Practicing Polyamory Podcast

In this episode I interview my two friends, Nel and George, who have been married for over 30 years and polyam for the past 8. Recently, Nel has had a JOYNING (a life commitment ceremony) with another partner. and we get to hear from George and Nel what their experience has been through this transition. We talk about what it was like in the early days of opening up, and how things have changed between then and now with this new life partner in the mix. Nel is also an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, so if you are seeking counseling for your polya journey in California, she can help you out! Go to www.affirmingtherapycenter.com and follow on FB: @AffirmingTherapyCenter

What an incredibly powerful episode! Staci has been polyamorous for nearly 20 years and only recently was correctly diagnosed with borderline personality disorder--not to be confused with bipolar personality disorder. She shares her experiences with such vulnerability and transparency, and gives a message of hope for those who are in similar situations. We get into the differences between borderline and bipolar, symptoms of borderline, and tips for partners (especially favorite persons) of folx with borderline. I learned a lot from Staci about what borderline is and I hope others can connect and resonate with her story. If you'd like to chat with her, find her on Facebook under Staci Gatschet(-Miller).

This episode was recorded June 1, the beginning of Pride month. I come from a very conservative Hispanic home, was taught that boys don't cry, expected to be a manly man, and when I spent time in the military a lot of those teachings were emphasized further. So it's been a long road for me to get to where I am today: a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, and someone who will fight alongside you for equal rights and protections. I know I've still got a long way to go, but this is my story and what Pride means to me.

In this episode I chat with therapist Nikki Beecher who started her polyamorous journey with a long-distance relationship. LDR's have a tendency to put pressure on you and your partner's time, money, and energy resources, which can easily lead to resentment when needs aren't being met. Nikki and I get deep into how to address resentment especially in long distance relationships, but the lessons apply to relationships of all types. We cover some tips to help you have these hard conversations with your partner, the power of authenticity and vulnerability when getting into those conversations, and how managing expectations at the beginning of your relationships can help prevent resentment in the future.  Tune in for an awesome discussion and learn more about Nikki at www.mftnikki.com and follow on FB: @caritascounseling

What's the polyamorous world looking like for the next generation? In this episode I'm excited to chat with Leanne from @polyphiliablog, who talks about her experience as a polyamorous Gen-Zer. She shares her discovery of polyamory at just 17 years old, talks about her journey so far, and how being polyam has affected relationships with her friends and family. As the creator for one of the most popular polyam pages out there now, Leanne explains how she uses humor, wit, and creativity to create community and send a message of normalization. We talk about what healthy polyamory looks like, her experience as an autistic person in polyam relationships, and what it means to take ownership of your emotions. Learn more about Leanne at www.polyphilia.blog, buy her stuff from polyphiliastore.rebubble.com, and I'm sure you already are but just in case follow her @polyphiliablog!

In this episode we talk with someone who has been non-monagmous most of her adult life and until a year ago had been practicing polyamory for about 6 years, After such a long time not being monogamous, she has now found herself loving her life in a monogamous relationship. Ambiamorous, anyone? Leigh's story about choosing to be consciously monogamous and how the lessons she learned from polyamory and non-monogamy have improved her monogamous relationship is enlightening, and I love being able to explore the conscious choices that make us who we are. She's also a sex coach, and we talk about when someone might need a sex coach, and first steps when opening up. If you enjoyed hearing her story, learn more at www.sexcoachleigh.com and www.queersnextdoor.com and follow them @sexcoachleigh and @queersnextdoor!

While there is no "right way" to be polyamorous, there are some things that those who are new to the scene (no pun intended) should know. In this episode, I talk about some of those things that newly minted polyamorists should be learning and thinking about, and I also speak to our community about the lack of empathy I sometimes see exhibited toward these new poly folx. Let me know what y'all think!

On this episode I'm joined by one of the coolest people on the internet, Claire Travers from @polypages! After some egregious fangirling on my part, we dive into what Solo Polyamory means and why the number of partners we have or don't have doesn't determine whether or not we can identify as SoPo. We talk about trends that we see among our listeners and wonder out loud what those trends say about the community at large, what it might mean for our polyamorous relationships, and what makes our way of relating so special and unique. We also talk about life after break-ups, especially as Claire recently decoupled from three partners within a pretty short time frame. Claire is a full-time academic researcher and she skillfully simplifies the huge topics and ideas presented in polyamory literature for her audience. I'm so happy to have had the chance to chat with her and learn from an incredibly smart and articulate human who is creating incredible content and providing a wonderful service to our community. Learn more at www.polypages.org and follow Claire @polypages!

In this episode I get to chat with Tanya Jarvik, a speaker and relationship coach who shares her story  about navigating non-monogamy in the mid-90s, before any of the major books and authors we know and love today, were available or published. Tune in to hear her story about telling her husband that she had a new love interest after years of monogamy, how she began to build community through magazines and online communities, and what it takes to make our communities strong and vibrant today. We also get to hear her experience of growing up in a Mormon household and what role religion played in her discovery of and journey through non-monogamy and polyamory. We also get to learn a new term, coined by Tanya herself, as how she identifies as a Relationship Permaculturalist. Tune in to learn what that means and see if it resonates with you! Learn more about Tanya at www.radicallyrooted.com!

We are joined for an encore performance by Texas Attorney Stacey McLarty who has a ton of tips for all you polyam folx who have multiple nesting partners or are thinking about moving in with your partner(s). Tune in to hear what types of documents and contracts you might want to prepare for different situations. We cover things you might put together regarding living agreements, why a new partner moving into your home would benefit from a rental agreement, what you might want to consider doing if you are planning to start a business together, and some possible options to help make sure your chosen family can be in the hospital with you in a worst-case scenario. The biggest takeaway whenever I chat with attorneys is simple: plan ahead! I'm so grateful to have been able to bring this awesome guest onto the show. Be sure to check out Episode 40 for part 1 of this interview, and if you are in Texas and need some legal help or advice be sure to go to www.chosenfamilylawtx.com and get in touch with Stacey!