73: Am I Still Polyamorous (Even If I'm Not Actively "Practicing" It)?

Welcome to Season 3! We’re so excited to be back with a brand new season filled with all the conversations you love — and more.

This season, we’ll be continuing our T&A Alphabet Series with episodes dropping throughout the year, and we’ll also be welcoming new guests to the podcast. If you’d like to be a guest, or know someone who would be a great fit, we’d love to hear from you.

The idea for this episode emerged while we were in Mexico over the holidays, where we found ourselves revisiting a question we return to often: Can someone still be polyamorous — an identity we both hold — even when they’re not actively “practicing” it?

In this episode, we explore the evolving nature of polyamory as both an identity and a practice. We reflect on our recent experiences with dating and not dating, what has shifted in our personal and professional lives, and how our priorities continue to change over time.

André also shares about a recent connection with someone who does not identify as non-monogamous, including what it was like to navigate that experience (spoiler alert: it's been very positive), how it felt to share it with Tara, and the real-time conversations that followed. Tara reflects on her own experience of learning that André was feeling new relationship energy (NRE), and what that brought up for her.

Along the way, we dive into the importance of communication when navigating new connections, explore NRE in long-term relationships, and discuss the values that underpin polyamory / non-monogamy as a relational identity.

We also share listener reflections around identity, values, and how these ideas show up in different seasons of life.

This conversation emphasizes that identifying as polyamorous can remain true even during phases of less active dating, and invites listeners to reflect on their own relational identities, values, and intentions for the future.

Chapters

00:00: Welcome to Season Three

01:31: Reflections on Identity and Polyamory

04:47: Exploring Relational Identity

07:24: Navigating New Relationships

10:08: The Dynamics of Non-Monogamy

12:53: Understanding New Relationship Energy

15:32: Balancing Relationships and Personal Growth

18:07: Navigating Non-Monogamy: Embracing Other Connections

21:38: Defining Polyamory: Identity vs. Practice

25:15:The Emotional Landscape of Polyamory

28:08: Polyamory as an Evolving Identity

31:51: Listener suggested reflections

Show Resources:

• Contact Us via the form on our website - https://www.taraandandre.com/#section-udHUURtgCy
• Night Thoughts - Reflections of a Sex Therapist, by Dr. Avodah Offit - https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/night-thoughts-reflections-of-a-sex-therapist/9781568214580.html

• Poly Newbies Digital Course Listener Offer - https://courses.letstalkpolyamory.com/polynewbiesspecialoffer
• Looking for therapy? Arrange a complimentary therapy consultation with André at ⁠https://book.a-psych-online.com/therapyconsultation⁠
• Book a complimentary coaching consultation call with Tara at: ⁠⁠https://go.taraandandre.com/relationshiprescue⁠⁠