Normalizing Non-Monogamy - Interviews in Polyamory and Swinging

Growing up in a small, remote, conservative town in Manitoba Alayna didn't even know that women could be gay... It wasn't a thing she even thought was possible. She was boy crazy in school to the point where her parents and teachers were a bit concerned. Today she takes us on her beautiful and complicated journey of discovering her own sexuality and ultimately coming out as gay when she was 29. Along the way Alayna was in a 10-year relationship with her boyfriend, explored polyamory, thought she was bisexual, and then slowly realized that she wasn't bisexual and that polyamory wasn't for her. Alayna's story is so powerful as she shows us how hard it can be to overcome the shame and societal expectations around our sexuality and relationships. Alayna described herself on her YouTube Channel better than we ever could... Alayna Joy is a therapist-in-training, climbing-obsessed, queer content creator who brings her frank and funny perspective to a wide range of topics, such as mental health and sexuality. She is the host of Sleeping Around: The Psychology of Sex, Dating, and Relationships and co-hosts the Chosen Family Podcast. Alayna is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology as a part of her training to become a licensed psychotherapist. Across social media, Alayna shares her love for all things sexuality, climbing, and the great outdoors with a positive community of like-minded women and 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. No matter the type of content she’s creating, Alayna’s goal is always to keep laughter and education at the forefront. Check out all of Alayna's work here! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today we're answering questions from our virtual community! First, we talk about polyamory breakups and then we follow it by answering a question about NRE (New Relationship Energy). Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Learn more about Meshai and all of her work over at expansiveconnection.com! You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I also completed a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute in March 2024! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Molly is so full of positive energy and good vibes! This conversation is an absolute delight and also so powerful as Molly shares her relationship journey and experiences with us. Normally we try to summarize what that looks like but the bio on Molly's website does a much better job than we ever could... "I’ve always been curious about (maybe even obsessed with) relationships. I’ve always loved big. I’ve always wanted to disrupt social norms that didn’t seem quite right. So when I first learned that non-monogamy was possible in my early 20s, my mind and heart were forever changed. 15 years later, as I continue crafting my own unique flavor of non-monogamy, my mission in life is to help others heal and build the relationships of their dreams." We hope you enjoy our conversation with Molly as much as we did! Molly is also a relationship coach and therapist who loves working with people all across the relationship spectrum! Please check out all of her work over on her website at Bonobo Relationships! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Today Jaye takes us through pretty much his entire relationship history and it is an exciting and beautiful ride! After years of serial monogamy, Jaye and a friend(ish) started swinging together and his whole world began to open up. Shortly after finding the swinging lifestyle, Jaye met his (now) wife and then had to come out to her about swinging and being bisexual. Jaye and his wife took a few years slowly getting into swinging while building a foundation together. Fast forward to today... Jaye has multiple partners, he and his wife are exploring a pretty fluid open relationship dynamic, and Jaye started a rock band that plays at lifestyle events he hosts in Florida! Jaye brings so much love and positivity to our conversation today and to all of his work! You can learn more about Jaye's events and band over at his website metamourentertainment.com. Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Kiley George, a passionate sex and relationship coach and the host of The Pineapple Express Podcast, shares her riveting journey into the world of swinging over the past four years. She discusses the balance she has found between exploration and personal well-being, emphasizing the impact of non-monogamy on her life. Kiley also highlights the importance of community and sexual health, narrating humorous tales from the swinging lifestyle while reflecting on boundary-setting and emotional growth. Tune in for insights into navigating non-monogamous relationships!

Lizz and Gabriel found one another at an adult rollerskating class a few months after Lizz's husband passed away. Lizz came to their partnership with over twenty years of exploring polyamory with her husband and another longterm partner. Gabriel came to the relationship with zero experience in non-monogamy and had grown up very religious with no concept of relationships other than to meet someone, get married, have kids, and never ever get divorced. Lizz and Gabriel come from different backgrounds and have different styles of polyamory and preferences of relating. They don't have a ton of rules. other than to be honest and treat one another with kindness. And, they have a ton of fun and so much love and respect for one another as you'll hear throughout this incredible and vulnerable conversation. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today we are answering questions from our virtual community! First up, we determine when you're allowed to call yourself non-monogamous. How many partners do you have to have to qualify? Come found out. Then we talk about how to show up authentically in a non-monogamous partnership when it feels like you can't really be yourself around your loved ones or may not even be able to be out in public at all. Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Learn more about Meshai and all of her work over at expansiveconnection.com! You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I also completed a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute in March 2024! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Today George takes us on his powerful relationship journey that spans more than thirty years... For the first ten years he was monogamously married and then separated amicably when he was about 30. In his thirties George remarried but ended up cheating on his wife every few years throughout most of their partnership. She found out early on and they sort of had an unspoken agreement which ultimately ended after about 11 years. After his second marriage George decided he wanted to do relationships differently. Lying, cheating, and dishonesty were not what George wanted in a partnership yet neither was monogamy. For the last ten years George has been diving deep into learning and exploring the world of ethical non-monogamy. He now identifies as solo poly and loves forming connections with women all over the world that are rooted in honesty, transparency, and clear communication. Not only does George love exploring relationships and connection in his personal life, he's also made it his profession. George lives in Australia and has been working as a legal male escort for the last year. For him, his work is about companionship, connection, and healing. To learn more about George and his work, please check out his website! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Irene's first "serious" dive into exploring non-monogamy came towards the end of her Master's program when she and a new partner both came to their relationship not really wanting monogamy... Yet, neither of them had done this before, they didn't have many resources to guide them, and they were in a brand new relationship together. And, those were just the hurdles they knew existed. Spoiler alert: They ended up finding some hidden ones as well! As Irene describes it, opening their relationship was chaos. Today, she takes us back to the beginning and shares with us how she and her partner moved through the chaos together while also healing themselves as individuals. The journey has not been easy and we're incredibly grateful to Irene for her vulnerability in sharing her story. Irene combines her own lived experiences with her extensive training in yoga therapy and her background in clinical sexual health counseling to bring an in-depth understanding of the mind and body to her coaching work. She is also the author of the bestselling book The Polyamory Paradox: Finding Your Confidence in Consensual Non-Monogamy. Please check out all of Irene's work on her website. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Over the last few weeks we have been bringing you updates from Christy, Rebecca, David, and Jason... They've all been on the podcast multiple times before and even came on Episode 143 all together at the start of the pandemic to talk about how they live under one roof. A lot has changed in the last four years and today we dig deep into it in this beautiful conversation. We highly encourage you to listen to this episode even if you haven't listened to any of the other conversations with these four and even if you never plan to live with multiple partners. The intentionality, skills, and communication needed to live together with five adults and a toddler are really not much different than living with one other person... You just need a lot more of it when there are more people and you can't get away with sweeping as much under the rug. We learned so many incredible and valuable lessons in this interview and we hope you do as well.  It's really just about the vibe, ya'll! Enjoy! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing