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

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/

Roderick is so full of energy and enthusiasm for life, and so is our conversation together! Roderick and his partner Jane have been together for about five years and decided about three years in to start exploring what it would mean to slowly open their relationship. For them, it's all about learning ways to improve their relationship and themselves, anything else is icing on the cake. One of the things we love about this conversation is how open and transparent Roderick is about how Autism, ADHD, and OCD have impacted his life and how finding non-monogamy was like a beacon of light for him. Finding a community where people can show up and be their authentic selves, remove the facade and filters, and communicate openly has been life changing for him. Another perk of Roderick's neurodivergence is that he is a creative genius... He's an award-winning filmmaker, artist, and writer. (Seriously, this time lapse of him painting is unbelievable...) On a related note... We recorded the video of this interview and it is going to be part of a documentary that Roderick is making called "Open: A Journey Through Love"... He has spent the past 6-8 months traveling around the country interviewing incredible people (including us) who are exploring non-monogamy in their own way. Please check out the short preview here and consider helping support the project through the Indiegogo campaign. Important note: Normalizing Non-Monogamy has not been, and to the best of our knowledge, will not be compensated in any way for our participation in this project nor will any of the funding from the Indiegogo campaign go to us. Check out the full show notes here. Join us April 14-16 at Southwest Love Fest! Use code EMMA to save 10%! Sign up for the "Dating Your Way" workshop on March 30! 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/

"It only takes one person to make change, and I'll try." Janiqueel's approach to love and life is so incredibly powerful and beautiful. Janiqueel started exploring non-monogamy about a decade ago and most closely identifies as solo poly. This conversation is essentially a master class in empathy, compassion, and having both while setting boundaries so you can live the life you want. It's definitely not easy, but it is amazing. We also highly encourage you to go check out Janiqueel's work, blog, and social media. It is all so impressive and full of such positive vibes and love. You can find everything over at www.janiqueel.com. Check out the full show notes here. Join us April 14-16 at Southwest Love Fest! Use code EMMA to save 10%! Sign up for the "Dating Your Way" workshop on March 30! 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/

This wonderful conversation with Laura has a little bit of everything! She's been exploring non-monogamy for over 15 years and has done so in a wide variety of polyamorous dynamics. Together we talk about her experiences co-parenting in a V-relationship, confronting guilt and shame, and consciously exploring sexuality. And of course, so much more. A bit more about Laura in her own words, copied from her website www.readyforpolyamory.com... Laura Boyle is an advocate for relationship anarchy and educator on topics under the umbrellas of polyamory and consensual non-monogamy. She also offers classes on sex education, kink, boundaries and cooperative negotiation skills. She found polyamory at university in Montreal in the mid aughts. After returning to the States, where she found local polyam community while completing law school and building her family, she saw a void in relationship education. She began offering classes on the possibilities and pitfalls of different structures of polyamorous relationships. Chronic illness that advanced into disability (and a sprinkle of global pandemic) created the opportunity to pivot a part-time passion into her primary focus. In this time she launched the successful Ready for Polyamory blog and podcast, had several brain surgeries, and expanded her reach nationally and internationally. She published her first book, Ready for Polyamory: A Pragmatic Guide to Consensual Non-Monogamy in September 2021, has been privileged to support dozens of polyamorous individuals and polycules through various phases of their relationships for the past several years, and is excited to be teaching both digitally and in person. Check out the full show notes here. Join us April 14-16 at Southwest Love Fest! Use code EMMA to save 10%! Sign up for the "Dating Your Way" workshop on March 30! 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/

Life is an adventure... And that's exactly how Jill and Stephen live it. These two have been best friends since they met, married over 18 years, and adventuring together the whole time from exploring Europe to opening a bakery. They opened their relationship almost immediately, but moved slowly with it. To their cores, they truly just want the other person to be happy. They've explored a wide variety of non-monogamous flavors, from swinging to polyamory, and mostly just try to embrace the freedom of letting each relationship be its own. We have great conversations on hierarchy, logistics, coming into your own, kids, and so much more. Also, you're definitely going to want to stick around until the end when they talk about the exchange between Stephen and his young daughter. It's beautiful. Jill is also a Certified Death Doula and does some wildly powerful work. She talks about it towards the end of the interview and we also encourage you to go check out her work at End of Life Clarity. Check out the full show notes here. Join us April 14-16 at Southwest Love Fest! Use code EMMA to save 10%! Sign up for the "Dating Your Way" workshop on March 30! 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/

This conversation with Brian is so amazing and covers so many facets of relating to other humans, regardless of your relationship dynamic. Brian is a cis, queer, polyamorous, sex and relationship educator who grew up evangelical Christian and came out as queer in 2004. He's been with his partner for over 14 years and they slowly opened their relationship about a year into it. And today, he is also one of the co-founders of queertheology.com! One of the things we love about talking with Brian is how he weaves incredible learning moments into all of his experiences in life. We have great conversations on hierarchy, communication, rules and constraints, labels, the power of fluidity in relationships, and the intersection of spirituality and non-monogamy... All packed into one podcast! A bit more about Brian that we borrowed from his website: Brian G. Murphy is an activist, educator, and certified relationship coach. He studied film production and religion at the University of Southern California as a Presidential Scholar and was inducted into Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honor society for religious studies and theology. Before turning to activism, Brian worked in Hollywood on a number of film and television projects and produced a pilot for a national broadcast network. He received nonviolence training through Soulforce, media training from GLAAD, and participated in the 2007 Equality Ride, engaging in direct action activism at anti-LGBTQ colleges in the USA. Today he is the co-founder of QueerTheology.com, a resource hub, podcast, and online community, which explores how queerness and spirituality enrich one another; and Relationshift, a relationship coaching practice helping LGBTQ+ and polyamorous people build thriving relationships on their own terms. He is co-author of Queers The Word and a sought-after speaker at colleges, churches, and conferences across the country. Brian has worked with GLSEN, Athlete Ally, Born This Way Foundation, and the Human Rights Campaign, as well as a number of local, grassroots organizations. His work has been featured in Vice, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, The Advocate, Upworthy, and NBC News. 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/

Sara is an amazing, community-building badass! She's been exploring non-monogamy since 2006 when she and her husband decided to open their marriage after reading Stranger in a Strange Land. Fast forward to today and Sara has navigated opening a marriage, having a child, transitioning her marriage to co-parenting, solo polyamory, and nesting again with a different partner. Sara talks about her journey in a way that beautifully weaves her story with valuable learning opportunities around everything from codependency to the importance of community. Sara is also the co-creator of Southwest Love Fest. She and Kate (Ep. 274) have spent the last four years building an incredible community-driven conference in Tucson, AZ. In short, Southwest Love Fest is an annual conference on relationships, identity, community, and non-monogamy. We are presenting a workshop at this year's conference. If you'd like to join us and save 10%, use the code EMMA at checkout! 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/

We rarely recommend gathering your kids for one of our interviews, but here we are. We'll wait for you to wrangle the whole family. Got everyone? Good. Susan has been exploring non-monogamy for over 30 years in a beautifully fluid dynamic that blends swinging, kink, and polyamory together. She elegantly weaves her personal story in with the powerful activist work she has done to make the world a better place for people in the ethically non-monogamous and kink scenes. Along the way we talk about building community, being outed, the power of labels, living life to the fullest, and adventuring! Did we mention this conversation is fantastic? Non-monogamy isn't just a hobby for Susan... It's her life's work. She founded the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom back in 1997 and has spent the last 25+ years advocating for consenting adults in the kink and non-monogamy lifestyles by fighting discrimination and persecution through direct services. Please go support all of the critical work that Susan and the NCSF are doing. 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/

Kate was accidentally monogamous for a bit, but as long she can remember, non-monogamy has been who she is. She's a mother of two, a community leader and builder, a therapist, and an all around kick-ass human. We have some amazing conversations with her about her time at the Kinsey Institute, relating to metamours, how attachment styles manifest in her relationships, community parenting, and the power of community. If all of that wasn't enough for you, Kate is also the co-creator of Southwest Love Fest! SWLF is an annual conference on relationships, identity, community, and non-monogamy. We highly recommend checking it out, not just because Kate is amazing, but because we'll be running a workshop there in April! For more info and how to save 10% when you sign up, check out the links below! 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/

Libby and Cal have been playing music together for the last five years and about three years ago they stopped fighting their urges and embarked on a romantic partnership as well. On Libby's side, she has never been in an officially monogamous relationship. For Cal, he's always felt he was non-monogamous but didn't have the language or framework for it until about a decade ago when he got out of his marriage. We have so many amazing conversations with Libby and Cal during this interview. They share with us how they were able to transition from a working relationship to adding a romantic one. We also talk about navigating polyamory as a very shy person. And, we touch on how these two balance everything in their lives. As Libby says, her life is "3 partners, 3 children, 4 chickens, and a cat!" Libby and Cal are also incredible musicians! Their latest album has some non-monogamous undertones (and tones in general) and is called "If You've Given Up on Love then Let's Call it Something Else"... Check out and support their work on Libby's website! 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/

Casey and her husband have an absolutely incredible story. They met during a blind date threesome, ended up getting married a few years later, and are now exploring a hotwife dynamic together. However, the insight and power in this conversation reaches far beyond hotwifing and swinging. We don't dig into the sexy stuff together, we dig into the emotions, the feelings, and some really big challenges she, and they, have overcome. Casey explored the swinging lifestyle for almost two decades as a solo female/unicorn before meeting her husband (who was also exploring the lifestyle as a solo person). After coming together, they crafted a dynamic that worked for them both. And then the world shut down and their world was turned upside down. At that point, she lost her sex drive and they had to tear their relationship down to the basics... Literally practicing holding hands and cuddling for months to rebuild their connection. Casey is incredibly vulnerable with us about what her journey has been like exploring the swinging lifestyle for nearly twenty years. She talks about the emotional impact it had on her, the judgment and confusion she experienced, and how being a unicorn helped her to really find herself. She also talks about how the lifestyle has given her and her partner the tools to study one another and drive each other wild while experiencing new adventures through trial and error, and so much more. Truly, this episode is about so much more than being a hotwife... If you need more Casey in your life, definitely go check out all of her work. She's written three books about her journey and she is crushing it on Only Fans as well. Here is a link to all of her 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/

Cat and EJ are back after 252 episodes and almost a full five years! They first came on the show back on episode 19... Way way back! No need to go back and listen if you haven't yet, we'll catch you up and you can go listen afterwards. We promise you'll want to. This conversation picks up Cat and EJ's journey where we left off back in 2018. They were just at the start of transitioning from a swinging-style approach to non-monogamy to more of a polyamorous dynamic. They were just learning words like "boundaries" back then! Hey, who isn't, these days?! We get an amazing update on how the journey has been going and what other big life changes have happened along the way. There's a few! We also have great conversations on the boundaries we mentioned before, ask vs. guess culture, different types of desires, and how the pandemic impacted, and possibly even rejuvenated their relationship! Another big change is EJ's career... He's now a Licensed Master Social Worker with a prior background of 20+ years in the military, followed by current experiences working with a diverse intersection of individuals and relationships, focused on improving their ability to communicate productively. Together with another former guest, they're hosting some incredible virtual intimacy workshops. Click here to learn more and to support their 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/

Rose identifies as monogamish and her favorite relationship dynamic is a committed longterm partnership "with room to explore." She also identifies as a lesbian, but she's insatiably curious about all things sex, and so sometimes the boxes and labels don't align with her curiosity and desire to explore. Rose is a legacy non-monogamist in a few different ways. Her parents are non-monogamous as well, and of course we have an amazing conversation on that. She's also our third interview with a lead orgy-nizer of the Yale Orgy Team. For anyone questioning whether Yale actually has an orgy team, they technically don't. But what else do you call an open-minded group of students who regularly organize sex parties? That sounds like a team effort to us! Orgies really aren't the focus of our conversation, however... We talk about so many incredible things with Rose. She digs into discovering your desires through exploration and how to expand your comfort zone safely. We also have a great conversation about sexual health and safety. And yes, we get into some tips for creating a welcoming orgy atmosphere. Fin even dishes on some never-before-heard orgy stories of his own. If you were thinking about skipping a week, this isn't the week to skip! 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/

Lara and John got married over 30 years ago, 9 months after their first date at the library... About 22 years ago they opened their relationship and started blazing their own trail without a script or resources. The initial catalyst was Lara's bisexuality, but there was so much more to it than that. They've been tweaking the formula together and finding what works for them in the moment ever since. They started with more of a swinging focus and learned that polyamory with a bit more autonomy was a better fit. As is often the case, the lines get blurry when it comes to labels. For these two, the most important thing is supporting each other in their passions, dreams, and life. These two have such a beautiful approach to living life together that hinges on a few core themes. One of which is "We just don't get all up in each other's space!" They love time together but they encourage autonomy and self-exploration. It turns out Lara and John don't just foster exploration in each other, it's a core value of who they are. This is why we also get to answer the question "What happens when you're at a poly meetup and your son walks in with his new partner?" Lara has also written a series of novels that are very loosely based on their experience together. Please go support her work on her website. 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/

As long as Stephanie can remember she's been attracted to, and curious about, lots of different people. Of course, most of us are conditioned for this to not be something to embrace and so she didn't know what to do with it all. She began exploring her sexuality in her twenties and ended up in a relationship where she was able to start dipping her toes into non-monogamy with a partner before diving deeper into solo polyamory. Throughout this beautiful interview she shares with us how she has learned and grown along her journey. Not only does she share her intimate story with us, she made an incredible film that is loosely based on some of her experiences. Our conversation weaves in themes from the film as we discuss the crossover to her real life and what non-monogamy looks like for her. Stephanie Sellars is a New York-based filmmaker, writer, and performer. Her award-winning debut feature film, Lust Life Love, premiered at the Berlin Independent Film Festival and was released by 1091 Pictures on worldwide VOD platforms. She has also written, produced, directed, and acted in many award-winning short films, and her jazz album, Girl Who Loves, can be found on Spotify, iTunes and other music platforms. She holds an MFA in film from Columbia University and an MFA in creative writing from Bennington Writing Seminars. Lust Life Love can be watched on many platforms, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play and Tubi. 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/

Maria is back! And! Steve is here with her for the first time and the conversation we have is beyond powerful. If you listened to Maria's first interview on Episode 239, you heard about how her infidelity was the catalyst for them to open their marriage. Today we have the rare opportunity to talk with both halves of a couple about their experiences facing, navigating, repairing, and healing from the breaking of trust and cheating. We owe a ton of gratitude to both of them for how vulnerable and deep they go in this conversation. It's not just about cheating. It's about how they got to the point where cheating was even a consideration. It's about societal scripts and control. It's about undoing so much of what we have been told is the right way to do relationships. It's about how you can move forward in the face of adversity. It's also about chore lists... Listen and you'll see how something as simple as a chore list helped bring back the balance these two needed to not just repair, but to land in the best place they've ever been together. A bit more about Maria from her personal bio: Maria Palumbo has her Master's of Social work. She began as a psychotherapist in community mental health. She studied trauma and its impact on creating an “eat your heart out” life and then took her findings and started her own business. She began creating programs that awaken the sex and heart. She is passionate about people owning the impact of trauma and creating a life of vitality and rich intimacy. Since beginning her business, Maria has helped hundreds of people (both virtually and in-person) realize that their vulnerability and truest turn on, makes them irresistible. 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/