Ethical Non-Monogamy
Exploring Ethical Non-Monogamy with Compassion and Connection
At the Center for Relationship & Intimacy Well-Being (CRIWB), we celebrate the diversity of human connection. Love and intimacy take many forms, and navigating these complexities requires courage, clarity, and care.
If you’re exploring Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM), transitioning into a new relational structure, or seeking to heal and strengthen your relationships, we are here to provide a warm, affirming space where trust, pleasure, exploration, and connection can flourish.
What is Ethical Non-Monogamy?
Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM) is an umbrella term for relationship structures where individuals form intimate or romantic connections with more than one person, with the full knowledge and consent of everyone involved. ENM emphasizes shared values of honesty, respect, and intentionality.
A related term, Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM), focuses on the critical role of consent in these relationships, ensuring that all participants openly agree to the relational terms. ENM, however, goes beyond consent by emphasizing the ethical considerations of navigating multiple relationships. This includes cultivating emotional transparency, honoring boundaries, and engaging in ongoing communication to address challenges.
Forms of ENM may include open relationships, polyamory, relationship anarchy, or other configurations unique to each person or group. At its heart, ENM prioritizes building relationships based on integrity and mutual care.
How does CRIWB Support Ethical Non-Monogamy?
At CRIWB, we provide guidance tailored to your unique needs, whether you’re new to ENM, transitioning from monogamy, or navigating challenges in established non-monogamous relationships. Our approach integrates compassion, professionalism, and an understanding of the complexities of ENM.
We specialize in helping clients:
- Rebuild trust when agreements are broken or relationships face challenges.
- Heal relational wounds, including jealousy, inadequacy, or unresolved conflict.
- Navigate communication dynamics, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.
- Address cultural, religious, or societal stigmas that may impact your relationships.
- Explore intimacy and pleasure while embracing authentic connection and desire.
- Prioritize and nurture primary relationships while balancing the needs, boundaries, and connections within your broader relational network.
We also recognize that non-monogamous relationships can bring immense joy and growth but require attention to boundaries, expectations, and emotional well-being.
Our goal is to help you and your partners create relationships that feel healthy, fulfilling, and aligned with your values.
Trauma and Ethical Non-Monogamy
Trauma can significantly impact relationships, including those exploring ENM. At CRIWB, we understand that past or ongoing trauma can surface as fear, insecurity, or challenges in communication. We approach trauma with a compassionate and integrative lens, helping clients:
- Recognize how trauma influences relational dynamics and attachment styles.
- Develop safety and trust within themselves and their relationships.
- Learn somatic tools to reconnect with their bodies and emotional well-being.
- Work through feelings of jealousy, abandonment, or inadequacy that can arise in ENM.
Our trauma-informed approach ensures that your journey into ENM is rooted in healing, self-awareness, and resilience.
Kink and Ethical Non-Monogamy
Kink and ENM often intersect, as both emphasize consent, communication, and exploration. CRIWB is a kink-affirming practice that recognizes and celebrates the diverse ways individuals express intimacy, pleasure, and connection.
We provide:
- A non-judgmental space to explore how kink dynamics interact with ENM relationships.
- Support in navigating power exchanges, boundaries, and agreements within your relationships.
- Tools to address potential misunderstandings or challenges unique to kink and ENM.
Our goal is to empower you to embrace your authentic desires while fostering mutual understanding and respect in your relationships.
Gender, Identity, and Ethical Non-Monogamy
Gender and identity deeply influence how we navigate relationships, including ENM. We support clients in exploring how gender and sexual identities intersect with Ethical Non-Monogamy, creating a space that affirms and honors all identities while navigating the unique challenges and opportunities they bring.
At CRIWB, we are committed to providing a space that affirms and honors all identities, recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities they bring.
We work with clients to:
- Understand how gender roles and societal expectations impact relational dynamics.
- Explore how gender, orientation, and identity shape relational dynamics.
- Explore the intersection of sexual identity and ENM to foster authentic self-expression.
- Address societal stigmas or internalized narratives that may impact self-expression.
- Foster inclusivity and understanding among partners with differing identities.
- Navigate identity-related challenges within diverse ENM configurations, including polycules and relationship anarchies.
- Support LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities navigating ENM with authenticity and pride.
- Build inclusive and affirming connections that celebrate the full spectrum of who they are.
Our approach ensures that clients feel seen, respected, and empowered to live in alignment with their identities while fostering healthy, connected relationships.
What We Offer: Weekly Sessions & Intensives
1. Weekly Sessions
For those seeking ongoing support, our weekly sessions offer a consistent framework to work through challenges and grow together. These hour-long sessions are ideal for:
- Strengthening communication and navigating tough conversations.
- Identifying and addressing triggers or areas of discomfort.
- Co-creating agreements that feel fair, respectful, and empowering.
- Gaining tools to balance multiple relationships with emotional care.
2. Intensives
Designed for more profound, accelerated work, our intensives are immersive experiences that provide transformative insight and progress. Over one to three days, we create a safe, focused space to:
- Unpack complex dynamics and recurring challenges.
- Rebuild trust and intimacy after relational breaches.
- Develop actionable steps for moving forward with clarity and confidence.
- Engage in collaborative exercises to foster mutual understanding and connection.
Intensives are especially beneficial for couples or polycules who feel stuck, want to strengthen their foundation, or are facing significant transitions.
What Makes CRIWB Different?
A Lifespan Perspective:
Experience with Diverse Relationship Structures:
Inclusive Expertise:
Holistic and Somatic Approaches:
Who Benefits from CRIWB’s ENM Work?
Our services are ideal for:
- Couples exploring or transitioning into ENM for the first time, seeking tools to communicate and set boundaries effectively.
- Individuals wanting to better understand their desires, boundaries, and values within ENM.
- Polycules or more extensive relational networks navigating challenges such as hierarchy, jealousy, or communication breakdowns.
- Those healing from breaches of trust or misaligned expectations within ENM.
- Anyone wanting to reclaim pleasure, joy, and intimacy in ways that honor their authentic selves.
Who This Is Not For
While we welcome all inquiries, our ENM services may not be suitable for:
- Those seeking to use ENM to avoid addressing existing relational issues.
- Individuals or couples where there is a lack of consent or willingness to engage in ethical practices.
- Partners using ENM as a way to control, coerce, or pressure others into a dynamic they are not comfortable with.
Begin Your Journey with CRIWB
At the Center for Relationship & Intimacy Well-Being, we believe that relationships—whether monogamous, non-monogamous, or entirely unique—thrive when rooted in trust, care, and communication.
Our goal is to support you in building relationships that bring joy, alignment, and connection to your life.
Ready to explore Ethical Non-Monogamy with guidance and compassion?
Schedule your consultation today, and let’s embark on this journey together.