Episode 453: The Secrets To A Successful Open Relationship
November 28, 2025 by Justin Lehmiller
How do you make a non-monogamous relationship work? In today’s show, we’re diving into a brand-new study that set out to map the most common and effective relationship practices for consensually non-monogamous (CNM) people. We’re going to discuss the key strategies that help people maintain multiple partners with intention, stability, and harmony.
I am joined once again by Dr. Justin Mogilski, an associate professor of psychology at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, where he teaches courses on human sexuality, the psychology of marriage, and evolutionary psychology.
Some of the specific topics we explore in this episode include:
- What is the Multiple Relationships Maintenance Scale, and what can it tell us about how CNM relationships work?
- How do people in CNM relationships navigate things like jealousy, resource distribution, and hierarchy?
- What are people in the most successful CNM relationships doing?
- What can monogamous couples learn from how CNM people structure their relationships?
You can click this link to read the full study discussed in this episode.
Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.
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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and PsychologyDr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.
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