As mental health professionals, we are taught to approach our clients with cultural humility, curiosity, and a commitment to ongoing learning. But what happens when a core aspect of a client’s life—like their relationship structure—is something we were never trained to understand?

Ethical non-monogamy (ENM) is increasingly common, and yet, many therapists are underprepared to support ENM clients in affirming, clinically competent ways. According to this Frontiers in Psychology study, roughly 20% of Americans have participated in some form of consensual non-monogamy. This includes practices like polyamory, open relationships, swinging, relationship anarchy, and solo polyamory.

If these terms feel unfamiliar—or only theoretically relevant—you may be missing an important opportunity to support clients whose identities, relationships, and challenges are deeply shaped by these frameworks.

To bridge this gap, I’ve created Understanding Ethical Non-Monogamy: A Guide for Mental Health Practitioners, a comprehensive, fully asynchronous course designed to help therapists support clients in ethically non-monogamous relationships with insight, confidence, and cultural competence.

It is approved for CEUs through both ASWB and ACE, and it is open to any therapist or helping professional—whether or not you need continuing education credits.

Use code get20enm for 20% off (available for the first 20 people). Learn more and register here: https://coursesempower.annrusso.org/

Why this course—and this topic—matters:

1. ENM clients are already in your practice. Clients often wait to disclose relationship details until they feel safe. Many therapists unintentionally communicate discomfort or judgment around non-monogamy, which can lead to ruptures in the therapeutic alliance. Research from The Journal of Sex Research shows that ENM individuals often experience higher levels of stigma—even in clinical settings.

2. Most therapy models are rooted in mononormativity. Traditional couples therapy approaches like EFT or The Gottman Method assume dyadic, hierarchical, and often heteronormative relationships. Without adaptation, these frameworks can fall short—or even cause harm—when applied to polyamorous or non-hierarchical relationships.

3. ENM clients face specific challenges—beyond what most therapists are trained to address. Navigating time management, emotional processing, rupture and repair across constellations, parenting in polycules, and legal/financial complexities requires a nuanced understanding of how ENM relationships function. A great resource to explore this is More Than Two and The Open List, a directory of ENM-affirming providers.

4. This is a cultural competency issue. ENM intersects with other identities—LGBTQ+, BIPOC, neurodivergent, disabled—and therapists committed to social justice need to understand how systemic oppression and marginalization affect these clients. For a deeper dive into the theory behind that, Kimberlé Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality is essential reading.

Inside the course, you’ll learn how to:

• Deconstruct assumptions about love, commitment, and fidelity
• Identify and disrupt mononormative bias in clinical practice
• Work with ENM-specific attachment dynamics
• Navigate confidentiality, disclosure, and documentation in multi-partnered systems
• Create inclusive intake forms, assessments, and treatment plans
• Support clients through common ENM challenges like jealousy, boundaries, and consent renegotiation
• Apply trauma-informed, relationally attuned models to your work with ENM clients
• Understand the neurological and psychological foundations of relationship flexibility

This course includes case studies, vignettes, practical strategies, and tools for immediate clinical application. You’ll walk away with a stronger ethical foundation and the confidence to meet your clients where they are.

Learn more and sign up here: https://coursesempower.annrusso.org/ Use promo code get20enm for 20% off (limited to the first 20 enrollments)

Who should take this course?

• Therapists in private practice or agency settings
• LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCs, PhDs, PsyDs, and pre-licensed clinicians
• Supervisors mentoring early-career therapists
• LGBTQIA+ affirming professionals
• Social workers and clinical coaches
• Anyone seeking to reduce harm and increase affirmation in their practice

Final Thoughts:

Therapists don’t need to personally practice ENM to affirm it professionally. But we do need to get trained. Our clients deserve care that respects the fullness of who they are—including how they love, who they partner with, and what relational values they hold.

If you’re ready to expand your practice, earn CEUs, or simply offer better care to your clients, this course is for you.

Register here: https://coursesempower.annrusso.org/ 20% off with code: get20enm

Please share with colleagues, peers, and networks. Together, we can create safer, more inclusive therapeutic spaces.