Therapists and Wellness Professionals:
The course is taught by Martha Kauppi, a marriage and family therapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor.
This course has 10 hours of content.
Lacking knowledge about CNM can unintentionally harm your clients and hinder their therapeutic progress.
Here’s how this gap in knowledge can be a disservice to CNM clients:
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, establish consent, 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.
“Martha normalizes CNM issues, challenges mono-normative biases, and helps therapists approach relationship structures more flexibly.
Her teachings have enhanced my ability to identify key issues and guide clients toward meaningful change. 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.
One of the most valuable aspects of Martha’s training is she encourages differentiation and goal-setting. I now start sessions by helping clients articulate not just their challenges but also their vision for change and their ideal relationship structure. This shift has made my work more intentional and effective.
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!”
Psychotherapist, New Jersey, New York
Apply Core Therapeutic Principles to CNM Clients – Integrate differentiation, emotional regulation, and secure attachment into your work to provide effective, affirming support.
Broaden Your Client Base – As awareness of CNM grows, so does the demand for affirming therapists. 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.
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-monogamies.
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).
“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.
Coming from a background in domestic violence work, I thought I understood relationship dynamics well. 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.”
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
Midland, Michigan
“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.
One of Martha’s most transformative tools is the Will Lilly Assessment. I always assumed that if clients wanted to discuss sex, they would bring it up themselves. However, once I introduced this tool in my intake process, I realized how many people had been waiting for an invitation. It opened up conversations in a way I hadn’t anticipated and deepened my work with clients significantly.
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.”
Martha Schultz, Relationship and Family Coach, Boulder, Colorado
Here is what you’ll learn in Webinar 1:
Here is what you’ll learn in Webinar 2:
Facilitating Ethical Consent – Assess and promote clear, informed, and enthusiastic consent in CNM relationships.
Building Secure Bonds – Help clients cultivate trust and emotional safety within non-monogamous dynamics.
Encouraging Differentiation – Support clients in maintaining individuality while staying emotionally connected.
Redefining Fidelity – Guide clients in honoring agreements and boundaries rather than exclusivity.
Ensuring 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.
Crafting Authentic Agreements – Help clients create agreements based on genuine preferences rather than fear or control.
Encouraging Open Communication – Equip clients to engage in honest discussions that build trust and security.
Supporting Repair & Accountability – Guide clients through renegotiation and trust repair when agreements are broken.
Strengthening Trust Through Autonomy – Foster security by promoting honesty, consistency, and differentiation.
**You’ll get the most value out of the course by attending these live webinars. You’ll be able to ask questions during the webinars.
However, if you can’t attend the live webinars, you can submit questions beforehand, as the webinars will be recorded.
The video and audio recordings of the live webinars will be available within 48 hours of each webinar’s conclusion.
NORTH AMERICA
May 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2025
3:00-4:30 pm PT
6:00-7:30 pm ET
UNIted Kingdom
May 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2025
11pm- 12:30 am
AUSTRALIA
May 2, 9, 16 & 23, 2025
8:00-9:30 am Sydney, Australia
LGBTQIA+ Clients and CNM Relationships with Dr. Reece Malone [Video, Audio & Transcript]
In this interview, Dr. Reece Malone explores LGBTQIA+ clients in consensual non-monogamous (CNM) relationships and highlights unique considerations for therapists working with these clients.
Dr. Malone addresses common misconceptions and biases therapists may have, 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.
Parenting and Children in CNM Relationships with Dr. Elisabeth Sheff [Video, Audio & Transcript]
In this 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 their strengths and common challenges in CNM relationships and shares insights about how these families foster communication skills, resilience, and emotional security in children.
Power, Boundaries, and Consent: Best Practices for CNM and Kink-Affirming Therapy with Stefani Goerlich [Video, Audio & Transcript]
In this interview, 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.
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.
Martha created 5 handouts that will be very helpful when working with CNM clients. They 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, particularly 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 encouraging clients to explore their early relationship models, experiences with fidelity, and thoughts on relationship agreements. It also includes prompts for considering different relationship structures.
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.
Perhaps you’re on the fence about taking this course because you’re thinking:
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 relationships 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 aggreements, 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. It’s important that 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 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.
These 4 live webinars will equip you to challenge your unconscious biases, work confidently with CNM clients, and stay ahead of the evolving landscape of modern relationships, all while strengthening your overall expertise in relational therapy.
The course has 10 hours of high-value content that you can download and keep forever, including 4-live webinars, 4 interviews with CNM experts, and several resources.
Want to give it a trial?
If you don’t see value in the course after attending the first webinar, you can request a refund before the second webinar (by May 7, 2025).
This live 4-webinar series is geared toward 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 4 LIVE WEBINARS
The 4 live webinars will be held at the following dates and times:
North America: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 2025 from 3:00-4:30 pm Pacific /6:00-7:30 pm Eastern
UK: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 2025 from 11 pm-12:30 am
Australia (Sydney): May 2, 9, 16, 23, 2025 from 8:00-9:30am
New Zealand (Auckland): May 2, 9, 16, 23, 2025 from 10:00-11:30am
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 most therapy approaches. Martha will show you how to adapt your existing clinical skills while adding CNM-specific interventions.
If you don’t see value in the course after attending the first webinar, you can request a refund before the second webinar (by May 7, 2025).
You can download your certificate for 10 hours of course content once you pass the short course quiz.
USA
CEUs – We are not officially approved for most CEU’s. We will give you a certificate of completion for the course. You’ll have to check with your professional association or licensing board to see if they’ll provide you with CEUs.
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 Psychotherapist) will give 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)
10 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.
“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 navigating this space, relying on self-education and personal experience. Finding a course led by a seasoned clinical expert in CNM was a no-brainer.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was the validation that the work I was already doing was aligned with best practices. Beyond that, Martha’s expertise filled critical gaps in my knowledge, particularly around some interventions and terminology. Her chair work, differentiation of self-framework, and the initiator-inquirer process have significantly enhanced how I support my clients.
What truly 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. I’ve taken other classes on CNM, but Martha’s work is light years ahead of anything else I’ve seen.
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!”
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Certified Clinical Sexuality Coach,
St. Petersburg, Florida
“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. These clients may be showing up in your office whether you know it or not. And if you choose not to work with CNM clients, you still need to know how to decline in a kind and non-harmful way.
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.”
Psychotherapist, Mexico City, Mexico
If you don’t see value in the course after attending the first webinar, you can request a refund before the second webinar (by May 7, 2025).
If so, send us an email.
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