Are you polyamorous and looking for a marriage therapist who won’t criticize your relationship structures or multiple partnerships? Wanting a polyamorous couples therapist to help you communicate better and improve your multiple relationships? Wishing you and your partners could resolve conflicts and communicate more calmly? Looking to add a partner, change relationship dynamics, or take a big step like buy a house together, or having a child? Does childhood trauma wounds and complex trauma impact your ability to build loving, playful connections? Wanting a safe place to understand each other’s trauma triggers, and better support each other? Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in LGBTQIA+ affirming and sex positive marriage counseling for polyamorous couples.
When one or more of your romantic relationships are not in a good place, polyamorous couples therapy sessions can help.
You might feel like conversations are going in circles and defensiveness is at an all time high. Maybe, you have a beautiful vision and dream of where you want your life to go, but it feels like you need professional help to reach those goals.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our marriage counselors who specialize in helping polyamorous couples, non monogamous relationships, same sex couples, sexual orientation, and LGBTQIA+ expression.
Past trauma triggers can come up in romantic connections, especially in times of intense emotion.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize in complex trauma and trauma recovery. Being in love, but having needs be unmet can trigger panic, anxiety, and depression. For instance, right when you need emotional connection, one of your romantic partners withdraws, avoids you, and pulls away. To add, when one of your romantic partners pulls away, it triggers your fears of rejection and abandonment. An inner child wound and unmet love need from childhood gets triggered.
Through marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and ethically non monogamous couples, you can break the cycle of disconnection
These fears may come out as yelling at them, feeling angry, or even having panic attack. Marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and non monogamous couples can help you get vulnerable and verbalize your fears. Instead of getting suck in a cycle of anger, disconnection, defensivness, and hurt, you can get vulnerable with your partners. Many times, unhappy couples are stuck in a peruser – distancer cycle. You can learn tools to emotionally validate each other through emotionally focused couples therapy.
We have all different types of attachment styles that come up in romantic relationships. Looking at attachment styles can be a source of understanding and connection.
Right in marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and non monogamous couples, you can have a positive experience.
Romantic love is an attachment bond, much like the one we have with parents. When you look at attachment figures from childhood, there may be trauma, wounds, and emotional pain. You and your partners may need help communicating and sharing experiences of childhood pain. Understanding each other’s experiences of childhood trauma and pain can help you love each other more deeply.
From LGBTQIA+, polyamorous friendly couples therapy, you can understand anxious and avoidant attachment styles, and build a secure attachment. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our couples therapists support you in growing together with your partners.
You and your partners may need help communicating emotions in a calm way, verses yelling or using the silent treatment.
We are humans who crave connection. But, when we don’t feel connected, or feel isolated, negative communication tacts may come up. When you and your partners are not on the same page, you may feel panic, frantic, or even angry. The silent treatment, high conflict fights, and name calling do not better your connection.
Wisdom Within Counseling is a team of polyamorous affirming couples counselors who help you use healthy, loving forms of communication.
However, many couples often resort to these hurtful ways of communicating out of emotional pain, in an effort to regain connection. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help you have bonding conversations, that foster emotional intimacy.
You are hungering for secure, playful, and meaningful relationships, and couples therapy can help you create the relationships you desire.
As well, at Wisdom Within Counseling, polyamory friendly couples therapy can help your partners hear, validate, and understand your needs.
Why work with our polyamorous marriage counseling specialists?
Many people are polyamorous. And, some people are monogamous. Some people fall somewhere in between. Sexual orientation, gender identify, gender expression, and relationship structure are all different spectrums.
There is no one right way to have romantic relationships. People who are monogamous and polyamorous alike struggle with jealousy, insecurity, anger, disengagement, passive aggressiveness, and being closed off. LGBTQIA+ couples counseling can help you share and verbalize needs, emotions under anger, and be more vulnerable. Becoming more vulnerable and willing to grow together with your partners supports emotional safety and intimacy.
Our team at Wisdom Within Counseling will never tell you that being polyamorous is the cause of negative emotion, or only love one person.
Many people have the capacity and feel fulfilled from loving multiple people. But, going to a monogamous couples therapist will often lead you to feel ostracized, or even blamed for being in love with multiple people at the same time.
We teach you positive coping skills, how to have bonding conversations, and how to tune in to one another emotionally. You can learn relationship skills you and your partners never learned growing up. As well, at Wisdom Within Counseling, we are polyamory and ethically non-monogamous affirming, friendly, and educated.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
The team of couples therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling support you in navigating the different emotions that come along with being involved with multiple people romantically and intimately.
When you are polyamorous or identify as ethically non-monogamous, you want a couples therapist who understands you.
We offer LGBTQIA+ affirming couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling. Couples therapy can help when you are in romantic relationships with more than one partner at the same time, but are getting into conflicts, arguments, or struggling.
Relationships can be emotionally painful when they aren’t going the way you hope, you might be feeling helpless, anxious, insignificant, jealous, insecure, and even betrayed.
As well, you and your partners may have trust issues, due to past trauma. We work with polyamorous couples where one or all people struggle with symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, you get emotional coping strategies, complex trauma support, and healthy relationship tools.
In your polyamorous or non-monogamous relationship, jealousy, anger, betrayal, hurt, and feelings of insecurity may surface and couples therapy can help.
Anger, jealousy, and conflict can trigger fears of abandonment, and keep you and your partners stuck in cycles of conflict.
When intense emotions surface, you can benefit from coming to couples counseling with your romantic partners.
Couples therapy can help your partners show you that you do matter to them, and via versa. Likewise, marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and non monogamous couples supports you and your partners in building meaningful connection.
Conflict and Anger Issues?
Are anger, fear of abanondoment, panic, insecurity, jealousy, and other intense emotions preventing you from having the positive connections you desire? Intense emotions can lead you and your romantic partners to get more easily into arguments.
Often, we don’t see our parents and caregivers demonstrate healthy communication tools growing up. If anything, we are emotionally neglected, and emotions are never talked about.
Polyamorous friendly and LGBTQIA+ affirming couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you discover the deeper feelings under anger and jealousy. We provide emotional validation tools to help you and your partners see each other more deeply.
LGBTQIA+ affirming couples counseling can help you and your partners learn alternatives to criticism, the silent treatment, stonewalling, defensivness, and name calling.
For instance, defensivness can negatively impact romantic relationships. Defensiveness is often subconsciously used when conversations start feeling challenging, conflictual, frustrating, and tense.
To add, defensiveness is a common behavioral pattern that can severely undermine the health and sustainability of all of your romantic relationships. When one or all partners frequently respond defensively to criticism, feedback, or conflict, it creates a toxic communication environment.
Defensive people tend to deflect blame, avoid taking responsibility, and often counterattack when faced with a perceived threat to their self-esteem. This can lead to a breakdown in effective communication, as it becomes challenging for all partners to express their needs and concerns honestly. Ultimately, defensiveness can erode trust and intimacy within all romantic relationships.
Polyamorous couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you reduce and eliminate defensiveness, and have more emotionally bonding conversations.
Moreover, yelling, criticism, and defensiveness can hinder the resolution of conflicts in romantic partnerships. Instead of working together to find solutions and compromises, hurtful and defensive responses can escalate disagreements and perpetuate a cycle of negative interactions.
When a partner feels constantly attacked or dismissed, they may withdraw emotionally or become reluctant to bring up important issues. To add, this can lead to unresolved problems festering beneath the surface. The lack of productive problem-solving can create resentment and a sense of emotional disconnection, damaging the long-term prospects of relationships.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
Defensiveness can also hinder personal growth within the context of a romantic relationship.
When partners consistently defend themselves and criticize each other, they miss out on opportunities for self-improvement and the chance to become better partners.
Over time, this can lead to stagnation and a sense of dissatisfaction in relationships. Personal development and mutual growth are often fundamental components of successful partnerships.
In essence, negative communication, yelling, the silent treatment, and defensiveness can block the path to open communication. Instead, couples therapy can teach you and your partners conflict resolution skills and personal development tools to use in your romantic relationships.
Polyamorous affirming couples counseling at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you identify and stop defensivness. You can learn how to be emotionally vulnerable, share your deeper fears, and verbalize needs and desires.
Learning better communication tools from our Wisdom Within Counseling polyamorous couples therapists supports maintaining a healthy and thriving bond between you and your romantic partners.
Couples therapy with our polyamorous and LGBTQIA+ specialists can have a profoundly positive impact on your romantic relationships. Marriage counseling can help by pinpointing, addressing, and reducing behaviors like the silent treatment and conflict avoidance.
These negative, maladaptive communication patterns often fester over time. When you are your partners aren’t in a good place, you may experience resentment, emotional distance, and, in some cases, the deterioration of relationships.
In polyamorous couples therapy sessions, we provide couples with a safe and structured environment where they can explore the roots of these negative behaviors.
You and your partners can better understand the impact of these negative behaviors, and develop healthier alternatives. This process fosters open and honest communication, ultimately bringing you and your partners closer together.
To begin, book your phone consult for couples therapy and marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and ethically non monogamous couples below.
Addressing the silent treatment in couples therapy with our polyamorous affirming marriage therapists allows you and your partners to recognize the damage, and begin healing and bonding.
By learning to express feelings, needs, and concerns in a constructive and non-confrontational manner, you and your partners can break the cycle of silence and withdrawal.
Our couples therapists who specialize in polyamory provide tools to encourage active listening, empathy, and validation of each other’s perspectives.
Empathy is often blocked when we are triggered, emotionally flooded, or dysregulated.
Couples therapy helps you foster a more supportive, loving, and emotionally intimate connection.
The skills you learn in marriage counseling not only reduces emotional distance, but also enhances mutual understanding and connection.
To begin, book your phone consult below for marriage counseling for specialized support for polyamorous couples, LGBTQIA+ expressive couples, and ENM couples.
Instead of avoiding conflict, our polyamorous couples therapy specialists at Wisdom Within Counseling help you express emotions and needs more deeply.
Furthermore, polyamorous friendly couples therapy can help partners confront and navigate conflicts effectively.
Conflict avoidance is common in disconnected couples. And, it often stems from a fear of confrontation and an inability to manage disagreements constructively.
In polyamorous affirming marriage therapy, you and your partners can acquire essential conflict resolution skills, such as active listening, compromise, and assertiveness.
To add, these tools enable you and your partners to address issues head-on, work through differences, and find common ground.
As a result, couples not only reduce their tendency to avoid conflicts. But, they also transform these moments into opportunities for growth, improved understanding, and strengthened bonds within their relationships.
Couples therapy with our polyamorous specialists, therefore, empowers couples to replace destructive patterns with healthier and more effective communication and conflict resolution strategies. We often don’t see these exemplified growing up. Couples therapy may be the first time you and your polyamorous partners get to try healthy conflict resolution strategies.
Overall, learning new conflict resolution tools and empathetic listening skills support more harmonious, loving, and satisfying romantic partnerships.
In emotionally focused couples therapy, what emotions may be underneath anger?
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we offer emotionally focused couples therapy and Gottman couples therapy. Emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT) focuses on understanding and transforming the emotional dynamics within your relationships.
When dealing with anger in the context of EFT, our marriage therapists explore the underlying emotions that contribute to or are masked by anger. Anger is often the easiest emotion to show.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to work with our polyamorous friendly, non monogamous, and LGBTQIA+ affirming couples therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling.
What are some common emotions that may be underneath anger that you can explore in polyamorous couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling?
There may be a number of emotions under the iceberg of anger that counseling can help process. Anger is often a defensive reaction to hurt, loss, sadness, grief, or betrayal. Couples counseling can help you and your partners better articulate these core emotions, rather than acting our of anger, yelling, or withdrawing. From sharing your deeper emotions under anger, emotional vulnerability develops a stronger bond.
Hurt:
Anger can often be a defensive response to feeling hurt or rejected. Exploring the feelings of hurt that one or both partners are experiencing can help address the core issues. You and your partners may say something hurtful, without realizing it, out of hurt. Hurt gets passed around. Our polyamorous affirming couples counselors at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you and your partners verbalize hurt, that may be underneath anger.
Fear:
Furthermore, fear of rejection, abandonment, or the future of the relationship can lead to anger. This fear can be related to past experiences or current insecurities.
In a romantic relationship conflict, fear of rejection can be a powerful underlying emotion. However, couples often yell, name call, or criticize each other, but are really fearing rejection.
Here’s an example of fear of rejection:
Linda and Sean have been in a committed relationship for a few years. Lately, they’ve been arguing about how they spend their weekends. Linda feels that they don’t spend enough quality time together and that Sean is often busy with work and personal commitments. They’ve had several heated arguments about this issue.
Fear of Rejection in Linda:
Linda has a fear of rejection, which stems from her childhood and complex trauma experiences. She grew up with parents who were emotionally distant and often prioritized their own interests over her needs. As a result, she developed a deep-seated fear of being rejected or abandoned by people she cares about.
In the current conflict, Linda’s fear of rejection is triggered when Sean prioritizes work or personal activities over spending time with her. She interprets his actions as a sign that he doesn’t care about her or their relationship.
When Linda is upset about their weekend plans and confronts Sean, her anger and frustration are driven by her fear of rejection. She worries that if she doesn’t express her needs and stand up for their relationship, she might lose him.
What Does Fear of Rejection in Sean Look Like?
On the other hand, Sean values his independence and is also afraid of rejection. He had a previous relationship where he felt controlled and smothered by his partner’s constant demands for togetherness.
In the current conflict, Sean fears that if he prioritizes spending time with Linda over his own interests, he might lose his sense of self or feel trapped in the relationship, which he associates with rejection.
Sean’s resistance to change his plans or spend more time with Linda is, in part, a defense mechanism to protect himself from the fear of rejection he experienced in his previous relationship.
In this scenario, both Linda and Sean are struggling with a fear of rejection, but they express it in different ways.
Linda becomes upset and confrontational to avoid feeling rejected, while Sean withdraws or resists changes to maintain his autonomy and prevent feelings of rejection.
In marriage counseling for polyamorous couples, you can talk about fears of rejection. Fears of rejection are often roots of anger issues and frustrating, ongoing conflict cycles.
Without realizing it, you may be triggering your partner’s fears, and they may be triggering your deepest fears. Polyamory affirming couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling supports you and your partners in understanding and addressing these underlying fears.
As well, polyamory affirming couples therapy can help you navigate your conflicts more effectively and work toward a compromise that considers everyone’s needs and insecurities.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for LGBTQIA+ affirming, ENM, and polyamorous couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling.
What other emotions may be underneath anger?
Sadness:
As well, sadness is a vulnerable emotion that may be hidden beneath anger. When you or your partners feel overwhelmed by sadness, you may react with anger instead as a way to protect yourselves.
Frustration:
Unresolved or unmet needs and desires can lead to frustration, which, if not addressed, can escalate into anger.
Guilt or Shame:
Feelings of guilt or shame can manifest as anger, especially when you or your partners struggle with self-blame or self-criticism. Self-criticism can be deeply engrained from childhood trauma experiences as well.
Betrayal:
When there has been a breach of trust or infidelity in your relationship, anger often masks feelings of betrayal and deep emotional pain.
Betrayal often lies at the heart of anger in a couple’s conflict, simmering beneath the surface as a potent and complex emotion.
When one partner feels betrayed, it can manifest as anger due to the deep hurt and sense of violation they experience.
The betrayal might be related to a breach of trust, infidelity, or a significant violation of the relationship’s agreements. To add, the injured partner’s anger serves as a protective shield, a defense mechanism against the raw vulnerability and pain that betrayal brings.
To note, withdrawal, distance, and anger become ways to assert boundaries and communicate the hurt, betrayal, and disappointment a person feels.
But, anger also acts as a barrier to protect against further emotional damage.
In addressing anger rooted in betrayal in couples counseling, it’s crucial for partners to acknowledge the underlying pain. Understanding each other’s pain and experience is a part of polyamorous affirming couples counseling. Our team at Wisdom Within Counseling supports ethically non-monogamous couples in engaging in open, empathetic communication after betrayal.
More so, marriage counseling for polyamorous couples can help you rebuild trust and heal the wounds that betrayal has inflicted.
Couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can be a safe place to process the variety of intense emotions underneath anger.
Disconnection:
A sense of emotional disconnection or loneliness in a relationship can lead to anger as a way of trying to get the partner’s attention or express the need for emotional connection.
Insecurity:
In addition, insecurity about one’s self-worth or the stability of the relationship can manifest as anger. You or your partners may become angry when you feel threatened or vulnerable.
Overwhelm:
Feeling overwhelmed by stress, responsibilities, or the demands of life can lead to frustration and anger as a way of coping with the pressure. Personal stress, outside your romantic connections, can lead to overwhelm.
Couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling with our polyamorous friendly specialists can be the safe place you and your partners need to process emotions underneath anger. You can have positive conversations to get to the root of your conflicts.
Marriage counseling for polyamorous couples supports deeper, more secure connections through emotional intimacy tools.
Emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT) is a type of relationship therapy that the team at Wisdom Within Counseling uses when working with both polyamorous and monogamous couples.
The Wisdom Within Counseling emotionally focused couples therapists help polyamorous couples identify and express these underlying emotions in a safe and supportive environment.
By addressing the core emotions that drive anger, polyamorous and ethically non-monogamous couples can better understand their own and their partner’s needs. Understanding each other’s needs is essential for repairing and strengthening your relationships.
Polyamorous friendly and LGBTQIA+ affirming couples counseling at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you develop open, honest communication.
You can talk about boundaries, talk about expectations, your needs, and express emotions calmly. There is a newfound sense of deeper love, secure attachment, intimacy, and bonding that can occur from doing do.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
You can use couples counseling to discuss the structure of your evolving couple units in marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and ENM couples
Polyamorous relationship structures can vary widely. And, your polyamorous couple structure is often tailored to the preferences and needs of each of you. You might want couples counseling to talk about which structure may serve you at a certain point. Or, you may need help navigating your evolving relationship dynamic.
What are examples of polyamorous relationship structures?
Hierarchical Polyamory:
In this structure, a person may have primary, secondary, or tertiary partners. To note, primary partners typically have more influence on each other’s lives. On the other hand, secondary and tertiary partners are more casual or may have fewer entanglements. For example, hierarchical polyamory, your spouse may be your primary partner.
Here is another example:
Let’s consider a person, Alex, who has two partners: Sam and Morgan.
Primary Partner: Sam is considered Alex’s primary partner. They live together, share financial responsibilities, and have been in a committed relationship for several years. Sam and Alex consider their relationship as the central focus of their lives, and they make major life decisions together.
Secondary Partner:
Morgan is considered Alex’s secondary partner. They have a loving and committed relationship but do not share a household or financial responsibilities. Alex and Morgan may spend several nights a week together, and they also enjoy vacations and special occasions with each other. However, they do not have the same level of entanglement as Alex and Sam.
In this hierarchical polyamory example, Sam is given priority when it comes to shared responsibilities, decision-making, and life planning. Morgan, while still a valued and important partner, is understood to have a secondary role in Alex’s life.
It’s important to note that hierarchical polyamory is just one approach to polyamorous relationships. And, it’s not the only way to structure every ethically non-monogamous relationship.
Each person’s preferences and relationship agreements can vary, and talking up front and throughout are important.
To note, the key is that all parties involved are aware of and consent to the hierarchical structure, and it feels good for them.
Open communication and a clear understanding of roles and expectations are essential to make hierarchical polyamory work successfully. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our couples therapists give you a safe space to have conversations about changing roles and expectations. Maybe, you want a secondary partner to move in with you and your primary partner. This may change the hierarchy, and even financial situation.
You might seek marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and ethically non monogamous couples to improve your relationship with your primary partner.
Or, you may want couples therapy sessions to better your communication with your secondary partners.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples provides playful skills for trauma healing, emotional intimacy, and long-lasting connection.
Non-Hierarchical Polyamory:
In contrast to hierarchical polyamory, non-hierarchical polyamorous relationships do not prioritize or rank partners.
Essentially, all partners are considered equal and may have similar levels of involvement in each other’s lives. At Wisdom Within Counseling, marriage counseling for polyamorous couples supports all partners in feeling like a priority and significant.
Here is an example of a non-hierarchical polyamorous relationship:
Let’s consider a person, Taylor, who is in a non-hierarchical polyamorous relationship with two partners, Jordan and Casey.
In this non-hierarchical structure, Taylor does not designate one partner as primary or secondary.
Both Jordan and Casey have an equal standing in the relationship. Taylor values and loves both partners and is committed to maintaining open and honest communication with each of them.
When it comes to important decisions or relationship agreements, Taylor, Jordan, and Casey all have an equal say. They regularly engage in conversations about their needs, boundaries, and desires, and they make decisions together that affect the relationship dynamics.
Taylor, Jordan, and Casey provide emotional support to each other, and they are all free to express their feelings and needs without worrying about a hierarchy of partners. Each partner is encouraged to maintain their individuality and autonomy outside the relationship. Taylor does not place restrictions on how Jordan and Casey interact with others or the relationships they may have outside of this relationship. As well, Taylor, Jordan, and Casey are comfortable spending time together as a group, sharing activities, and building connections among themselves. They may go on group outings, celebrate special occasions together, and create a close-knit bond among all three partners.
In this non-hierarchical polyamorous relationship, there is no pre-established ranking or distinction between partners.
All three individuals are equal participants in the relationship, with an emphasis on open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making.
Non-hierarchical polyamory aims to create a sense of equality and inclusivity among all partners involved. Couples therapy can support you in resolving conflicts that may be present in your non-hierarchical relationships. Maybe, there are topics, that when you try to talk about them, cause your partners to shut down. There may be feelings not being directly talked about. Instead, couples counseling can support vulnerability, emotional expressiveness, and support you in having positive polyamorous connections.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our couples therapists are affirming to consensual non monogamy and polyamory. Couples therapy can help make your connections more meaningful, supportive, and emotionally secure.
To begin, click below to book a phone consult for ENM and polyamorous friendly marriage counseling and couples therapy.
What Is Solo Polyamory?
In solo polyamory, a person prefers to maintain their independence and autonomy. Though they may have multiple partners, they prioritize their individual needs and personal growth over building a primary, committed relationship.
For instance, Alex values personal autonomy and independence. They have a strong sense of self and want to maintain their own separate life, including living alone and managing their finances and responsibilities independently. Alex is involved in multiple romantic and sexual relationships. But, none of these partners have a primary or privileged position in Alex’s life.
They do not cohabitate with any of their partners, and each relationship exists as a distinct entity. Alex communicates openly with their partners about their desire for independence and the non-hierarchical nature of their relationships. They establish clear relationship agreements with each partner, which may include boundaries, expectations, and the level of involvement.
Also, Alex’s partners may have their own separate lives, interests, and other relationships.
To add, they respect and encourage their partners’ autonomy and do not seek to control or restrict their choices outside the relationship.
Alex forms deep emotional connections with their partners, and their relationships are loving and meaningful. However, they prioritize their own well-being and personal growth, recognizing that their partners also have autonomy and independence.
Open and honest communication is a cornerstone of Alex’s polyamorous relationships.
They maintain clear communication with their partners about their boundaries, desires, and the evolving nature of their connections. Polyamorous affirming couples counseling can help if Alex is feeling off with any of their relationships or connections. Couples therapy can support better, more effective communication around boundaries and emotions.
In this example of solo polyamory, Alex is committed to maintaining their personal independence while engaging in multiple loving and meaningful relationships.
The focus is on autonomy, open communication, and respecting each partner’s individuality and life choices. Solo polyamory allows for a diverse and fulfilling romantic and social life without the desire for a primary or hierarchical partnership.
Are You Interested In Kitchen Table Polyamory?
This style emphasizes open communication and comfort among all partners. Partners are encouraged to know each other, spend time together, and potentially share meals, creating a “kitchen table” atmosphere. Marriage counseling for polyamorous couples at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you and your partners navigate and develop closeness and a kitchen table structure.
Imagine a kitchen table polyamorous structure involving three people: Alex, Sam, and Morgan.
Alex, Sam, and Morgan create an open and inclusive atmosphere where they openly communicate with each other about their feelings, needs, and relationship dynamics. They regularly engage in shared experiences, such as spending time together at each other’s homes, going out for meals, celebrating special occasions, or even just hanging out. It’s not unusual for them to have conversations around the kitchen table, which is why this style is called “kitchen table polyamory.”
Metamours as Friends:
To note, Alex is in a romantic and sexual relationship with both Sam and Morgan. Sam and Morgan, in addition to their relationship with Alex, have developed a friendship with each other, even though they are not romantically or sexually involved. They often go on group outings or vacations together, making an effort to build strong connections among all involved. They may even invite other partners they may have into this dynamic, creating an extended network of friends and loved ones.
Communication is key in kitchen table polyamory. If you are struggling with communication, working with our team of couples therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling can help. They openly discuss their feelings, boundaries, and any issues that arise in the relationships. This level of transparency helps maintain trust and harmony among all parties.
Couples counseling with our polyamory friendly and educated team at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you talk about feelings, emotions, and issues that arise in your relationships.
In this kitchen table polyamory example, the focus is on building a sense of community and interconnectedness among all the individuals involved. The relationships are characterized by open communication and a desire for everyone to know, respect, and support each other, creating a close-knit and harmonious polyamorous network.
Polyamorous couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can help improve the meaningful connection in your relationships. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize in marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ expressive people.
Overall, at Wisdom Within Counseling, marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples provides ways for you and your partners to build emotional intimacy, closeness, and meaningful connection.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
What Is Parallel Polyamory?
In parallel polyamory, partners lead separate lives with minimal involvement or knowledge of each other’s other relationships. It’s a more compartmentalized style where connections between partners are limited.
Meet Alex, Sam, and Morgan, who are practicing parallel polyamory:
Alex, Sam, and Morgan are all in separate romantic and sexual relationships with individuals who are not connected to each other. Each of them has their own partner or partners who they see independently of each other. There is limited interaction or involvement among the partners. Alex’s partners are not acquainted with Sam or Morgan, and vice versa.
They do not spend time together or communicate with each other, nor are they interested in doing so. The individuals in these relationships highly value their privacy and autonomy. They do not feel the need to share details about their other relationships with their partners, and they do not want to know about their partners’ other relationships. While they don’t interact with each other’s partners, they maintain respect for each other’s boundaries and relationship agreements. They understand and adhere to the limits set by their partners and prioritize open and honest communication within their individual relationships.
Parallel polyamory
Each person manages their time and commitments independently, making sure to balance their various relationships and other life responsibilities without interference from or influence by the other partners. In this example of parallel polyamory, the focus is on maintaining independence and separation between individual relationships. Partners in this style prefer to keep their romantic and sexual relationships distinct and do not engage in shared experiences or communication with each other’s partners. It’s essential that all parties involved are comfortable with this level of separation and autonomy.
To begin, click for a phone consult for polyamory affirming and LGBTQIA+ friendly marriage and couples counseling.
Polyfidelity:
In a polyfidelitous relationship, a group of individuals forms a closed, exclusive network. While it may include multiple partners, it functions similarly to monogamy in terms of exclusivity and commitment within the group.
A polyfidelitous relationship, often referred to as a “closed group” or “polyfidelity,” is a style of polyamory in which a group of individuals form a closed, exclusive network. In this type of relationship, the individuals involved commit to each other, and their romantic and sexual connections are limited to the members of the group.
Here’s an example of a polyfidelitous relationship:
Laura, Kim, and Becca are exclusively committed to each other within the group. They have formed a closed network where they do not seek additional romantic or sexual partners outside of this relationship. The individuals in this polyfidelitous relationship share financial responsibilities, household chores, and life planning.
They may live together in the same home or manage their lives as a single unit. From the outside, the relationship may resemble a monogamous partnership, as they have made a commitment to exclusivity within the group.
To add, they prioritize the well-being and happiness of the entire group. Each individual forms deep emotional connections with the other members of the group. They value the bond they share and seek to create a stable and loving environment for all involved.
This polyfidelitous group may establish agreements and boundaries similar to those in monogamous relationships, such as fidelity and commitment.
They may even have legal arrangements to reflect their commitment to each other.
In this example of a polyfidelitous relationship, Laura, Kim, and Becca have chosen to be exclusive within their closed group, and they function as a committed unit.
While it is a form of polyamory, it resembles a monogamous relationship in its exclusivity and commitment within the defined group. Polyfidelitous relationships can involve various numbers of individuals and can take different forms based on the preferences and agreements of those involved.
To begin, click below to book a phone consult to better your ethically non-monogamous, polyamorous realtionships.
Polyamorous Vee:
In this structure, one person (the “hinge”) has multiple partners who are not romantically or sexually involved with each other. The hinge person is the connection point between the “arms” of the Vee.
Imagine a polyamorous Vee involving three individuals: Ari, Hannah, and Elliot.
Ari is at the center of the Vee. They are the common point in the relationships and are romantically and sexually involved with both Hannah and Elliot. In this Vee structure, Hannah and Elliot do not have a romantic or sexual relationship with each other. They are aware of each other’s presence in Ari’s life but do not engage in romantic or sexual interactions with each other. Ari maintains separate relationships with Hannah and Elliot. They go on dates, spend quality time, and have emotional connections with each partner independently.
Open and honest communication is essential. Ari communicates openly with both Hannah and Elliot about the nature of their relationships and the dynamics of the Vee. Hannah and Elliot maintain their own personal lives and have the freedom to explore other romantic or sexual relationships outside the Vee.
The Polyamorous Vee
This structure respects their autonomy while recognizing Ari’s involvement with both of them. All individuals involved respect each other’s boundaries, relationship agreements, and desires. They prioritize open communication to ensure everyone’s comfort and well-being.
In this example of a polyamorous Vee, Ari is the central person involved with two separate partners, Hannah and Elliot, who do not have a romantic or sexual relationship with each other. This structure allows for individual autonomy and independence within the context of a polyamorous relationship. Communication and mutual respect are crucial to maintaining harmony and understanding within the Vee. At Wisdom Within Counseling, polyamorous couples can work with our team of marriage counselors to learn tools to improve communication and connection.
To begin, click below to book a phone consult for more meaningful, loving, secure, and connected polyamorous relationships.
Triad and Quad Relationships:
A triad consists of three people in a relationship together. A quad involves four individuals in various combinations of romantic and sexual connections.
Imagine a polyamorous quad involving four individuals: Seth, Harry, Victoria, and Libby.
In this quad, all four individuals are romantically and sexually involved with one another. Seth has a romantic and sexual relationship with Harry, Victoria, and Libby. Harry is involved with Victoria, Libby, and Seth, and so on, forming a web of interconnected relationships. All four individuals share emotional bonds with one another. They experience love, intimacy, and commitment within the group and work together to nurture these connections.
A polyamorous quad often engages in group activities and outings.
They may go on dates as a foursome, spend weekends together, celebrate special occasions as a group, and engage in shared interests and hobbies. The individuals in this quad may choose to share responsibilities, such as living together, managing finances jointly, or co-parenting if children are involved. Effective and open communication is crucial to maintain harmony within the quad. They discuss boundaries, relationship agreements, and their individual needs regularly. While the quad is a collective unit, each individual maintains separate connections and intimacy within the group. Seth has unique connections with each of the other three members, and the same applies to Libby, Victoria, and Harry.
In this example of a polyamorous quad, the relationships are interconnected, and all four individuals are involved with each other in various ways. It’s a complex and interwoven relationship structure that requires a high level of communication, trust, and understanding to maintain harmony and balance among all parties involved.
Polyamorous Networks:
Some polyamorous structures involve multiple people connected in a complex web of relationships. These networks can include multiple couples and individuals, all connected through various partnerships. At Wisdom Within Counseling, marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples can give you tools for deeper bonding, intimacy, closeness, and playful connection.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult to work with our polyamorous specialists and couples counselors.
Polyamorous Parenting:
In polyamorous families, multiple adults may co-parent children. The relationships between adults can vary, with some being romantic and others more platonic.
Meet a polyamorous family consisting of three adults: Betsy, Lizzy, and Samuel. They are all parents to a child named Rivers.
In this polyamorous family, all three adults share parenting responsibilities for Rivers. They collaborate on childcare duties, such as feeding, diaper changes, school activities, and medical appointments. Each adult takes an active role in parenting and has a strong bond with Rivers.
The adults maintain open and honest communication with each other regarding parenting decisions, schedules, and the child’s well-being. They hold family meetings to discuss any issues or concerns that may arise in the parenting process.
The adults in this family create a supportive network for Rivers. Rivers is aware of their three parents and the family’s unique structure. They have the opportunity to form strong, loving bonds with all three adults.
The adults establish clear boundaries and expectations when it comes to parenting and childcare.
They respect each other’s roles and responsibilities in Rivers’s life.
Rivers benefits from diverse perspectives and experiences in their upbringing. They receive guidance, love, and care from multiple adults who offer a range of life experiences, knowledge, and skills.
The polyamorous family engages in inclusive family activities. They go on outings together, celebrate holidays, and create special traditions that involve all three parents and Rivers.
While the three adults share parenting duties, they also respect each other’s autonomy and individual needs. They are free to have additional romantic or sexual relationships outside the family, provided that these do not interfere with their parenting responsibilities.
In this example of polyamorous parenting, the focus is on creating a supportive and loving environment for Rivers within a polyamorous family structure. Open communication, shared responsibilities, and respect for individual autonomy are key elements in making polyamorous parenting work effectively.
It’s important to note that polyamorous relationships can be dynamic and flexible, and individuals within them can choose or adapt their structures based on their evolving needs and desires. Effective communication, consent, and respect are critical in all polyamorous relationship structures to ensure the well-being of all involved parties.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
How can working with an LGBTQIA+ couples counseling specialist help when you are polyamorous?
When you are bisexual, queer, and exploring your sexual identity, you may identify as polyamorous. You want professional guidance with you open marriage and exploring multiple emotional, romantic, and sexual partnerships.
Working with an LGBTQIA+ couples counseling specialist when you are in a polyamorous relationship can be highly beneficial for several reasons.
Here’s how a specialized counselor at Wisdom Within Counseling can help:
Inclusivity and Understanding:
At Wisdom Within Counseling, you get to work with an LGBTQIA+ affirmative counselor with expertise in LGBTQIA+ issues. Our team of marriage therapists have a greater understanding of diverse relationships and gender identities. In addition to polyamory, you can feel safe talking about gender expression, cross dressing, kinks, BDSM, and more. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team of couples counselors provide a safe and inclusive space for polyamorous people and couples. You can explore your feelings, talk about relationship goals, and challenges.
Reducing Stigma Through LGBTQIA+ Affirming Couples Counseling:
Polyamorous relationships can sometimes face societal stigma and misunderstandings. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your LGBTQIA+ affirming couples therapist can help you and your partners navigate and address any stigma you may encounter. You can also get book recommendations to support your children in understanding that their polyamorous family is normal.
Communication Skills:
As well, effective communication is crucial in polyamorous relationships. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your LGBTQIA+ polyamorous affirming marriage counselor will teach communication techniques that help you and all your partners express needs and concerns, promoting healthier dynamics. Couples therapy can be a safe place to slow down when intense emotions like anger come up.
Conflict Resolution:
Polyamorous relationships can mean that you encounter unique conflicts related to jealousy, boundaries, and time management. You can feel safe talking about insecurities and worries, such as a fear of abandonment, in couples therapy. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your LGBTQIA+ affirming marriage therapist can assist you all in developing strategies for conflict resolution. These can include talking about many conflict resolution topics from boundaries to emotional validation tools that support navigating multiple romantic relationships.
Relationship Agreements:
Our Wisdom Within Counseling therapists help polyamorous partners create clear relationship agreements. Couples therapy can be a safe place to outline expectations, talk about consent, and responsibilities in a way that respects the autonomy and well-being of all involved parties.
Self-Discovery:
Polyamory often involves a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your polyamorous affirming counselor can guide you and your partners through this process. We help you and all your partners understand everyone’s desires, boundaries, expressions of love, and sexual and gender identities.
Navigating Identity:
For LGBTQIA+ individuals in polyamorous relationships, it’s essential to navigate the intersection of their sexual orientation or gender identity with their polyamorous identity. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your couples therapist can provide guidance and support in exploring this intersection. You may want to feel more comfortable talking about sexuality, gender, gender expression, your sexual needs, and sexual pleasure.
To begin, click below to book a phone consult for couples counseling with our LGBTQIA+, queer, same sex, ethically non monogamous, and polyamorous specialists.
Addressing Unique Challenges:
Polyamorous LGBTQIA+ individuals or couples may face challenges related to disclosure, coming out, or finding like-minded partners. Your couples counselor who specializes in polyamory can help address these specific issues. For example, you might need help coming out as polyamorous to your parents or family. You might need a safe place to talk about navigate relationships with friends, who may hold strict, religious views around monogamy. Or, you might need help coping with an adverse emotional reaction after you have come out as ethically non monogamous to your parents or friends. You might want to talk about where to meet more polyamorous and consensually non monogamous friends in counseling.
Mental Health Support:
Polyamory, like any other relationship style, can lead to stress and mental health challenges. Your LGBTQIA+ couples therapist at Wisdom Within Counseling can offer support and coping strategies to deal with these issues. At Wisdom Within Counseling, yoga therapy, art in therapy, music therapy, nature therapies, and meditation and mindfulness are all available for grounding and self-soothing. These offer emotional regulation strategies as well. In any relationship, monogamous or ethically non-monogamous, feelings of insecurity, jealousy, grief, sadness, and even past trauma arise.
We all struggle with triggers and emotional flooding at times. So, having a positive coping toolbox from counseling can help you, as an individual, self-soothe, and practice the best self-care possible. At Wisdom Within Counseling, your counselor supports positive lifestyle changes such as to sleep routines, nutrition, and holistic living. Being able to take the very best care of yourself possible will ensure that you bring the best version of yourself to your romantic connections. By gaining positive coping tools in holistic counseling sessions, you can be creative, compassionate, courageous, and confident, and have mental clarity.
Building Healthy Relationships:
Ultimately, at Wisdom Within Counseling, you can get matched with a specialist in LGBTQIA+ issues, who can help you and your partners build healthy, fulfilling, and authentic relationships.
You can learn positive self-care skills. But, also, with your polyamory friendly counselor, you can gain relationship skills that foster mutual understanding, acceptance, empathy, and respect. You can learn how to communicate when triggered or emotionally flooded, rather than reacting out of anger.
When you are polyamorous, it’s important to find a counselor who is not only experienced in LGBTQIA+ issues but also polyamory or non-monogamous relationships. Our team of polyamory affirming therapists help you and your partners overcome any lingering shame and guilt that may be weighing you down due to growing up in a monogamous focused society.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we offer a customized counseling experience that suits your specific relationship needs and goals.
Couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling means you get to work with a polyamory friendly therapist with experience in complex trauma triggers (C-PTSD), conflict resolution, and confidence navigating multiple romantic relationships. Our team of polyamory affirming specialists are knowledgeable about gender expression, sexual orientation, sexuality, intimacy and sex, polyamory, and LGBTQIA+ topics.
To begin, click below for a phone consult to create the most loving, secure, emotionally connected, and authentic polyamorous relationships you can.
Wisdom Within Counseling offers marriage and relationship support to polyamorous couples in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Indiana, Vermont, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Where in Connecticut does the team of Wisdom Within Counseling marriage therapists help couples?
We help distant couples build connection in Hartford, Guilford, Clinton, Mystic, Madison, Groton, New London, Niantic, East Lyme, Colchester, Waterford, Gales Ferry, Sterling, North Stonington, Litchfield, South Windsor, Stamford, Westport, Woodbridge, Avon, Simsbury, Middlebury, Shelton, Naugatuck, Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Weston, Wilton, Ridgefield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Old Greenwich, Stonington, Lyme, Easton, Milford, Newtown, Old Saybrook, Cheshire, Granby, Riverside, Ledyard, Bozrah, Preston, Griswold, Voluntown, Lisbon, Sprague, Lebanon, Franklin, East Haddam, Montville, Salem, Torrington, New Milford, Watertown, Winchester, Thomaston, Plymouth, Woodbury, Morris, Bethlehem, Warren, Kent, Goshen, Sharon, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Cornwall, Barkhamsted, Harwinton, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Washington, and Danbury, Connecticut.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
In Florida, relationship marriage counseling for polyamorous couples is available over video.
Wisdom Within Counseling offers ethically non-monogamous and polyamorous couples counseling for in Palm Beach, Fisher Island, Key Biscayne, Key Largo, Key West, Weston, Windermere, Gulf Stream, Indian River Shores, Sarasota, Tampa, Jacksonville, Port Charlotte, Winter Park, Oviedo, Cape Coral, Miami, St. Augustine, Rotonda West, Bradenton, Homestead, Longboat Key, Naples, Jupiter Island, Pinecrest, Sanibel, Ocean Ridge, Hillsboro Beach, Surfside, Manalapan, Melbourne, Orlando, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbor, Palm Bay, Cape Canaveral, Rockledge, and Belleair, Florida.
To begin, click below to book your phone consult for marriage counseling for polyamorous couples and LGBTQIA+ queer couples who are seeking bonding, closeness, and playful connection tools.
Holistic marriage and couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you:
From LGBTQIA+ marriage counseling, you can begin to feel like yourself again and love yourself, to offer that love to your romantic partners. You can have a safe place to talk about your sexuality, your sex life, intimacy, sexual pleasure, and sexual orientation. As well, you and your partners can develop emotionally centered communication skills.
You can learn about each other’s childhood trauma wounds, and offer each other support in the most crucial moments. You can learn skills to be less angry, to improve my romantic relationship.
Couples therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling can give you the emotional support you need. And, you partners can learn emotional validation and emotional support skills.
Marriage therapy with our LGBTQIA+ specialists at Wisdom Within Counseling gives you tools for more calm, conscious communication practices to use with your partners.
