Consensual Non-Monogamy in Therapy: Best Practices for Therapists
Therapists and Wellness Professionals:
This 11-hour course is taught by Martha Kauppi, a marriage and family therapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor.
CNM relationships ARE becoming more visible - therapists need to be ready to provide knowledgeable and inclusive care
Consensual non-monogamous (CNM) clients need therapists who understand their unique relational challenges. Unfortunately, most therapy training does not include information on CNM relationships.
Lacking knowledge about CNM can unintentionally harm your clients and hinder their therapeutic progress.
Here’s how you may do your clients a disservice if you don’t understand these relationships:
Fail to recognize that clients may hide their relationship structures out of fear of judgment
Be unaware of personal misconceptions and biases about CNM relationships
Assume CNM is inherently dysfunctional and the reason for relationship problems
Misinterpret jealousy or boundary concerns through a monogamous lens
Struggle to help clients create ethical agreements and build trust in multi-partner dynamics
Ignore or minimize the impact that stigma, marginalization, and family rejection have on people in CNM relationships
Turn away CNM clients due to a lack of confidence in treating them effectively
Even well-intentioned therapists trained in relationship therapy can negatively impact clients when they approach CNM relationships without an informed, affirming framework.
This training will equip you with the knowledge to effectively support CNM clients or those considering this type of relationship.
“This training is invaluable!"
“Martha normalizes CNM issues, challenges mono-normative biases, and helps therapists approach relationship structures more flexibly.
I have grown a lot. I’m much more intentional about helping clients define their goals from the start, not just focusing on challenges but also on where they want to go.
Martha’s approach is clear, structured, and deeply practical. She doesn’t just teach theory, she makes it immediately applicable. Her training has sharpened my clinical skills and increased my confidence in working with CNM clients.
This training is invaluable. Even if you have experience working with CNM, there is always more to learn. Martha’s ability to distill complex dynamics into actionable strategies and diversity of perspectives makes her training truly exceptional. I highly recommend it!”
Nanaho Sawano
Psychotherapist, New Jersey, New York
Here’s What You’ll Gain By Taking This Course:
- Provide Ethical, Affirming Care: Offer therapy that respects and validates CNM relationships and avoids bias, misinterpretation, or pathologization.
- Expand Clinical Competence: Gain the knowledge and skills to confidently help CNM clients, ensuring they feel understood and affirmed.
- Build Client Trust and Commitment: Foster a supportive, validating environment where clients feel seen and valued, increasing engagement and long-term therapy success.
Apply Core Therapeutic Principles to CNM Clients: Integrate differentiation, emotional regulation, and secure attachment into your work to ensure therapy is effective.
Broaden Your Client Base: The demand for affirming CNM therapists is increasing. Position yourself as an inclusive and knowledgeable provider.
Improve Client Outcomes: Help CNM clients navigate challenges, build healthy relationships, and achieve greater emotional well-being.
Meet Martha Kauppi, marriage and family therapist, educator, author, speaker, and AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor
Martha Kauppi has a lifelong career in health and sexuality, and is a senior trainer of the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy.
Her private practice in Madison, Wisconsin, specializes in complex relational therapy, sex issues, and alternative family structures, including consensual non-monogamy.
As the founding director of the Institute for Relational Intimacy, Martha offers unique trainings to help therapists all over the world become comfortable, confident, and competent working with relational intimacy challenges and sex issues. She is the author of Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit for Therapists (and Their Clients).
"My big eye-opener was realizing the biases I didn’t know I had."
As a certified sex therapist in a conservative community, I felt like I was navigating this field alone. I wanted to learn more about CNM, leading me to Martha’s training.
I thought I understood relationship dynamics well. However, I hadn’t considered the reality of manipulation, coercive consent, and the unique ways power dynamics can play out in CNM relationships.
Martha pushed me to see these in a new light. That realization changed how I listen, assess, and support my CNM clients.
Martha’s teaching style makes her training so powerful. She is grounded, deeply knowledgeable, and incredibly direct in the best way possible. She doesn’t just present theories, she teaches from real, hands-on clinical experience.
I now have a deeper understanding of differentiation, how to guide clients through difficult conversations, and how to ensure I’m helping clients navigate their relationships.
If you’re a therapist considering Martha’s course, don’t hesitate. Her training is completely worth it.
Amy McDonald (She/Her)
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
Midland, Michigan
The course details are below, but if you're ready to sign-up, here you Go...
"Martha flips the script, guiding us through our biases to better support clients."
Martha’s understanding of complex relationship dynamics, power differentials, and how to meet clients exactly where they are is unparalleled. Her approach helped me refine my ability to stay balanced while working with partners who may have different levels of power or influence in their relationships.
Before taking the course, I hadn’t fully grasped how much societal judgment and taboos still surround topics like CNM, infidelity, and kink, even among therapists. She teaches in a way that makes these conversations feel accessible and natural rather than something to tiptoe around.
Martha is truly a leader in this field. Her ability to normalize taboo topics, challenge biases, and expand therapists’ perspectives is outstanding. She teaches in a way that is both accessible and profoundly impactful.
If you’re considering Martha’s course, don’t hesitate. It’s worth every penny.
MAya SCHULTZ
Martha Schultz, Relationship and Family Coach, Boulder, Colorado
Topics in the 4 Pre-recorded MOdules
Module 1: Polyamory and Consensual Non-Monogamy: The Basics and Beyond (90 minutes)
Module 1: Polyamory and Consensual Non-Monogamy: The Basics (90 minutes)
Here is what you’ll learn in Module 1:
- Core Concepts & Terminology: Gain a clear understanding of key CNM terms (there are many).
- Research Insights: Explore evidence on CNM prevalence, relationship satisfaction, mental health outcomes, and common challenges in CNM relationships.
- Social Construction & CNM Theory: Understand how societal norms shape perceptions of monogamy and non-monogamy, and examine key theoretical frameworks.
- Marginalization & Overlapping Groups: Recognize the stigma CNM individuals face and its overlap with other marginalized groups to better support clients.
Module 2: CNM in the Therapy Room: Case Conceptualization (90 minutes)
Here is what you’ll learn in Module 2:
Facilitate Ethical Consent: Assess and promote clear and informed consent in CNM relationships.
Build Secure Bonds: Help clients cultivate trust and emotional safety within non-monogamous dynamics.
Encouraging Differentiation: Support clients in maintaining individuality while staying emotionally connected.
Redefine Fidelity: Guide clients in honoring agreements and boundaries rather than exclusivity.
Ensure Mutual Benefit: Assist clients in structuring CNM relationships to meet all partners’ emotional needs.
Managing Emotions: Equip clients with strategies to navigate jealousy, self-comparison, and compersion.
Module 2: CNM in the Therapy Room: Case Conceptualization (90 minutes)
Module 3: Agreement Making and Keeping: Building Security and Reliability(90 minutes)
Module 3: Agreement Making and Keeping: Building Security and Reliability (90 minutes)
Here is what you’ll learn in Module 3:
Craft Authentic Agreements: Help clients create agreements based on genuine preferences rather than fear or control.
Encourage Open Communication: Equip clients to engage in honest discussions that build trust and security.
Support Repair & Accountability: Guide clients through renegotiation and trust repair when agreements are broken.
Strengthen Trust Through Autonomy: Foster security by promoting honesty, consistency, and differentiation.
Module 4: Differences of Opinion about Opening Up: Working with an Impasse (90 minutes)
Here is what you’ll learn in Module 4:
- Clarify Aspirations: Help partners align individual and relational goals.
- Ensure Ethical Consent: Support clients in maintaining voluntary and pressure-free consent.
- Facilitate Differentiated Dialogue: Guide partners in expressing their needs without defensiveness.
- Use Experiential Techniques for Breakthroughs: Help clients explore emotions and shift perspectives.
Module 4: Differences of Opinion about Opening Up: Working with an Impasse (90 minutes)
DATE AND TIME OF THE LIVE WEBINAR
**You’ll get the most value out of the course by attending the live webinar. You’ll be able to ask questions during the webinar.
However, if you can’t attend the live webinar, you can submit questions beforehand, as the webinar will be recorded.
The video and audio recordings of the live webinar will be available within 48 hours of the webinar’s conclusion.
DATE AND TIME OF THE LIVE WEBINAR
Live Webinar DATE and Time
NORTH AMERICA
June 11, 2026
3:00 – 4:00 pm PT
6:00 – 7:00 pm ET
UNIted Kingdom
June 11, 2026
11pm – Midnight
AUSTRALIA
June 12, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 am Sydney, Australia
You Also Get 7 Bonuses With This Course
Bonus 1 [Video Interview]
Bonus 1 [Video Interview]
Dr. Reece Malone addresses common misconceptions and biases therapists may have about clients in CNM relationships, as well as the types of support LGBTQIA+ individuals seek when navigating CNM dynamics. He also addresses how to help LGBTQIA+ clients establish healthy relational agreements, manage jealousy and attachment concerns, and address power imbalances and breaches of trust.
Bonus 2 [Video Interview]
Bonus 2 [Video Interview]
Dr. Elisabeth Sheff, the foremost international expert on children in polyamorous families, explores the diverse family structures and parenting styles found in CNM communities.
She highlights the strengths and challenges of parents and children in CNM families, sharing insights into how CNM relationships can foster children’s communication skills, resilience, and emotional security.
Bonus 3 [Video Interview]
Bonus 3 [Video Interview]
Power, Boundaries, and Consent: Best Practices for CNM and Kink-Affirming Therapy with Stefani Goerlich [Video, Audio & Transcript]
Stephanie Goerlich explores the intersection of consensual non-monogamy (CNM) and kink, highlighting key challenges and misconceptions therapists may have when working with these clients. Topics include consent, power dynamics, attachment, trauma, and ethical considerations.
The discussion provides practical guidance on supporting CNM and kink clients while avoiding bias and stigma. Therapists will gain insights into best practices, cultural competency, and valuable resources for deepening their knowledge.
Bonus 4 [Video Interview]
Bonus 4 [Video Interview]
Safer Sex in CNM Relationships with Lilithfoxx [Video, Audio & Transcript]
In this interview, Lilithfoxx explores the unique considerations of safer sex and STI prevention in consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships. She discusses common STIs, effective prevention methods, common myths, testing best practices, and how therapists can support clients in navigating safer sex conversations. Finally, she addresses the role of therapists in reducing stigma and promoting healthier, more informed approaches to sexual health in CNM communities.
Bonus 5: 5 CNM HelpFul Handouts [PDF Document]
Bonus 5: 5 Helpful CNM Handouts: Tools To Use In Therapy [PDF Document]
Martha’s handouts include:
Handout 1: Personal Change Worksheet: A tool designed to help clients clarify their personal growth goals, identify obstacles, and create a plan for sustained change within relationships.
Handout 2: Discussion Topics for CNM Relationships:
A guide for discussions of CNM relationships. It covers fidelity, emotional security, connection, eroticism, safety, decision-making, visibility, time management, and negotiation.
Handout 3: How I Plan to Handle New Relationship Energy (NRE)
A worksheet to help clients navigate the emotional intensity of new relationship energy (NRE).
Handout 4: Polyamory Relationship Skills: Finding Strengths and Growth Areas: An assessment tool for clients in polyamorous relationships. It focuses on key relational skills such as consent, differentiation, emotional regulation, and maintaining agreements.
Handout 5: Relationship Exploration: Past Experiences and Future Possibilities: An exercise to encourage clients to explore their early relationship models, experiences with fidelity, and thoughts on relationship agreements. It also includes prompts for considering different relationship structures.
Bonus 6: CNM Annotated
Resource List [PDF Document]
Bonus 6: CNM Annotated Resource List [PDF Document]
This annotated resource list provides recommendations on polyamory, consensual non-monogamy, and related clinical topics. It highlights key books which focus on therapeutic approaches, attachment, and emotional regulation in polyamorous relationships.
Additional resources cover aging in polyamory, managing jealousy, racial dynamics in non-monogamous relationships, and practical guides for exploring open relationships.
Bonus 7: Summaries and Key TakeAways [PDF Document]
Su
Bonus 7: Summaries and Key TakeAways [PDF Document]
This course is jam-packed with in-depth information. These documents summarize the essential concepts from each of the 4 modules and bonus interviews, so you don’t have to rewatch hours of videos when you want to review the content.
The most comprehensive and affirming training on CNM I've found.
Martha’s depth of knowledge is remarkable. I can gush about her for hours. She’s fantastic.”
She equips therapists with real, usable strategies that address the emotional complexity of working with consensual non-monogamy.
One crucial takeaway that will help me with clients was Martha’s statement that agreeing doesn’t build trust; authenticity does. That reframed how I will support couples who avoid conflict or rush to reassure each other instead of honoring their own needs and desires.
The course also helped me shift away from focusing solely on co-regulation. I now pay more attention to differentiation and self-soothing, and I feel more empowered to guide clients through these emotionally charged dynamics. I now have a clearer sense of how to hold space for difference, help clients build the capacity and skills to move toward more meaningful, values-driven agreements.
I would recommend this course to any therapist, regardless of whether they work with CNM clients. The material on boundaries, consent, emotional regulation, and differentiation applies to all types of relational work.
Serena Perry, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, Seattle, Washington
Not Sure This Course is for You?
Perhaps you’re on the fence about taking this course because you’re thinking:
- “I don’t work with CNM clients, so this isn’t relevant to my practice.”
Even if you don’t currently see CNM clients, non-monogamy is becoming more visible, and you may already have clients who are considering it or practicing it without disclosing it to you.
Understanding CNM dynamics will make you a more informed, inclusive, and competent therapist, ensuring your clients feel seen, supported and get the help they need.
You’ll also broaden your client base as clients in CNM clients increasingly seek therapy.
2. “I already have a solid foundation in relationship therapy—why do I need a course on CNM?”
Traditional relationship therapy is often based on monogamous norms, which can lead to unintentional bias when working with CNM clients.
This course provides research-backed strategies tailored to non-monogamous relationships, equipping you to handle unique challenges such as multiple attachment bonds, complex boundaries and agreements, and ethical consent.
3. “I don’t agree with or understand CNM, so I’m not sure I want to invest in Learning about it.”
As therapists, we commit to ethical, nonjudgmental care. CNM clients often struggle with stigma, even within therapy settings. As a therapist, you don’t add to this problem.
By educating yourself, you can open your mind to become more flexible and ensuring you provide affirming, evidence-based support, just as you would for any other diverse client.
4. “CNM relationships seem too complex. I don’t feel confident working with people in them.”
Yes, CNM relationships are more complex. This course breaks down key concepts, provides practical strategies, and offers case examples to increase your skills and confidence with CNM clients.
By strengthening your ability to navigate differentiation, consent, emotional regulation, and secure attachment, you’ll enhance your overall clinical skills, making you a more adaptable and effective therapist with all your clients.
5. “I’m already overwhelmed with other courses and responsibilities. I don’t have time for this.”
This course is designed to be practical and directly applicable. It will save you time in the long run by reducing uncertainty and helping you work more effectively with CNM clients.
You have 6 months of access to the materials in our learning center…AND you can download them and keep them forever. This means you can complete the course when you have time available.
Instead of spending hours researching on your own when a CNM case arises, you’ll have the knowledge and tools at your fingertips to provide competent care.
Perhaps you’re on the fence about taking this course because you’re thinking:
The bottom line is…
As a therapist, you don’t need to personally practice CNM to provide competent, ethical care, but you do need the right knowledge and tools.
You never know when a CNM client may show up in your office; when they do, you’ll want to provide the best possible care.
This course will equip you to challenge your unconscious biases, help you work confidently with CNM clients, and stay ahead of the evolving landscape of modern relationships, all while strengthening your overall expertise in relational therapy.
Ready to join us?
The course has 11 hours of high-value content that you can download and keep forever.
Want to give it a trial?
If you don’t see value in the course after attending the webinar, you can request a refund within 7 days.
Summary of What You Get in ThiS CoursE
- 4 90-minute pre-recorded modules on working with clients in CNM relationships
- 1 60-minute live webinar with Martha
- Downloadable videos, audios, and transcripts of the recorded modules
- Worksheets for each module to help integrate your learning
- 4 pre-recorded bonus interviews on CNM relationship topics (with videos, audios, & transcripts)
- 5 helpful handouts to use with clients
- An Annotated Resource List on CNM
- The ability to download all materials and keep them forever (Yay!)
- Certificate of completion for 11 hours of instruction
- USA: NBCC CE credit available for 10.5 Clock Hours
- CANADA: Submit the certificate to CCPA for CECs and CRPO for PD credits
- AUSTRALIA: PD points available for PACFA and ACA
- AASECT – This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 6 CE credits. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification.
Money-back guarantee – if you decide the course isn’t for you after attending the first webinar, you can request a refund within 7 days of registering.
As you can see, THis Course offers a lot of value...
This Led to Critical Shifts in My Approach with CNM Clients.
I had already worked with CNM clients, but I sensed the need for more structured guidance, especially as more CNM clients began to appear in my practice. This course certainly fulfilled that need.
Martha’s grounded, confident presence, along with her use of real-world examples, immediately drew me in. She brought a lightness and clarity to the material that made it feel accessible and deeply relevant.
I was impressed by the depth of the course. It’s not something you absorb in one pass. It’s a resource I know I’ll keep returning to, especially when I encounter complex client situations.
Martha showed me how to be more intentional about helping clients clarify their motivations, set agreements they can uphold, and engage in CNM as a thoughtful and evolving process.
The handouts offer practical, ready-to-use tools that can be integrated into sessions immediately, making the theory actionable rather than just theoretical.
For any therapist working with CNM clients or those just beginning to explore this work, this course offers a solid foundation, advanced concepts, and clinical tools that can be used immediately.
It is a great course!
Laurel Swenson
Registered Clinical Counsellor,
Vancouver BC
Frequently Asked Questions
This course is geared toward individual or couples psychotherapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and any other helping professional who wants to learn about working with clients in CNM relationships. Whether you have experience working with CNM clients or not, you’re bound to find this live webinar series helpful.
DATE AND TIME OF THE LIVE WEBINAR
The live webinar will be held at the following date and time:
North America: June 11, 2026 from 3:00-4:00 pm Pacific /6:00-7:00 pm Eastern
UK: June 11, 2026 from 11 pm-12:00 am
Australia (Sydney): June 12, 2026 from from 8:00-9:00am
New Zealand (Auckland): June 12, 2026 from from 10:00-11:00am
Yes! The course is designed for therapists at all experience levels with CNM clients. Martha will help you build competency from the ground up, providing both foundational knowledge and advanced clinical strategies.
Yes. Martha draws from current research on CNM relationships, attachment differentiation theory, and clinical best practices. The course includes the latest data on relationship outcomes and therapeutic approaches.
Yes! One of our key focuses is helping therapists support clients through the process of exploring and transitioning to CNM, including working with couples where one partner is interested and the other is unsure.
Yes! The course includes numerous case studies, practical demonstrations, and role-play exercises to help you apply the concepts in real clinical situations.
The strategies taught in this course can be integrated with other therapy approaches. Martha will show you how to adapt your existing clinical skills while adding CNM-specific interventions.
1 PAYMENT OPTION: $297 (Reduced from $447)
$297 CAD for Canadian residents (No GST)
$297 AUD for Australian and New Zealand residents (Australians add GST)
$297 USD for Americans and all other residents.
2 PAYMENT OPTION:
2 monthly payments of $165 (Reduced from 2x $227)
2 payments of $165 CAD spaced 30 days apart (for Canadian residents – No GST)
2 payments of $165 AUD spaced 30 days apart (Australian residents add GST)
2 payments of $165 USD for USA and all other residents
If you don’t see value in the course after attending the first webinar, you can request a refund within 7 days of registering.
You can download your certificate for 11 hours of course content once you pass the short course quiz.
USA
NBCC – The Mind Body Training Institute has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 8016. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Mind Body Training Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This program is approved for 10.5 clock hours.
AASECT – This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 6 CE credits. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification.
Canada
CEC’s – CCPA (Canadian Counselling Association). CCPA will give CECs if you submit your certificate to them.
PD credits – CRPO (The College of Registered Psychotherapists) will give you credits when you submit your certificate to them.
If you belong to another professional association in Canada, you’ll have to check with them to see if they will give you credit for the course with your certificate.
Australia
OPDs – ACA (Australian Counselling Association)
10 OPD (Ongoing Professional Development) points
CPDs – PACFA (Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia)
11.5 hours of category A CPD
You will have access to the materials in the learning center for 180 days (6 months) from the date you signed up for the course.
However, you can download all materials and save them forever.
My confidence has increased, which has improved my client outcomes.
As a clinical psychologist specializing in consensual non-monogamy (CNM), Martha’s training program was a game-changer for me. Before taking her course, I often felt alone as I navigated this space. Finding a course led by a seasoned clinical expert in CNM was a no-brainer.
The course validated the work I was already doing and filled critical gaps in my knowledge, particularly around some interventions and terminology. It significantly enhanced how I support my clients.
What sets Martha apart is her teaching style. She has a grounding, calm, and confident presence and an incredible ability to distill complex topics in a way anyone can understand. Her knowledge is vast, and her course is structured to keep you engaged. Martha’s work is light years ahead of anything else I’ve seen on this topic.
If you’re a therapist who wants to learn about working with non-monogamous clients, Martha’s teachings are absolutely worth it. Just do it!
Dr. Rachael Meir,
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Certified Clinical Sexuality Coach,
St. Petersburg, Florida
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"WOW, did Martha’s teachings force me to confront my prejudices!"
Before taking Martha’s CNM program, I had worked with couples, including some who were swingers, but I felt like I was figuring things out on my own.
Privilege is blind. I live a comfortable life, and there are things I just hadn’t seen because they didn’t affect me. Martha created a space where I could examine my assumptions without judgment.
One of the most powerful lessons I learned was about recognizing who the “hinge” is in a CNM relationship, the person who connects multiple partners. That realization shifted how I approach therapy with CNM clients, giving me a structure and a way to navigate conversations that once felt overwhelming.
Martha’s background in differentiation work shines through in everything she teaches. She’s also goal-oriented, clear, and doesn’t let you lose focus.
If you’re a therapist considering this course, you must realize that CNM relationships are happening.
Martha’s teaching didn’t just make me a better therapist, it changed me personally. I now see the importance of being informed, not just for my clients, but for the kind of therapist (and human) I want to be. I can’t recommend her training enough.
Tari Tron
Psychotherapist, Mexico City, Mexico
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If you don’t see value in the course after attending the first webinar, you can request a refund within 7 days of registering.
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