Welcome! Respark is a confidential, all-inclusive, group psychotherapy practice serving clients online and from offices in Denver, Colorado and Austin, Texas. Respark Therapists have specialized training in Open Relationships and Polyamorous Relationships.
We are a team of highly-specialized therapists with a combined 40+ years experience serving our clients’ individual and relationship needs. We provide the most up to date and effective therapy because our clinicians are highly trained in relationship issues as well as sexuality issues. At Respark Therapy, we commit to a judgment-free, compassionate and authentic relationship with you through every twist and turn of your journey.
Open relationships or ethical non-monogamy can be a huge source of love, joy and excitement and sometimes it can also result in painful experienced which can contribute to the most difficult time of your life. We are here to help you every step of the way.
For some people an open relationship is simply not for them, for others it’s a huge relief to find a relationship structure that fits their love language and relationship style. Many of our therapists and coaches at Respark have obtained advanced training from the world’s experts in open and poly relationships. We specialize in therapy for open relationships and can help no matter where you are in the journey.
Common issues that bring clients that are in open relationships to therapy may be:
- Navigating Boundaries in open relationships
- Communication Issues in open relationships
- Throuples, V’s, W’s and moresomes
- One partner wants to open the relationship and the other partner does not
- Jealousy or Anger in open relationships
- Deciding whether or not to open up a marriage
- Understanding options and choices in open or poly relationships
- Broken Agreements in open relationships
- Negotiating contracts in open relationships
- Infidelity in open relationships
- Grief and Loss in open relationships
- NRE or New Relationship Energy
- Stigma from families or society
What is an Open Relationship?
The term open relationship is generally an umbrella term that encompasses all types of open relationship structures. These can include, open, poly, solo poly, swinging, kink and more. There are millions of combinations and styles that can occur under this umbrella and our clients often get creative in how they define their own unique relationship.
An open relationship is typically known as a non-exclusive relationship. This doesn’t necessarily mean that each partner has many significant others, but it could. Sometimes the definition between open relationships and polyamorous relationships overlap, but they can also differ depending on the relationship agreements.
Reasons why people want an open relationship:
People engage in open relationships for a variety of reasons. Sometimes one partner wants one thing that another partner is not wanting to explore. The open relationship might allow a partner freedom to explore with minimal stress or concern. If one person is kinky or has a fetish and the other has not interest in exploring, they might decide an open relationship is an option. People might be interested in this type of relationship structure if they have mismatched sexual desire meaning that one partner desires sex more than the other.
People might also decide to engage in open relationships while in a long-distance relationship. Long-distance partners might make agreements that they can see other people when they are in different areas of the state or world. Alternatively, people might engage in open relationships to generally meet their needs that their primary partner cannot meet for them. All of these situations can be a huge change that is sometimes very painful and/or takes some work to sort out the what's ok and what's not. Therapy for couples are individuals already in an opening relationship or thinking about opening up can be helpful in identifying potential pitfalls and prevent pain down the road.
Just want a therapist that is knowledgeable and affirming?
Many of our clients are in open relationships and just need a therapist that won’t judge or maybe a therapist that just “gets it.” Respark Therapists are more than “poly friendly,” they have some of the most advanced, up to date training specifically in open relationships.
Repark couples and sex therapists are highly trained in open relationships. Many have an additional certification and advanced training on the research and typical concerns.
Respark therapists are experienced in working within clients in open relationships. Many of us have been working with open/poly relationships for over a decade. Additionally, many Respark Therapists have continued education with the world’s experts in the field of Consensual Non-Monogamous (CNM) Relationships through the Sexual Health Alliance’s Advanced Certification Program in order to become CNM Certified.
Respark also provides our therapists with up to date literature and studies on open relationships and provides supervision with our founder and director Heather Mcpherson who has over a decade of experience working with open relationship style couples. Most of our open relationship therapists and poly therapists in Austin, Denver and Dallas have completed some of the most advanced training in consensual non-monogamy from the leading researchers, educators and clinicians in the world.