has known she was non-monogamous her whole life but only found the words to describe it about seven years ago. She was initially introduced to non-monogamy when a partner of hers proposed the idea of swinging. However, she really got hooked when she discovered her love for forming deeper connections and delightful crushes! Sara now sees polyamory as part of her identity and is practicing solo poly with a twist of kink swirled in. Sara's perspectives and experiences in navigating neurodivergence, love, communication, coming out, and frankly just living life are incredibly beautiful. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Check out our weekly peer support groups! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Ann and Charles are in their early thirties and found each other a few years ago. They both came to the partnership with backgrounds in non-monogamy. Ann has been polyamorous her whole life but became self-aware of this about nine years back. Her experience was mostly in polyamory and the kink scene. Specifically, the DDLG/CGL (daddy dom little girl / caregiver little) communities. Charles on the other hand, came to the partnership with a few years of experience in the swinging lifestyle. Together, they have opened one another's eyes and worlds to new possibilities and adventures. There is a third partner who is also part of the relationship and our conversation today: Jason. This interview was supposed to happen last year but sadly Jason was killed in a car accident. Our interview today focuses primarily on the partnership between Ann and Charles, but Jason is a big part of their lives. We are so grateful to both Ann and Charles for sharing this powerful story and for offering to be a resource for anyone who may be experiencing a similar loss while exploring polyamory. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

We are thrilled to have all three co-hosts of the Multiamory podcast on this week. Or as they sometimes refer to themselves... "An emotionally bonded triad who are coparenting a podcast baby." All funny stuff aside, these three have an incredible story and have been in various relationship dynamics together including a quad, a triad, and *gasp* even monogamy. Along the way, they learned a whole lot. Lucky for you (and us), they took many of those hard-earned lessons and have shared them over the last nine years on their podcast. And just yesterday, (May 23, 2023) they released their new book! Multiamory: Essential Tools for Modern Relationships. We highly recommend it as a practical set of tools and strategies for improving your relationships of any kind. We're delighted that in our conversation with them, they took some of these tools and wove them into their individual and collective non-monogamous journeys. We found it powerful to hear how some of these tools came to be and how they've personally field-tested them for us. This interview is packed with amazing stories and wisdom. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Terry has been exploring polyamory for about 50 years and we are so excited to help share her story with the world! And no, that's not a typo... Fifty years! During that time, polyamory took on many different forms for Terry and has been shaped by her rich personal connections and chosen family of polyamorous thought leaders. Our conversation today is a mix of her personal story and a polyamory history lesson, all rolled into one! Her experiences over the years also helped inspire her new book: Fifty Years of Polyamory in America: A Guided Tour of a Growing Movement. Please check out her book and all of her work at Live The Dream. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Mariko has an incredibly powerful and beautiful story. She was born and raised in Japan and came to the US for her Master's degree at age 25. She spent most of her life (so far) as a married business woman seeking approval from everyone in her life. And then, everything changed a few years back... Mariko shares with us her journey of challenging nearly all of the beliefs she held in life and what can happen when you do. She's taken on the mission of approaching life with radical honesty and listening to herself above all else. This conversation is all about reclaiming your untapped power and we're so excited to share it with you. Please go check out all of Mariko's work at mistressmariko.com (spoiler alert😜) and her LinkTree. Mariko has now completed a sex and relationship coaching program, become a certified Dominatrix, and is building a beautiful community. You can also watch her TEDx talk as well. Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Libby and Tom have been together for over six years and for the last while have been making it work long distance. Their "coming together" story is absolutely amazing, and they both had very different backgrounds and experience levels in practicing non-monogamy and polyamory. Libby came to the partnership with a few years of experience. Tom was a bit newer than that... Pretty much brand new, to be precise. In this beautiful interview Libby and Tom dig into so much but we absolutely loved the conversations around self-care, the power that love can have in helping us see ourselves in a new way, and the strength it can give us to live the life we maybe never knew was possible. One more thing! Please, go check out all of Libby's work at libbysinback.com. Libby is an incredible friend, relationship coach, educator, and content creator. If you'd like to hear more of her, we highly recommend her podcast "Making Polyamory Work." Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Non-monogamy has been a big part of how Elizabeth has related to others her whole life, but she's only recently put words to it. For her, life is made up of experiences and adventures that we learn and grow from. Together we have some amazing conversations about breaking rules, the difference between a "sex friend" and a partner, and the wide variety of different ways she has done non-monogamy. We love how she lives her life in a way where the labels are far less important than how we treat the people we love. Also, Elizabeth shares some amazing stories about living at a sex resort for two months! Elizabeth is the founder of an amazing phone app! Amorus is the sexy games app for partners to bring the spice and fun back to texting! It's amazing and we're super excited to help her spread the word about it. We firmly believe the world needs more sexiness and Elizabeth is fighting the good fight! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Today we are super excited to have a beautiful and lively conversation with Kyrr, Libby, and Drew! We're thrilled to have a behind-the-scenes look into how three humans who live together co-create an incredible family. Our conversation is wide-ranging and we get to dive deep on how they approach living and parenting in community, collaboration, secondary parenting, and so much more. Less reading and more listening... Get in here and enjoy yourself! Don't forget to go and check out all of Libby's work at libbysinback.com. Libby is an incredible friend, relationship coach, educator, and content creator. If you'd like to hear more of her, we highly recommend her podcast "Making Polyamory Work." Now... Get in here and listen! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Alyssa is an autistic trans woman who was first exposed to non-monogamy about a decade ago, and as she describes it, it was as if a chorus of angels were singing from heaven. For once, life finally made a bit of sense. We love the bio from her website and think it's beautiful and describes her better than we ever could... "I'm a biology Ph.D. who knows how to write and speak on a stage. Whether it's highly technical scientific documents, psychological fiction about robots falling in love, an informative presentation on fish biology, or a heart-rending polemic about the reality of being transgender, I can put words together to meet your needs." Speaking of words... Alyssa is also the author of the newly released book "Nonmonogamy and Neurodiversity"... Again, taken directly from the book's description: "This book is for neurodivergent people considering or practicing nonmonogamy. Its goal is to help neurodivergent people understand how well-suited they are to the polyamorous life, and to help them recognize and manage the challenges that being neurodivergent can bring to nonmonogamy. It is also for the partners and potential partners of neurodivergent people, to encourage them to understand different perspectives and to help them be understanding, accommodating and well-informed. Nonmonogamous relationships do not belong exclusively to the neurotypicals, but to us all." Please check out all of Alyssa's work on her website: www.alyssacgonzalez.com. This conversation is absolutely incredible and we hope you enjoy it a fraction as much as we enjoyed having it. Check out the full show notes here. Join us April 14-16 at Southwest Love Fest! Use code EMMA to save 10%! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Phoenix is obsessed with sex, relationships, intimacy, and how to make all of those things better. Those are their words, not ours. 😁 Phoenix has been exploring non-monogamy since their first year of college, roughly 20 years ago. Over that time, they've explored lots of different relational dynamics, explored their gender and queerness, and overall have had a wide range of powerful life experiences. The early days focused more on the BDSM side of things, but a few years in, it became clear that polyamory was actually part of their identity, not just a fun activity (although it can be that as well!). We hope you enjoy this fun and beautiful conversation! Phoenix is also a sexuality educator and peer-to-peer coach who focuses on working with those in the ENM, BDSM, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Head over to their website at phoenixmandel.com to lean more about all of their amazing work! Check out the full show notes here. Join us April 14-16 at Southwest Love Fest! Use code EMMA to save 10%! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet! Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed! Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/