open relationship examples | case studies in open relationships | successful open relationship

Name: Cheyenne (26) & Clay (28)

OCCUPATION: Blogger & Personal Trainer

HOME TOWN: Living together in Eugene, Oregon, USA

MET: At a March Fourth party in Portland, OR

TOGETHER: 2.5 years “Monogamish”

FORMAL COMMITMENTS (Spiritual, Financial, or Legal): Shared bank accounts and pets (kittens: Tamarind and Musky)

WHY DID CHEYENNE & CLAY WANT COACHING?

IN THEIR WORDS:

Cheyenne: “I’ve always known monogamy is unrealistic. The idea of just being with one person for the rest of my life seems… well, I haven’t seen it work for many people. But I have never met anyone I wanted to be with a long time who I could really work on things like this with. I want to figure out how to have an open relationship the right way.”

Clay: “I’m totally down with the idea of an open relationship, but once we start trying to talk through the day-to-day parts we get lost in logistics. I’m all about figuring this out but we’re a little stuck.”

Cheyenne: “We’ve tried a few things with other people together, and more recently we each met other people at Beloved. Now we don’t know what to do. The first people we sort of one-time things, these new people are more like real relationships.”

Clay: “We’ve both been having trouble with these really intense emotions that come over us. Like one day I’m fine –like really really fine with everything- and then all of a sudden I’m not and it gets pretty bad.”

Cheyenne: “We’ve always been really good communicators. I’ve never had a relationship so strong. It’s like I didn’t know it could be this good. But since Beloved there’s been a lot of tension and misunderstanding.”

Clay: “We know we want to stay together but I don’t know how we’re going to move forward.”

Download their full case study to learn more about how I worked with Cheyenne and Clay, and where their non-monogamy path took them.

nonmonogamy examples | healthy nonmonogamy examples | healthy polyamory examples

Hi! I'm glad you're reading. Let me know if I can help you:

reconnect with passion & desire in long-term partnerships
rebuild trust after infidelity or dishonesty
move beyond jealousy, fear, and insecurity
manage intense emotions that arise in conflicts
resolve sexual dysfunction & disconnect
change communication & codependent patterns
open your relationship & practice polyamory with integrity

I lead couples retreats, host workshops, and see private clients online (and in Portland, OR).

Call me for a free consultation to rethink the way you do relationships.

Gina Senarighi, MS, MA, CPC is a communication consultant, sexuality counselor and certified relationship coach specializing in polyamory, open relationships, jealousy, and infidelity.