Raising Children in Polyamorous Families: Clinical and Contextual Issues

About this event

The experience of raising children is both political and personal. It has a way of rousing deep beliefs about safety, achievement, and our own relationship to vulnerability. Polyamorous folks face an array of special legal, social, and relational experiences as they engage with care giving small humans.

This workshop relays current and ongoing research to explore the needs and strengths of this population. Using an Attachment Theory lens, it explores ways of integrating child rearing experiences into the client’s healing, growth and development trajectory.

Participants will gain valuable information, expand attitudes and listening and at the conclusion of the workshop will:

1. Be able to support polyamorous clients in identifying the special needs and strengths that polyamory brings to the experience of child rearing,
2. Deepen skills to support polyamorous clients navigating the intersection of polyamory and larger childcare institutions,
3. Be able to identify how polyamorous identity development is influenced by child care giving roles, and
4. Develop skills for using polyamorous clients’ child raising experiences to enhance their healing and growth