Normalizing Non-Monogamy - Interviews in Polyamory and Swinging

We absolutely love this conversation! So much of this episode is about the never ending journey of trying to figure out how to embrace who you truly are and how to love others for who they are.   As Casey was growing up, she often had different interests than many of her friends and people around her. She learned quickly to stuff those desires down and developed a lot of shame around who she was.   Casey started dating and got into her first relationship when she was a junior in college. However, she found herself struggling to maintain monogamous commitments and often ended up cheating or pursuing serial monogamy. Neither of which felt good to her, or were the ways she wanted to be relating to people she cares for and loves.   About a decade ago, she entered into a partnership that was open from the very beginning. She and her partner worked together to open slowly in a way that worked for them and gave her the space to process some of the shame that she had been carrying for her whole life.   Casey is now embracing and exploring her queerness and her polyamorous journey in her personal life and in her professional life. Taken directly from her website www.caseycalvert.com, "I realized that I really liked the part of me that I tried to keep hidden from the world, and I wanted to share her with more people. So I started moving away from topless glamour shoots to fully nude fetish. But that wasn’t enough. The exhibitionist in me wanted more. Hardcore porn was the next step."   Besides being an inspiration in her personal and relational lives, she does the same as a porn performer, content creator, writer, director, and producer. She works closely with Erika Lust and ListCinema to produce fantastic feminist porn and sex-positive content. Her latest project is a series called Primary, which tells the stories of multiple people exploring polyamory in an honest and sexy way. We encourage you to please go check out and support all of Casey's work.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Bree, a queer, polyamorous Chicana with two toddlers and a decade-long marriage, discusses the benefits of different types of relationships. She shares her journey of exploring non-monogamy and how it allows her and her husband to experience more of who they are. Bree is also an imagination coach, challenging norms and helping others envision unique relationships and lives.

Jeannie's story is an absolutely beautiful one. She had what she felt was an "average" or "normal" sex life until she was in her mid-twenties and then she felt her libido shut down. It became really apparent to her when she moved in with her boyfriend (now husband).   This set her off on a journey of trying to reclaim and unlock the sexual person she felt she was. We are so grateful for her vulnerability in taking us behind the scenes into the really powerful and hard work she has done both individually, and with her husband. Oh, and spoiler alert... Her boyfriend of two years plays a part in the story as well!   About a decade ago Jeannie and her husband started discussing the idea of non-monogamy and opening their marriage. After four years of talking about it, they took their first steps. They opened their marriage. Then, one of them unexpectedly fell in love and they ended up closing their relationship to do some more work together before opening back up. As Jeannie describes it, she went through a huge mindset shift in how she thinks about love, which opened up new ways for her to approach relationships.   One of the best parts of all of this... Jeannie wrote a memoir detailing the whole journey. It's a combination of powerful epiphanies and some super sexy and powerful experiences. You can find out more at www.summerofsexiness.com. We hope you enjoy her book and this conversation!   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

We are incredibly grateful and delighted to have Chloe and Drew back on the show for a third time. This conversation is so powerful and we know you'll get so much out of it, even without listening to their previous two episodes (Ep 89 and Ep 156).   Chloe and Drew met in high school, got married shortly after graduating, and then had to grow up fast when their daughter passed away. Sadly, the grieving process opened the door for each of them to emotionally neglect their relationship. This led to an emotional affair, which ultimately ended with the two of them redesigning their entire relationship.   This conversation is a snapshot of where these two are at after years of intense work on themselves and on their partnership. Spoiler alert... They have made monumental changes in how they love through their relationship and life together. Not only were we struck by how much has changed, but this interview is full, from start to finish, with practical and actionable strategies they have used. The way the two of them used a seemingly stupid game on their phone to develop empathy for one another is so beautiful, as is how they approach boundaries, and communicating with their children.   Stop reading this and start listening. You will be glad you did. Enjoy.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Nikki and Michael have known each other since they were teenagers, have been together 27 years, and married for 20. They've also both been in the performing arts community for over 30 years. Their initial exposure a few years ago to exploring sexuality and connection outside of their relationship came through incidental and even some accidental experiences they had as part of that community.   We love how Nikki and Michael take us through their journey in a very honest and vulnerable way. For them, it wasn't glamorous, romantic, or sexy in the beginning. In fact, the glamour wore off quickly for them as they realized it's about the human connection. It's about self-growth and learning about who you are, questioning your past and the scripts we're taught, and understanding the world around you. And, it can also be really hard, yet, extraordinarily beautiful and powerful.   Nikki and Michael also took their 30+ years of experience in theatre, combined it with what they have learned about themselves, consent, sexuality, and life through their experiences in non-monogamy, and created an interactive play called Compersion! While we have not had the opportunity to experience it ourselves, we highly encourage you to check it out! It sounds incredible and unlike anything we have ever heard of. You can learn more at www.steamyromantics.com.   Check out the full show notes here.   Challenging Non-Monogamy Myths Workshop - August 2, 2023   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

"Polycurious" podcast Ep 298 features Fernanda, a relationship coach in non-monogamy. She discusses the evolution of her non-monogamous partnership, including navigating a Don't Ask, Don't Tell dynamic and co-creating rules and boundaries. Fernanda also shares her experiences in the non-monogamous community and her journey into exploring alternative relationship styles.

Katie and Beau have an incredibly beautiful story and they are some of the most kind and loving people we've come across. This interview is truly a delight!   These two grew up near one another but never met until a mutual friend set them up on sort of a blind date while they happened to both be in Ireland many years later. Let's just say the first date went well and they essentially moved in together, in Ireland, not long after. That was about six years ago.   The foundation of their partnership is built on communication, integrity, and treating one another with love, respect, and trust. They had conversations about opening their partnership early on, but took some time to embrace it.   About a year ago they decided to revisit the conversation as a possible option to help them navigate some challenges they were facing. Then, a few months before their wedding, Beau fell for someone and the journey got a whole lot more real. Luckily, the foundation these two built has been crucial in how they have only grown closer through the experience and they are now happily married, and happily in love with, one another and their new partners as well!   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Nick has been exploring consensual non-monogamy for about a decade and is the hinge in a cohabitating triad with Jace (Episode 254) and Sammy. He shares how he and his partners balance their time, find time for themselves, and how they co-create a beautiful home dynamic where they each bring their unique strengths. Nick is also incredibly honest and vulnerable about his challenges and growth throughout his journey.   We're also extremely grateful to Nick for sharing about his experience and journey of coming out. He grew up in a very religious Catholic home, played music in his church, and was married to a woman when he met and fell for his now husband, Sammy. His coming out changed his life in drastic ways and yet he feels like he is more able to be himself than ever before.   It's also no secret that music is Nick's life... Don't forget to check out Nick's incredible band, Brother Hawk. You won't regret it!   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

This interview with Liana is so much fun! Get ready to laugh... Liana describes herself as a "severely gay", queer, and polyamorous relationship nerd. Although, she admits the "relationship nerd" part is a bit newer and came as a result of being terrible at relationships when she was younger. We've all been there, right?   Liana recognized her queerness as a freshman in high school but struggled with Catholic guilt for a few years before coming out during her senior year. A few years later, as a senior in college she discovered polyamory and started down that road, as well.   Liana is super vulnerable in sharing about her journey of coming out multiple times and how they were linked but also very unique at the same time. We also have great conversations about being partnered through the process of coming out, making mistakes, and just being yourself. The takeaway today... It's okay to not know what you're doing!   Liana is also a queer relationship and love coach who works primarily with people in the queer and poly communities and is co-host of the Queer and Poly Podcast. Check out all her work via her Instagram page.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

Joli and Ken have known one another since Joli was born. Then, somewhere around 14 years ago something clicked on the dance floor. (Not a euphemism) Since that night, these two have been on a powerful and beautiful rollercoaster ride together as they have learned about themselves, each other, and how to relate in a way that feels right for them.   Our conversation with these two is amazing. Not only are they super vulnerable about their growing pains, and sometimes just pains... But, they've done an astonishing amount of work to understand exactly what was going on for them during those times and how they can reflect on it with invaluable insights for the rest of us.   Joli has taken learning about how to make her relationships better to a new level. As she says "My way out of trouble has always been to dive in 100%, so I got my doctorate in depth psychology, a certification in sexuality education, and became a researcher known for my work on the archetypal experience of jealousy."   Lucky for all of us! Joli is now a relationship coach who works 1:1 and in groups to help people dream up and create relationships that work for them. Together, her and Ken also host the Playing with Fire podcast. Please check out all of their work at jolihamilton.com!   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/