Open relationships
Polyamory
Ethical Non-Monogamy
Working with clients in open relationships and polyamorous clients is my specialty and my passion. I’ve been in ethically non-monogamous communities for decades, have worked with many such clients, and speak from personal experience when I say that I understand the complex themes that can arise in ethical non-monogamy.
I care deeply about helping my clients find a relationship structure that feels right for them, whether that is polyamorous, monogamous, or something else altogether. Having open relationships can be challenging in the world we live in, which perpetuates many misconceptions and assumptions about these dynamics. It can feel overwhelming both for people questioning or starting along this path, as well as for people with years of lived experience who are dealing with a society that doesn’t accommodate or understand their relationships. I am well versed in all these challenges, and would be happy to support you on your journey.
In addition to counseling, I enjoy presenting and publishing on this topic. Please reach out if you’d like to talk further, or if you’re interested in having me meet with your group or organization.
I offer:
Individual, couple, and family therapy
Trainings for therapists on working with clients in open relationships
Consultation with other psychotherapists, professionals, and trainees
Meetings with university classes
Resources from Deanna:
Guest expert on Very Bad Therapy Episode 125: So You’ve Stereotyped Your Client. December 2022.
Speaker at Ignite Boulder 27 on Consensual non-monogamy. September 2015.
(Please note that Ignite uses a format where the slides automatically advance every 15 seconds!)Author of Open Relationships: A Culturally and Clinically Sensitive Approach , published in the 2011 American Family Therapy Academy Monograph series, and in the 2014 AFTA Monograph Series Highlights.
General resources:
An excellent, complex map of non-monogamy
Recommended books for further reading:
The Ethical Slut (2004) by Dossie Easton and Catherine A Liszt
Opening Up (2008) by Tristan Taormino
More than Two (2014) by Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert
Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy (2020) by Jessica Fern
Podcast Multiamory
The RADAR approach for relationship check-ins
Colorado-specific resources:
Boulder Polyamory Meetup Group (both in person and virtual options)
Denver Nontraditional Relationships Meetup
“Stereotypes aren’t always a bad thing. That may not be true in therapy, especially when a client is made to feel like they are representing an entire group of people. That’s what we explore with today’s guest Jess, and we’re also joined by Deanna Fierman, LPC, to talk about what therapists should do after their biases about identity lead to clinical errors.”