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Nonmonogamous Clients' Experiences of Identity Disclosure

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Nonmonogamous Clients' Experiences of Identity Disclosure Running Head: EXPERIENCES OF NONMONOGAMY IN THERAPY Nonmonogamous Clients’ Experiences of Identity Disclosure in Therapy by Viktoriya Fuzaylova B.A., Brandeis University, 2005 M.S., Antioch University New England, 2011 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Psychology in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England, 2017 Keene, New Hampshire EXPERIENCES OF NONMONOGAMY IN THERAPY ii Department of Clinical Psychology DISSERTATION COMMITTEE PAGE The undersigned have examined the dissertation entitled: NONMONOGAMOUS CLIENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF IDENTITY DISCLOSURE IN THERAPY presented on April 24, 2018 by Viktoriya Fuzalova Candidate for the degree of Doctor of Psychology and hereby certify that it is accepted*. Dissertation Committee Chairperson: Kathi Borden, PhD Dissertation Committee members: Dean Hammer, PsyD Cynthia Whitaker, PsyD Accepted by the Department of Clinical Psychology Chairperson George Tremblay, PhD on 8/31/17 * Signatures are on file with the Registrar’s Office at Antioch University New England EXPERIENCES OF NONMONOGAMY IN THERAPY iii Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge here the immense contribution of the nonmonogamous community as a whole, composed as it is of close friends and distant strangers linked only by a shared identification and an internet connection, and individuals within it for their inspiration and enthusiasm about my research, the many conversations at unlikely places for academic endeavor which helped refine and bring authenticity to my inquiry, for critical and thoughtful feedback on design, and overwhelming outpouring of interest in participation. They challenged my worldview and encouraged me throughout this process to be a little truer and a lot more courageous as a person, a scholar, and a clinician. I would also like to acknowledge the role of the Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities (CARAS) Mentoring Program and particularly the support and wisdom of Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R who unites a fighting spirit, snark, and a deep compassion in her advocacy, clinical work, and empowering students. Finally I want to express my boundless love and gratitude for my partner in life and learning, Nat Budin, without whom this project and many others would not have come to fruition. I thank him, for his tireless emotional and technical support, nourishing affection, and general brilliance. EXPERIENCES OF NONMONOGAMY IN THERAPY iv Table of Contents Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vi Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 3 Overview of Nonmonogamies .................................................................................................... 3 Definition. ............................................................................................................................... 4 Prevalence. .............................................................................................................................. 6 Polyamory. .............................................................................................................................. 7 Swinging. ................................................................................................................................ 8 Other issues of language. ........................................................................................................ 9 Nonmonogamy, Gender, and Sexual Orientation ..................................................................... 10 Gay men. ............................................................................................................................... 10 Women. ................................................................................................................................. 12 Other nonmonogamous groups. ............................................................................................ 18 Heterosexual nonmonogamies. ............................................................................................. 20 Stigma ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Stigma in mainstream culture. .............................................................................................. 21 Perceptions of stigma. ........................................................................................................... 22 Nonmonogamy and the Field of Mental Health ....................................................................... 24 Self-Concealment ...................................................................................................................... 28 Effects of self-concealment. .................................................................................................. 28 Minority stress. ..................................................................................................................... 31 Disclosure model. ................................................................................................................. 32 Summary and Research Questions ........................................................................................... 33 Method .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Rationale ................................................................................................................................... 36 Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis .................................................................................. 36 Reflection on the standpoint of the researcher. ..................................................................... 37 Quality control. ..................................................................................................................... 38 Sampling and Selection ............................................................................................................ 38 Ethics ........................................................................................................................................ 39 Data Collection ......................................................................................................................... 40 Memo Writing ........................................................................................................................... 41 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 41 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 42 The Nonmonogamy Disclosure Model ..................................................................................... 43 Description of the NDM. ...................................................................................................... 44 Development of the model. ................................................................................................... 45 Risks of disclosure. ............................................................................................................... 45 Distal stigma. ........................................................................................................................ 46 Proximal stigma. ................................................................................................................... 47 Rewards of disclosure. .......................................................................................................... 51 Outcomes of disclosure. ........................................................................................................ 53 EXPERIENCES OF NONMONOGAMY IN THERAPY v Access to Affirmative Therapy ................................................................................................. 54 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 55 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 55 The Nonmonogamy Disclosure Model ..................................................................................... 56 Access ....................................................................................................................................... 59 Implications for Practice ........................................................................................................... 60 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 63 Directions for Future Research ................................................................................................. 65 References ....................................................................................................................................
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