OPEN RELATIONSHIP CARE

Online LGBTQ+ Therapy for Open Relationships

Open relationships can be loving, stable, and deeply fulfilling. They can also bring up situations that most of us were never taught how to handle, like watching a partner fall for someone new or figuring out what to do when one person feels more comfortable than the other.

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CONTEXT

What is Therapy for Open Relationships?

Therapy for open relationships gives you a place to talk honestly about how non-monogamy is working in your life, with a therapist who won't assume the relationship structure itself is the problem.

Maybe opening the relationship has brought up more jealousy than you expected, or an agreement that once felt clear no longer fits. Therapy can help you work through these feelings or conflicts and uncover what's actually happening between you and your partner(s). The goal is to help you communicate before hurt turns into resentment and make room for everyone's needs without losing sight of your own.

Allswell offers online therapy for open and non-monogamous relationships across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Our therapists won't treat jealousy as proof that non-monogamy doesn't work or assume that closing the relationship is the answer. They'll help you look honestly at what's happening, communicate more clearly, and build agreements that feel workable for the people actually in the relationship.

That understanding can be especially important for LGBTQ+ people, who may already be navigating relationships outside traditional expectations and don't need a therapist adding judgment or confusion to the mix. You won't have to explain the basics of polyamory, open relationships, or chosen family before you can talk about the issues, feelings, or questions that brought you into therapy.

Challenges Addressed in Therapy for Open Relationships

Open relationships aren't automatically harder than monogamous ones, but they do ask you to be intentional about things many couples are taught to leave unspoken. Therapy can help with areas like these:

Communication and agreements: It's easy to think you've agreed on what "open" means, only to discover that you pictured very different things. Therapy helps you put expectations into words and keep the discussions going as your relationships change.
Jealousy and insecurity: Feeling jealous doesn't mean you're failing at non-monogamy. You can learn to listen for what the feeling is pointing to, without letting it take over the relationship.
Time, energy, and balance: New connections can be exciting, and they can also change how time and attention are shared. Therapy can help you notice when someone is feeling overlooked, including you, and find a rhythm that's more sustainable.
Boundaries and consent: You can work on naming what you're comfortable with, asking direct questions, and responding honestly when someone else's limits don't match your own.
New partners and metamours: A partner's other relationship can bring up feelings you didn't expect, even when you genuinely support it. Therapy gives you room to work through those reactions and decide what kind of relationship, if any, you want with the other people in your partner's life.
Opening an existing relationship: Moving from monogamy to non-monogamy can shift a relationship that once felt familiar. Therapy can help you slow the process down, talk about what each of you is hoping for, and deal with problems before they turn into lasting resentment.
Outside judgment: You may be happy with your relationships and still feel worn down by having to hide them, defend them, or decide who's safe to tell. Therapy can help you handle that pressure without treating your relationship as something you should be ashamed of.

How Open Relationship Challenges Can Show Up in the LGBTQ+ Community

Consensual non-monogamy isn't nearly as unusual as people sometimes assume. In two national samples of single U.S. adults, just over one in five said they'd been in a consensually non-monogamous relationship at some point. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual participants were more likely to report that experience than heterosexual participants. In many LGBTQ+ communities, open and polyamorous relationships can be a visible part of how people build love, family, and connection.

But being more visible doesn't make these relationships free from judgment. You may feel comfortable talking about your partners with queer friends but hide part of your life from family, coworkers, or healthcare providers. Even a therapist may assume that jealousy means you should close the relationship or that having multiple partners is the reason you're struggling. That leaves you carrying the strain of the relationship itself alongside the pressure to prove that it's legitimate.

An affirming therapist won't make you defend your relationship structure. At Allswell, you can start therapy with the questions that actually brought you in, without first convincing someone that an open relationship can be healthy and real.

TREATMENT

How Allswell's Online Therapy for Open Relationships Works

Allswell offers both individual online therapy and affirming support groups. Most people start with private video sessions with a licensed therapist. This isn't couples therapy with your partners in the room. The focus stays on you: what comes up when a partner starts seeing someone new, how you handle uncertainty, what you need to feel secure, and how you want to communicate when something isn't working.

Support groups run in six-week cycles with the same small group each week. Being with others who are working through similar questions can make it easier to speak honestly and feel less alone in the process.

Your therapist will draw on approaches that fit what you're dealing with. These may include:

CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy

CBT can work on the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. In practice, that means learning to spot the thoughts that fuel strong emotions as they're happening, checking whether they hold up to reality, and building stable responses over time.

DBT

Dialectical behavior therapy

Hard conversations can become heated when jealousy, hurt, or panic takes over. DBT can give you practical ways to steady yourself, say what you mean, and stay in the conversation without lashing out or shutting down.

ACT

Acceptance and commitment therapy

ACT can help you come back to the values behind the relationship you've chosen. Even when the feelings are intense, you can learn to respond in a way that reflects the kind of partner you want to be.

MFN

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you notice the first signs of dysregulation and create a little space before you react. That pause can make the difference between asking an honest question and turning fear into an accusation.

IFS

Internal family systems

IFS techniques can help you get curious about the parts of you that become jealous, frightened, or convinced you're about to be left. Instead of trying to silence those reactions, you'll look at what they're protecting and what they may need in order to feel safer. At Allswell, IFS is used in conjunction with other evidence-based approaches rather than as a stand-alone treatment.

Whatever approaches are in your treatment plan, therapy won't treat your relationship structure as the diagnosis. The work stays grounded in respect for the way you've chosen to love and focused on helping your relationships feel more honest, secure, and sustainable.

OUR APPROACH

Allswell's Clinical Model for Open Relationships

Affirming care is where Allswell starts, but supporting open relationships well takes more than being accepting. It takes a clinical framework that recognizes your relationships as real, meaningful, and worthy of the same thoughtful care as any other relationship.

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Non-monogamy is recognized in our written clinical standards

Allswell's practice standards direct therapists to understand open relationships and polyamory as valid identities and relationship practices.

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Affirming care is a clinical requirement

Allswell's approach follows professional guidance from the American Psychological Association and WPATH, and every therapist is expected to provide affirming care. You shouldn't have to spend your first sessions defending your identity.

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We focus on what's working in your relationship

Your therapist won't measure the health of your relationships by how closely they resemble a monogamous couple's. Instead, we ask questions like: Are your agreements genuinely consensual? Can everyone speak honestly? Does power feel balanced? Are the relationships making room for your needs as well as everyone else's?

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Hard feelings are met with skills

Jealousy or insecurity doesn't automatically mean an open relationship is failing. Therapy helps you catch those feelings before they come out as accusations and stay present through conversations you'd usually avoid or rush.

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We examine the root causes of fear and other strong emotions

A partner going on a date may stir up something much older than the plans themselves. Fear of being replaced or not being enough can grow out of past betrayal, conditional love, family rejection, or years of learning that belonging isn't guaranteed. Your therapist can help you separate what's happening now from what your past has taught you to expect, since they may need different kinds of care.

We track whether you're making progress and adjust the plan as needed

You'll complete brief check-ins at intake and about every 60 days, then review them with your therapist. If you're still getting pulled into the same spirals or conversations aren't becoming easier, we'll adjust your treatment plan.

What Makes Allswell Different

At Allswell, therapy begins with an understanding that open and non-monogamous relationships can be healthy, loving, and lasting. Your therapist can meet you inside the relationship you've already built and focus on helping it grow, whether that means making an agreement clearer or creating more room for honesty and connection.

Allswell also brings individual therapy and community support together. One-on-one sessions give you space to understand your own needs and patterns, while small support groups let you learn alongside people navigating relationships in their own ways. Sometimes hearing how someone else approached a familiar challenge can open up a possibility you hadn't considered and remind you that you're part of a much wider community.

Paying For Allswell's Therapy for Open Relationships

Allswell accepts both Medicaid and commercial insurance in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Before your first session, our team will verify your benefits and give you a clear estimate of your cost per session.

MEDICAID

Sessions typically fully covered, with no out-of-pocket cost.

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

$10–25

Most clients pay this per session, depending on their plan.

SELF-PAY

$125–175

$175 for your first session, $125 for ongoing sessions.

If Allswell is out-of-network with your plan, we can provide a superbill that you can submit for possible reimbursement. We accept Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) card payments as well.

Getting Started With Allswell

Book a free consult

Schedule a 15-to-20-minute call with one of our Care Coordinators to talk through what you're looking for and get matched with the right therapist.

Meet your therapist and build your care plan

Your first session is a 60-minute Welcome Session, where you and your therapist get to know each other and shape a plan that fits your goals.

Begin ongoing sessions

From there, you'll meet for 45-minute sessions, usually weekly, and can join a support group if that feels right for you.

Allswell's Reviews and Success Stories

Allswell is a refuge for queer minds, where being understood isn't a privilege but the start.

Since my transition, every talk with family was tense and stressful. At Allswell, I felt heard.

Allswell Client, 26

When I was considering opening a relationship, Allswell was where I felt safe to talk.

Allswell Client, 39

I lost my job and was at a low. Allswell found me a great therapist covered by Medicaid.

Allswell Client, 32

I loved my Allswell experience. I found the community grounding and encouraging.

Allswell Client, 22

I felt safe, connected, and understood. We were dealing with dark, difficult topics.

Allswell Client, 41

I loved having supportive people to talk to who resonated with my struggles.

Allswell Client, 35

Meet Your Therapists Who Specialize in Therapy for Open Relationships

Allswell vets every therapist carefully, looking for real experience and a genuinely affirming, trauma-informed approach. When you start, you'll be matched with someone who understands non-monogamy from the inside out, so you're not starting from scratch.

Taylour Jones

LGPC

•

She/ Her

•

Maryland

⚧️ Gender Identity

💔 Trauma & PTSD

🫂 Relationships

✊ BIPOC

😰 Anxiety

😔 Depression

♾️ Neurodiversity

🏠 Family Relationships

👥 Poly & Non-Monogamy

👐🏾 Racial Identity

Marq Gunn

LCSW, LGSW

•

he/him

•

Virginia, DC

😰 Anxiety

✊ BIPOC

🌈 Sexuality

🏢 Career & Work Stress

🕺 Body Image & Body Liberation

⚧️ Gender Identity

📱 Dating

😔 Depression

🫂 Relationships

💜 Chronic Illness & Disability

Cheyanne Woodrow

LMSW

•

He/ Him/ They/ Them

•

Maryland

✊ BIPOC

👥 Poly & Non-Monogamy

💔 Trauma & PTSD

🕺 Body Image & Body Liberation

💜 Chronic Illness & Disability

😔 Depression

😰 Anxiety

⚧️ Gender Identity

🌎 Life Transitions

🏠 Family Relationships

Reina Ronquillo

LCSW-C

•

she/her

•

Maryland, Virginia

👥 Poly & Non-Monogamy

🛏️ Sex & Intimacy

💔 Trauma & PTSD

🖤 Kink & BDSM

✊ BIPOC

👐🏾 Racial Identity

😰 Anxiety

😔 Depression

🌈 Sexuality

📱 Dating

Book a Free Consult

If you're located in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, you can get started with Allswell today. Book a free consultation with one of our Care Coordinators, and we'll help match you with a therapist who fits your needs, your preferences, and your schedule.

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