Am I Poly (polyam)?
When everyone around you is corralling you toward relationship structures that society at large agrees with, it can be challenging to take the time and explore for yourself. Whether you have been thinking about dating or falling in love with more than one person since you were a teenager, or have decided to explore the possibility after the pandemic hit, it is difficult to know where to begin. Consider the unwritten and unsaid contracts you have made in relationships, what have can those contracts tell you about yourself and your relational orientation? Are you ready to make explicit the pieces of relationships we often assume we are in agreement with partners on and never discuss? Maybe you are feeling as though you and a partner have done a lot of work to open your relationship and have recently hit a bump in the road and need a little support from a knowledgeable polyamory therapist.
In the last handful of years there have been many books written about polyamory and nonmongomy and it seems there have been some shifts in understanding and access to information. That does not mean that you know where to begin in exploring this as an individual or part of relationship(s). Seeing a polyamory therapist can enable you to explore your relationship orientation in an affirming and safer space. Therapy is a great place to ask the questions you may be too ashamed or embarrassed to ask friends or to explore the parts of yourself that you are not quite sure about. In the end the only person who can tell you if you are polyamorous or not is yourself. If you have already done that exploratory work and want to begin opening a relationship that was previously monogomous, or you want to begin dating through an open relationship lens, having a therapist to lean on can be beneficial.
Every relationship is as unique as the people in the relationship and couples and relationship therapy is tailored to support each person on a journey to reach their goals.
Why did you put "polyam" after the question "Am I poly?"
There has been multiple asks by Polynesian folks to not utilize the short version of Polynesian, poly, and instead create and utilize an abbreviated word for polyamory that respects Polynesian culture. Thus, polyam was created. Unfortunately I have not seen drastic enough of a shift in terminology and many people will still search the appropriated condensed version of polyamorous to find information relevant to relationships.
Birch "B" Snogles is a polyamory therapist in Michigan that works with individuals, couples, and relationships of all relationship orientations.
