Yeah this is a thing. As a poly person myself, some therapists cannot fathom the idea that your poly relationship is even remotely stable, fulfilling, healthy, etc. It’s wild.
Therapists have a wide variety of personal beliefs and professional opinions. They’re people just like anyone else in any other field.
Unfortunately even well-meaning therapists can do a lot of harm when they forget to take a non-judgmental stance and just be curious about their clients.
I know a poly group where it ended horribly and people hate each other and friends have been turned against each other as well. I know a poly group which is still going strong and multiple kids are being raised.
So I guess it’s like any other type of romantic entanglement.
I know my local bdsm/kink community has a list of kink friendly professionals (all sorts of professions, including psych), maybe you have something similar
Same list tbh, at least in my experience as a polyamorous leatherwoman
Bullshit bullshit bullshit. My parents were traditional and fucked up all three of their kids. We don’t need new scapegoats. We need a better society.
To be fair, they loved us and provided for us and had the best of intentions and still fucked us up by being dysfunctional both on their own and in their relationship.
News flash: psychologists are people and most people can’t hide their personal biases even if they know they should.
I’ve known several who did just this: judge patients.
I think both approaches seem to be driven by generalization based on personal ideology. The truth is that for some people open relationships are traumatizing and toxic, while for others they are just what they need to be happy, then there are also people who can enjoy poly and mono forms of relationships. There is no general rule, it simply depends on individual preference.
Which therapists? Both therapist and my partner’s are very open to it.
I’m afraid that personal experience has taught me that you can’t trust most therapists because they will judge you.
Generalisation or fear on my part perhaps, but I imagine a large percentage are those who are coming from a religious background. I’ve often wished I could filter them out when searching for therapists.
When I was looking for a therapist, that was a huge struggle for me too. Even some of the providers under the LGBTQ+ filters were proudly religious, a few proudly displaying their degrees from religious institutions.
A lot of therapists just push Jesus at people and tell them they need to repent.
Gross as fuck
Reasons I developed a “therapy is an expensive waste of my time” mindset after living in FL for a decade. I’m not paying $200 a visit for some pompous shitbag to tell me I’m sad because I don’t simp for Jesus
Idk… a good therapist can do a lot of good. But I can’t in good faith blame you for having that perspective.
There are some really shitty ones out there, and then there are the ones that seem to try, but just aren’t very good. I’ve experienced both myself.
Not all therapists are sadly.
I ran a training for therapists on alternate relationship structures, most had never heard of polyamory, most felt it meant something had gone wrong for people to be in that situation.
Personally, I think all the things which can make polyamorus relationships difficult also exist in monogamous relationships.
