The Polyamory Handbook

Author: Peter J. Benson
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1468570315
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 394

Book Description
You've probably heard of polyamory-expanded loving relationships, done openly and honestly. Maybe you've had caring feelings for someone else even though you love your spouse or partner as deeply as always. Maybe you're singâ‰¤ you want a committed relationship with someoâ‰ but you don't want to give up the freedom to date others with integrity. Maybe you and your spouse or partner already live a polyamorous lifestyle-but sometimes you aren't sure how to proceed. Maybe the two of you would like to bring a third partner, or more, into your hearts and home as a triad, quad, etc., but you aren't sure how to go about it. Maybe you are already a family of three, four, or more, but the complex interpersonal dynamics threaten to overwhelm you. In these pages you'll find guidance about- Ã ̃ what polyamory is and is Â¬ Ã ̃ communication, conflict resolution, and emotional growth; Ã ̃ ethical considerations; Ã ̃ sexual hygieâ‰ Ã ̃ children; Ã ̃ wills, discrimination, and legal hassles; and much more. Whether you are well experienced with polyamory, or new at it, or curious about it, you'll find answers here, all conveniently arranged in numbered sections for easy reference. The author has had many decades of experience living various forms of polyamory, including in a multi-adult household, in a polyamorous couple, and as a secondary. He is co-founder of three local polyamory groups and has led workshops at various polyamory conferences.

Love and Freedom

Author: Jorge N. Ferrer
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 153815658X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Book Description
In Love and Freedom, Jorge Ferrer proposes a paradigm shift in how romantic relationships are conceptualized, a step forward in the evolution of modern relationships. In the same way that the transgender movement surmounted the gender binary, Ferrer defines how a parallel step can—and should—be taken with the relational style binary. This book offers the first systematic discussion of relationship modes beyond monogamy and polyamory, as well as introduces the notion of “relational freedom” as the capability to choose one’s relational style free from biological, psychological, and sociocultural conditionings. To achieve these goals, Ferrer first discusses a number of critical categories—specifically, monopride/polyphobia, and polypride/monophobia—that mediate the contemporary “mono–poly wars,” that is, the predicament of mutual competition among monogamists and polyamorists. The ideological nature of these “mono–poly wars” is demonstrated through a review of available empirical literature on the psychological health and relationship quality of monogamous and polyamorous individuals and couples. Then, after showing how monogamy and polyamory ultimately reinforce each other, Ferrer articulates three relational pathways to living in-between, through, and beyond the mono/poly binary: fluidity, hybridity, and transcendence. Moving beyond that binary opens a fuzzy, liminal, and multivocal relational space that Ferrer calls novogamy. In this groundbreaking book, readers will learn practical tools to not only transform jealousy, but also enhance their relational freedom while being aware of key issues of diversity and social justice. They will also learn novel criteria to evaluate the success of their intimate relationships, and be introduced to a transformed vision of romantic love beyond both monocentrism and emerging polynormativities.

The Jealousy Workbook

Author: Kathy Labriola
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 0937609641
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 157

Book Description
From the initial stages of trying to agree who can do what with whom, through advanced issues such as coping with logistics and seeking compersion, every relationship sooner or later confronts jealousy – and some relationships do not survive the confrontation. Between these covers you will find forty-two exercises with supporting text, developed by a professional relationship counselor and refined by hundreds of clients trying to find their own paths through jealousy. They range from basic (Exercise Two, Clarify Your Relationship Orientation) through challenging (Exercise Thirty-Four, Imagine Looking Through Their Eyes and Being In Their Shoes). All can be done solo, with a partner, or under the supervision of a helping professional, and all can be done before a problem emerges or in the throes of a jealousy crisis. Along the way, you will find solutions to the issues that bedevil even the most happily open relationships.

The Ethical Slut

Author: Dossie Easton
Publisher: Random House LLC
ISBN: 1587613379
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 288

Book Description
"A practical guide to practicing polyamory and open relationships in ways that are ethically and emotionally sustainable"--Provided by publisher.

The Polyamory Toolkit

Author: Dan Williams
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781794193994
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 174

Book Description
For nearly two decades Dan and Dawn have navigated their journey in polyamory by being proactive, insightful and analytical. Early on, there was very little information or resources available, so the adventure required them to learn from their mistakes as well as their successes.Each have multiple partners and have a history of polyamory relationships lasting multiple years. They have put the time and thought into creating a "toolkit" of knowledge others can implement to help their relationships survive and thrive.Dan and Dawn write in an anecdotal, conversational style that is easy to absorb and use.

A Happy Life in an Open Relationship

Author: Susan Wenzel
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 1452178526
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 187

Book Description
Discover the secrets to successful open relationships. A Happy Life in an Open Relationship is a handbook to healthy nonmonogamous relationships. For anyone curious about open relationships, here is a valuable handbook from an expert in love, sex, and communication. Relationship therapist Susan Wenzel—who is in an open marriage herself—delivers skillful advice on how to navigate the complex emotional landscape of multi-partner relationships, from polyamory to swinging. • Filled with of compelling personal stories, anecdotes from clients, and practical exercises • A guide to cultivating harmonious and fulfilling open relationships • Author Susan Wenzel is a sex and relationship therapist with years of experience counseling patients on issues related to monogamy, intimacy, and trust. A Happy Life in an Open Relationship will help you develop your trust and communication skills, explore sexuality and desire, build your confidence and self-worth, set healthy boundaries, overcome jealousy, and so much more. People interested in making changes in their relationships will appreciate the positive tone, helpful advice, and expert wisdom from an accomplished relationship therapist who has gone through the experience herself. • A great book for anyone interested in testing the boundaries of monogamy and exploring the world of polyamory • An accessible and inviting guide for couples to build an open relationship that is strong and lasting • Perfect for fans of Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence and The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel, The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family by Dan Savage, and Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Christopher Ryan

A World Beyond Monogamy

Author: Jonathan Kent
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781734658743
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 500

Book Description
Skills to make every relationship better. We're living through a relationship revolution. Millions around the world are moving beyond coupledom to explore multiple consensual romantic and/or sexual connections. One in five Americans are thought to have experimented with 'monogamish, ' open relationships, swinging, polyamory, or relationship anarchy and more with the knowledge and consent of all those involved. But to make these relationships work consensually, non monogamous people have to supercharge relating skills like communication and negotiation, skills that can benefit us all, whether we love many or just one. In this ground-breaking book former BBC and Reuters journalist Jonathan Kent takes a comprehensive took at the frontiers of love and sex; the triumphs, the pitfalls, the tools one needs, the lessons we can all learn. A World Beyond Monogamy draws on the first hand experience of scores of people from six continents who are writing their own relationship rules, as well as on the expertise of biologists, sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers.

Designer Relationships

Author: Mark Michaels
Publisher: Cleis Press Start
ISBN: 1627781498
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
Contemporary relationships are in a state of rapid evolution. These changes can and should empower people with the opportunity to develop partnerships based on their own sexualities, understandings, and agreements. This makes it possible to create what Kenneth Haslam, founder of the Kinsey Institute’s Polyamory Archive, has called “designer relationships.” Designer relationships may encompass: people who bond emotionally but not sexually; people who agree to be non-exclusive; single people who have occasional lovers or friends with benefits; multiple partner configurations where long-term bonds exist among all or some; partnerships in which people are kinky and that make room to explore kink. The possibilities are limitless, and thinking about a partnership as something people can craft allows for flexibility and change. Relationships can open and close or have varying degrees and kinds of openness as circumstances demand. In the context of a designer relationship, decisions are made mutually, consciously, and deliberately. Best-selling authors and nationally known relationship experts Patricia Johnson and Mark A. Michaels are exemplars of this life choice, and have studied polyamory for over 20 years. This book explains exactly how you and your loved ones can design your own life and love.

The Many Faces of Polyamory

Author: Magdalena J. Fosse
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 135138113X
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 277

Book Description
The Many Faces of Polyamory: Longing and Belonging in Concurrent Relationships provides new perspectives on polyamory and the longing to belong in the relatively uncharted territory of nonnormative relationships. This volume offers a valuable and compelling account on how to approach polyamorous relationships from the clinical perspective. While there is no uniform answer, Dr. Fosse’s compassionate and discerning approach that combines relative neutrality, an open-minded embrace of nontraditional lifestyle choices, and skilful attention to countertransference dynamics is likely to be inspiring. Dr. Fosse exposes the dynamics of love, sex, jealousy, and compersion as they play out in lives of those interested in polyamory, and more broadly, consensual nonmonogamy. Her focus is on relationships worth having. With its nuanced clinical focus, The Many Faces of Polyamory will be an essential resource for psychotherapists, educators, students, and anyone inside and outside of the mental health field drawn to the intricacies of sexuality, intimacy, and how they are intertwined with relational satisfaction

Beyond Monogamy

Author: Mimi Schippers
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 1479801593
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Book Description
Through an investigation of sexual interactions and relationship forms that include more than two people, from polyamory, to threesomes, to the complexity of the "down-low" Schippers explores the queer, feminist, and anti-racist potential of multipartnered sex and relationships