Five Themes of Therapy with Ethical Non-Monogamy or ENM
Ethical non-monogamy encompasses many relationship structures, including polyamory, open relationships, and swinging. At its core, ethical non-monogamy revolves around honesty, consent, and open communication. Individuals engage in multiple significant relationships simultaneously with the understanding that all parties are aware and in agreement.
Therapy offers a supportive, skilled space for supporting the relationships and relationship structures you desire. Above all- you should not have to educate your therapist!
Themes of Therapy with Ethical Non-Monogamy
Self-Awareness: When you are unsure of your own needs, wants, and desires, it’s tough to show up to yourself and to ask others to show up to you. Therapy is a supportive space to articulate, explore, and clarify what you want from your relationships.
Communication: Effective communication is vital in ethical non-monogamy. As with any other relationship, misunderstandings and unaddressed challenges can lead to emotional turmoil. Therapy is an excellent space to practice hearing yourself speak the truth about what you would like from your relationships.
Navigating Boundaries: Boundaries can be challenging if you’ve experienced invalidation in the past, but clear boundaries can also be an empowering experience for all! Clear boundaries help relationships flow. In therapy, we can explore what your boundaries are, practice articulating those boundaries, and make supported plans for stating these boundaries to others.
The Impact of Comparison: Feelings of jealousy and insecurity can arise when navigating multiple relationships, especially when comparing ourselves to an imagined other. These emotions can trigger anxiety and negatively impact mental well-being.
Social Stigma and Isolation: Society often stigmatizes non-traditional relationships, contributing to feelings of isolation and shame. Therapy encounters these feelings and correctly attributes the blame to society instead of the self. Therapy can also be a space to assist clients with increasing connections with non-monogamous communities.
Celebration! Ethical non-monogamy includes unique experiences that deserve recognition and celebration! Therapy isn’t just a place to move through the hard stuff. Therapy is also a place to celebrate individual and collective wins! Therapy for ethical non-monogamy has plenty of opportunities for relishing in celebration.
