154 Research-Backed Therapy for Non-Monogamous People with Dr. River Farrell

This one’s for you, fellow relationship nerds! Listen in on this fabulous conversation with Dr. River Farrell, a clinical psychologist, independent non-monogamy researcher, and member of the polyamory and queer communities. They’re joining us to talk about research, therapy, jealousy, and how we can actually apply findings from the research to improve mental health care for people in the non-monogamy community.

Dr. Farrell uncovers the reasons why traditional therapy modalities might not be working for you, and we discuss why Acceptance and Commitment Therapy could be the paradigm-shifting tool you need to be able to address jealousy without judgment.

This one is a must-listen for anyone interested in what the research has to say about non-monogamy, and for therapists and therapy-goers who want to learn more about how to improve the therapeutic process for non-monogamous clients.

In this episode, we discuss:

— Dr. Farrell's research on non-monogamous relationships

— Compersion and its impact on relationship satisfaction

— The evolutionary roots of jealousy and stigma

— Compassionate strategies for managing jealousy

— Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and its applications to non-monogamous relationships

— The importance of therapists’ cultural competency and mindfulness

— The state of independent research and the challenges Dr. Farrell has faced

— Bridging the gap between non-monogamy research and mental health practices

Resources mentioned in this episode:

— Dr. Farrell’s research on The Michigan School of Psychology website

— Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training manual for clinicians

— ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Russ Harris

Dr. River Farrell is a non-binary, queer, polyamorous, clinical psychologist who has been working in the field for over 15 years. They have specialized in working with gender and sexual minority clients utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Currently they are conducting research on using ACT with CNM clients.

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Read the transcript of this episode here

Music: Dance of Felt by ⁠Blue Dot Sessions