Couples Therapy for Open Relationships, Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM), Polyamory & Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM)
I provide couples therapy for people exploring open relationships, ethical non-monogamy (ENM), consensual non-monogamy (CNM), and polyamory. Whether you're considering opening your relationship, navigating an existing non-monogamous relationship, or finding that your current agreements no longer feel sustainable, therapy offers a space to understand the emotional and relational dynamics involved.
Choosing to move beyond monogamy can be an exciting opportunity for growth, honesty and deeper self-understanding. It can also raise complex emotional questions that tend to be avoided and not talked about openly. Whilst there are many labels used to describe non-monogamous relationships, there is no single "right" way to structure your partnership. Every couple has the freedom to define what commitment, intimacy, autonomy and connection mean for them.
Some couples come to therapy because they are curious about opening their relationship but want to think carefully before making such a significant change. Others arrive after opening their relationship and finding themselves struggling with unexpected emotions or recurring conflict. Therapy provides a space to explore these conversations with openness and curiosity, helping you make intentional decisions rather than reacting to difficulties once they have become entrenched.
Drawing on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), I help couples understand the emotional patterns beneath conflict. Rather than focusing only on relationship rules or agreements, we explore the attachment needs, vulnerabilities and fears that shape how you respond to one another. Together, we can understand what your relationship means to you, rather than what society, social media or other people believe it should look like.
Navigating Jealousy, Boundaries & the Emotional Realities of Ethical Non-Monogamy
Opening a relationship doesn’t create problems that were not already present. More often, it brings existing relationship dynamics into sharper focus. Conversations around trust, boundaries, communication, intimacy, sex and emotional connection can become more visible, alongside fears of jealousy, rejection, abandonment, comparison or drifting apart.
These emotional responses don't mean that ethical non-monogamy never works or that your relationship is fundamentally incompatible. They are often understandable expressions of attachment needs, previous relationship experiences, and the ways each partner has learned to seek closeness, reassurance or independence. Through Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), we work to understand these emotional experiences with compassion rather than judgement, helping both of you move away from blame and towards greater emotional safety and connection.
Many couples also find themselves negotiating pressures beyond the relationship itself. Open relationships, polyamory and ethical non-monogamy continue to be misunderstood, leaving couples feeling judged by family members, friends or wider society. Therapy provides a confidential, non-judgemental space where your relationship does not have to be explained or defended. Instead, we focus on understanding your shared values, strengthening your emotional bond and developing agreements that feel authentic for both of you.
Whether you identify as being in an open relationship, practising ethical non-monogamy, polyamory or relationship anarchy, or simply feel that traditional models of relationships do not reflect your values, my approach is inclusive, affirming and grounded in understanding your unique relationship, rather than fitting you into a particular label.
How Open Relationship Counselling Can Help
Couples seek therapy for many different reasons. You may be:
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considering opening your relationship for the first time
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navigating ethical non-monogamy (ENM), consensual non-monogamy (CNM) or polyamory
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struggling with jealousy or insecurity
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finding it difficult to agree on boundaries
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worried that one partner wants an open relationship more than the other
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rebuilding trust after agreements have been broken
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managing new partners or changing relationship dynamics
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trying to balance autonomy with emotional closeness
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wanting to strengthen communication before making significant changes
Whatever brings you to therapy, my role is not to advocate for or against any particular relationship structure. Instead, I support couples to create a relationship that reflects their shared values, emotional needs and hopes for the future.
Together, we can clarify what "open" means for your relationship, establish boundaries and agreements that feel clear and realistic, strengthen communication, navigate conflict more effectively and develop greater confidence in repairing moments of disconnection. We may also explore fears of abandonment, uncertainty about commitment, differences in desire, and the recurring interactional patterns that leave both partners feeling misunderstood or alone.
Whether you are exploring non-monogamy for the first time or have been practising it for many years, couples therapy offers an opportunity to deepen emotional connection whilst allowing space for individuality, honesty and choice. My aim is to help you build a relationship that feels secure, resilient and authentic, one in which both partners feel seen, respected and emotionally connected, whatever form your relationship takes.
