Polyamory Therapy in Concord, NC
Online Therapy for Polyamory throughout North & South Carolina
Are you juggling multiple relationships, navigating different personalities, and avoiding societal judgement? Are you feeling lost trying to balance relationship agreements and expectations, while also prioritizing your own needs?
In polyamory therapy, I help my clients tune into their own identity, needs, and views on relationships in order to show up as their authentic, confident self with those they love.
Is polyamory therapy right for you?
You have always struggled with the limited views and expectations of society, culture, or religion when it comes to relationships. Why is everyone expected to connect with others following the same, restricted rules? Can’t there be another way?
Living in a society that promotes one way to build and progress relationships often restricts the ability to create authentic connections that prioritize your needs and desires. Using the same old script in a new relationship often leads to unrealistic expectations, unspoken judgements, and pressure to do things you don’t really want to do.
Aside from external pressures and expectations, having multiple relationships tends to increase many stresses. From time management, communication issues, and different needs, every aspect of relating becomes more complex. And we are still human beings with our own traumas, insecurities, and mistakes!
It takes a lot of courage and determination to deviate from the expectations that society places on you. Whether your view on relationships is a choice or a natural part of your identity, it’s important to consistently put in the work to challenge cultural norms, external expectations, and internal beliefs about who you are and how you relate to others.
What therapy for polyamory & non-monogamy can help with…
Identity & Sexuality:
Explore your gender identity
Discover your gender expression
Process imposed identity constructs
Evaluate identity belief systems
Explore sexual, romantic, and relational orientations
Feel more comfortable in your body
Find cohesion with who you are on the inside and how you present to others
Claim authentic peace with who you are
Trauma:
Identify past experiences that harmed your sense of identity or connection
Heal from interpersonal and systemic trauma, abuse, discrimination, and oppression
Process attachment trauma and how it affects current relationships
Explore internalized phobias and judgements
Deconstruct mononormative beliefs and pressures to climb the relationship escalator
Replace harmful coping skills and influences with affirming community and supports
Relationships:
Review how childhood relationships formed the foundation for how you relate to others
Explore beliefs and ethics around relationships
Identify your needs and wants in different relationships
Build healthy communication skills
Create healthy boundaries that foster connect and not push others away
Develop curated relationships that work best for you and not just follow external expectations, restrictions, and traditions
How trauma therapy for polyamory can help you!
Though polyamory is certainly complex, it does not have to be a constant struggle. And you don’t have to lose yourself in the process. There are so many ways to create and navigate relationships. You deserve to love in the way that is best for you!
While navigating these relationships, it is important to take time individually to process how you approach and engage in each connection. Being able to examine oneself, learn from mistakes, and improve relational skills is one of the healthiest things you can do for any relationship!
I help my clients process their beliefs, needs, and desires in their relationships. We will explore integral aspects of your identity and develop ways to ensure your relationships support your innermost values, ethics, and boundaries. From communication styles, intimacy needs, attachments, and trauma, we will learn how to prioritize yourself in order to best show up for the loved ones in your life.
If you are interested in exploring your approach to relationships, double check your Google calendar to schedule your free therapy consultation today. I look forward to speaking with you!
Other Therapy Services in Concord, NC
-
LGBTQIA+ Therapy
-
Narcissistic Abuse Therapy
-
Childhood Trauma Therapy
-
Depression Therapy
-
Religious Trauma Therapy
-
Group Therapy
Polyamory Therapy in Concord, NC
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The best way to feel this out is to meet with a therapist and speak with them. Ask them specific questions about their experience with polyamorous/non-monogamous clients. Notice if they use terms appropriately (metas, hinge, agreements, compersion, KTP, NRE, etc.). Inquire about specific issues like couples privilege, unicorn hunting, or veto power. Ask about their views on current events, politics, and polyam culture.
If a therapist refuses to answer or says it is not appropriate to share personal views or discuss politics, move on! Therapy is absolutely political. Your identity, relationships, and experiences are valid. Your safety is a priority especially in the therapy space!
A safe, accepting, and knowledgable therapist will be open to these discussions and will provide honest answers to all of your questions. Your best gage is your gut so pay attention to how you feel. If you would like to meet with me to ask any questions, fill out the interest form here. I would be happy to meet with you!
-
When beginning individual therapy, weekly 60-minute sessions are most effective. This helps create consistency, accountability, and the ability to measure progress. Many clients find this helpful for the first 3-6 months. Once you feel confident in your progress, sessions are typically reduced to every other week. The timeline looks different for everyone, and we will collaborate together on ensuring your therapy is most effective for you.
-
Yes, I have experience supporting folks in a variety of diverse relationship structures. This includes non-monogamy, polyamory, open relationships, swinging, BDSM, kink, and others forms of relating.
-
I intentionally choose not to use these terms. By adding a qualifier of “ethical” or “consensual” to non-monogamy, it suggests that non-monogamy innately is not ethical or consensual. This adds to mono-normativity culture where monogamy is held as the gold standard for ethical relating. Have you ever heard someone say they are ethically monogamous or practice consensual monogamy??
If you and your partners choose to use these terms, that’s ok! In therapy, what matters most is that you are choosing to prioritize yourself and relating to others in ways that are ethical, consensual, and respectful of all those involved. At the end of the day, the terms we use can often be limiting or ambiguous. Knowing what they mean to you and being able to explain it and live by it is what matters. This is what we will explore together in therapy.
-
I currently do not offer relationship therapy to couples or polycules. I love to work with individuals to explore their identity, discuss relational concerns, process how trauma affects their relationships, and work on personal communication, boundaries, and repair skills.
-
When you are in couples or relationship therapy, your focus is on the relationship itself. While you may identify some individual concerns, the relationship is the primary focus in that space. If you are in relationship therapy, it is very important to have a separate individual therapist at the same time. This provides you space to work on what comes up for you during relationship sessions and give yourself the priority to process what you need to explore for yourself.
-
If you are interested in beginning polyamory therapy, you can complete this interest form to get started! You can also email me at michelle@radicalserenity.com or call/text me at 980-202-2480.