KPACT Kink & Polyam Aware Chicago Therapists
Awareness, Professionalism, Advocacy, Compassion, Training.
by Elisabeth A. Sheff Ph.D., CASA, CSE This is the third in a series of blogs on children in polyamorous families. The first looked at the age dependent experiences of children in polyamorous families and why they appear to be doing so well, and the second detailed the advantages and disadvantages these children identified in polyam family life. Third in […]
by Elisabeth A. Sheff Ph.D., CASA, CSE In the first part of this series on children in polyamorous families, I explained how these kids have age-dependent experiences and why they appear to be doing so well in general. This second blog in the series details the advantages and disadvantages that children report in my study of […]
by Rami Henrich, LCSW and Cindy Trawinski, PsyD This is the third in a series of articles about the intersections of polyamorous identities and psychotherapy, adapted from Rami Henrich and Cindy Trawinski’s article in Sexual and Relationship Therapy, “Social and therapeutic challenges facing polyamorous clients,” as well as supplemental materials that didn’t make it into […]
by Nash Jones, Q Center This article was originally published in 2014 through the Q Center in Portland, OR. We are delighted to share it with you. Being misgendered can create an uncomfortable, embarrassing and even unsafe situation for many trans* individuals. There’s no doubt that when working toward creating or contributing to safer, more accessible […]
by Elisabeth “Eli” A. Sheff Ph.D., CASA, CSE Eli Sheff is considered a leading expert on polyamorous families with children. She has written three books on the subject including The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families, Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families and When Someone You Love is Polyamorous: Understanding Poly People and Relationships. Eli […]
by Rami Henrich, LCSW This is the first in a series of articles about the intersections of polyamorous identities and psychotherapy, adapted from my article in Sexual and Relationship Therapy, “Social and therapeutic challenges facing polyamorous clients” (Henrich & Trawinski 2016). In this installment, I explore the ways in Process Work influenced my understanding of polyamory […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. Prejudice, stereotyping, bias—however we understand these tendencies and attitudes, we can learn to identify, confront, wrestle with, accept, and change them within ourselves. Sometimes, however, doing so is possible only with great difficulty. Discrimination takes many forms, including harassment, bullying, hate speech, and scapegoating. Such behaviors put others at risk, cause […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. My world and life, like many people’s, is a mix of privilege and struggle. As a cisgender woman, I have some privileges that trans women and men do not. For example, I can assume that others will use my preferred pronouns (she, her, and hers) when referencing me. As a person […]
by Rami Henrich, LCSW The following is an excerpt from a recently published article by Rami Henrich, that can be found in Elizabeth Sheff’s book, Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families. The first of its kind, this anthology collects stories and essays written by and about real people living in “polycules”: the […]
We are pleased to announce that our friend and associate, sociologist and researcher, Dr. Elisabeth Sheff has just published a new polyamory book, Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families. The first of its kind, this anthology collects stories and essays written by and about real people living in “polycules”: the networks between people in […]
by Kate Koester, LCPC Recently, as a way to express his gratitude for deep and vulnerable sharing in a group, a friend of mine spoke these words, in the Lakota language — “Mitakuye Oyasin,” — meaning “we are all related,” or similarly understood as “we are one.” The effect it had on me was visceral […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. “Otherness, taken seriously, always invites transformation, calling us not only to new facts and theories and values but also to new ways of living our lives – and that is the most daunting threat of all.” Today, I came across this quote about the quintessential dilemma that difference and diversity pose, […]
