The Changing Face of Committed Relationships

Tammy Nelson

More couples today than ever before are negotiating their monogamy in new and creative ways, including open marriage, polyamory, group marriages, transgender relationships, and a variety of intentional partnerships. As therapists, we need to understand these new developments, the challenges they bring, and the skills required of us to remain open and aware of our own triggers when addressing them. In this workshop, you’ll explore:

• How to help clients develop a code of integrity that will define their monogamy and develop their own unique shared definition of honesty, even if it involves a departure from traditional sexual fidelity
• How to coach clients on negotiating flexible monogamy arrangements as well as how to renegotiate a new one after infidelity
• Why open marriages work for some and fail for others—and how to identify the early problem signs and help couples recover when the arrangement isn’t working

Tammy Nelson, PhD, is a board-certified sexologist, certified Imago therapist, licensed professional counselor, and author of Getting the Sex You Want and The New Monogamy.