May 1, 2020

In some poly relationships, individuals believe that they should invest more time in relational building and maintenance and they have difficulty negotiating and navigating appropriate boundaries with forming attachments with partner(s). In these relationships, partner(s) may want time or space in order to take care of themselves differently than they would if their partner is not around. Thus, it seems advantageous for sexuality clinicians and educators to consider concepts of co- dependence/enmeshment and differentiation while working with individuals from poly (consensual nonmonogamy) communities in order to clearly define and describe guidelines for courtship, relational maintenance, and intimacy negotiation.