CEU Elligible

Building the Foundations of Non-Monogamy:

Essential Questions for a Strong Start

Friday, November 7th  |  5:30pm  |  Room: Brickyard

This talk will focus on the key reflective questions individuals and partners should ask themselves before opening their relationship. It will cover essential topics such as personal values, communication styles, boundaries, trust, and emotional preparedness to help participants build a strong and intentional foundation for ethical non-monogamy. By addressing these questions early on, partners can navigate challenges proactively and set themselves up for a fulfilling and sustainable non-monogamous journey.

Walk away with a clearer understanding of personal readiness and relationship alignment.

Dr. Rachael Meir is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and sex and relationship coach with twenty years of experience in the field of psychology. She earned her Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. With a compassionate and non-judgmental approach, Dr. Meir empowers individuals and couples to explore and embrace their authentic selves, desires, and relationship structures.

She is sex-positive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and BDSM/kink aware, specializing in ethical/consensual non-monogamy, including swinging, open relationships, and polyamory. Over the years, Dr. Meir has helped hundreds of people navigate the challenges of opening their relationships and sustaining multiple sexual and romantic partnerships. As a bisexual woman in a polyamorous triad with her partners, Aaron and Kasey, and their dog, Tally, she brings both personal and professional expertise to her work.

Dr. Meir is also the author of 50 Questions to Ask Before Opening Your Relationship, where she offers practical guidance and compassionate support for those exploring polyamory. Drawing on her clinical experience and lived perspective, her work provides a thoughtful roadmap for individuals and couples seeking to navigate non-monogamy with confidence and clarity.

Connection in Action:

A Live Community-Building Experience

Friday, November 7th  |  7:15pm  |  Room: Brickyard

You've learned the theory—now experience it firsthand. This live connection session is designed to model what intentional, safety-centered community spaces can feel like. Inspired by the monthly cocktail events and discussion groups of Chicago Polyamory Connection, participants will get to practice authentic connection-building in a relaxed, welcoming environment.

Through low-pressure conversation starters, supportive social norms, and a closing circle, we'll explore how community spaces can be crafted with equity, consent, and belonging at the core. We'll also reflect together on the behind-the-scenes choices that create safer, more joyful community experiences—and how you can bring these practices back to your own spaces.

Come as you are; leave with new connections, real-world tools, and a deeper sense of what community care looks and feels like.

Reflect on how small, intentional design choices can foster equity, safety, and belonging in any gathering.

Ashley Meyer (she/her) is the head organizer of Chicago Polyamory Connection (MeetUp & Facebook), one of the largest polyamorous communities in the Midwest. She comes with a wealth of knowledge as a queer, Hispanic, polyamorist that has practiced polyamory for 15+ years in a variety of relationship dynamics and spaces. This includes practicing polyamory in the South and now the Midwest. Ashley is an educator with diversity and equity training which she uses to help mold consensual and safe spaces for polyamorous people both in online spaces and communal gatherings.

CEU Elligible

Awakening the Body:

How Somatic Practices Enhance Pleasure & Intimacy

Saturday, November 8th  |  11:00AM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - A

This training is designed for individuals and folks in relationships who want to enhance their sexual experiences by learning how to connect with their bodies more deeply. Somatic sex therapy helps people move beyond overthinking sex and instead cultivate a more embodied, present, and attuned experience with themselves and their partners. This will be an interactive and experiential training, giving participants the opportunity to practice techniques in a safe and supportive environment. The goal is to leave feeling more connected to their own body, more confident in navigating intimacy, and equipped with new ways to enhance pleasure and connection.

Explore how somatic attunement can improve connection and communication in partnered experiences.

Julie (she/her) is a licensed therapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor specializing in relationship and sexual concerns, including desire discrepancy, communication, kink exploration, and ethical non-monogamy. She works from a sex-positive, feminist, and somatic perspective, helping clients cultivate fulfilling and authentic connections. As the owner of Be Known and co-founder of The Institute for Sex Positive Therapy, Julie is dedicated to advancing inclusive, evidence-based approaches to sex therapy and relationship work. A sought-after speaker, she provides engaging, research-informed presentations on sexual health, intimacy, and relationship dynamics, equipping professionals and the public with tools to navigate these topics with confidence and care.

Matt (he/him) is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist specializing in sex therapy, kink, consensual non-monogamy, and sexual dysfunctions. With a background in clinical mental health counseling and sport & exercise psychology, he brings a holistic and inclusive approach to his work. As the founder of Cleveland Sex Therapy and co-founder of The Institute for Sex Positive Therapy, Matt is passionate about dismantling sex negativity and advocating for sex-positive, evidence-based therapy. His expertise is grounded in feminism, intersectionality, and somatic approaches to sexual health, and he is committed to helping individuals and couples explore their identities, relationships, and pleasure without shame. A dynamic speaker, Matt offers engaging, research-informed presentations on sexuality, intimacy, and mental health, equipping professionals with the tools to support diverse clients with confidence and care.

Defying Gravity:

Intro to Relationship Anarchy

Saturday, November 8th  |  11:00AM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - C

You’ve been lied to—monogamy isn’t the only or most ethical relationship style. In this workshop, you'll explore the limitless ways to customize relationships, and challenge the hierarchy that elevates romantic/sexual love above all else.

How the revolution begins with de-centering romantic partnerships from our lives.

Jessica Daylover is an educator, producer, entertainer, mystic, and a queer, polyamorous mother of two young children. Jessica has a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a Minor in LGBT Studies. An entrepreneur of 20 years, Jessica is most well known for her social media platform, Remodeled Love. With over 185,000 followers across all platforms, Jessica's mission is to expand the cultural narrative on love, family, and parenthood. In 2023 Jessica used her platform to successfully raise over $17,000 to launch an app called Nuclear Fusion whose purpose is helping folks find, build, and sustain their modern village.

Organizing for Connection:

Community Building with Intention and Equity

Saturday, November 8th  |  11:00am  |  Room: Fortune Square D

Building a vibrant, safe, and equitable community doesn't happen by accident—it takes intention, care, and a deep understanding of the needs of the people you hope to serve. In this session, we’ll explore how to start and sustain ethically nonmonogamous (ENM) community groups rooted in connection, inclusion, and safety. Drawing from real-world experience organizing Chicago Polyamory Connection, we’ll dive into strategies for hosting events, managing group dynamics, creating safer spaces, building leadership teams, and handling common challenges like conflict and accessibility. Whether you’re looking to start a small discussion group or grow a citywide community, you’ll leave with practical tools, inspiration, and a roadmap to help you foster belonging and joy wherever you are.

Techniques for fostering equity, shared leadership, and resilience in community spaces.

Ashley Meyer (she/her) is the head organizer of Chicago Polyamory Connection (MeetUp & Facebook), one of the largest polyamorous communities in the Midwest. She comes with a wealth of knowledge as a queer, Hispanic, polyamorist that has practiced polyamory for 15+ years in a variety of relationship dynamics and spaces. This includes practicing polyamory in the South and now the Midwest. Ashley is an educator with diversity and equity training which she uses to help mold consensual and safe spaces for polyamorous people both in online spaces and communal gatherings.

Herpes Hangout:

An Open Discussion on Navigating Dating and Relationships

Saturday, November 8th  |  11:00AM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - D

I've hosted "herpes hangouts" before and usually they go to people wanting a space to share their personal experiences and trade support and just have a sense of community in a "safe" space. But here are some points:

Stigma and Sexual Identity: How shame around herpes intersects with dating, desire, and belonging in non-monogamous and sex-positive communities

Disclosure Dynamics: When, how, and why people disclose their status, plus emotional considerations beyond just “the facts”

Consent & Safer Sex Practices: Navigating risk with transparency—fluid bonding, barrier conversations, testing, and communication

Allyship in Action: What support looks like from partners, playmates, and friends—inside and outside of intimate relationships

Liberation Through Community: Reclaiming pleasure, safety, and connection through honest, stigma-free spaces

Resources for ongoing education, support, and community

Courtney Brame (he/him) is the founder of Something Positive for Positive People (SPFPP), a nonprofit and podcast that’s been reducing herpes stigma through storytelling, education, and peer support since 2017. As a yoga therapist in training, sex-positive educator, and Black man living with HSV-2, Courtney holds space for honest conversations around sexual health, shame, and identity—especially in non-traditional relationships.

Over the years, he’s supported hundreds of people navigating life after a herpes diagnosis and helped many reclaim their pleasure, boundaries, and self-worth. Courtney’s work sits at the intersection of STI awareness, mental health, and stigma-free sexuality. He’s been featured on platforms like the National Coalition of STD Directors, Pornhub’s Sexual Wellness Center, and various sexuality conferences.

He’s not here to offer medical advice or polished expert takes—just real talk, lived wisdom, and open dialogue. Expect vulnerability, some laughs, and a space where herpes isn’t a conversation killer but a gateway to deeper, more honest connection.

CEU Elligible

Poly Skills to:

Level Up Your Parenting Game

Saturday, November 8th  |  2:00PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - A

To thrive in polyamory, many of us have had to develop relationship skills we weren’t taught growing up, skills like clear communication, emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and consent.

But what if these same skills that make you a great partner are also the key to thriving, connected, consent-based parenting relationships?

In this experiential session, we’ll explore how the tools of polyamory and intentional partnering can be translated into powerful practices for instilling these abilities in our children and families. Through discussion, hands-on exercises, and somatic experiences, you’ll begin to embody skills that support both your adult relationships and your parenting journey.

Learning to respond to our children’s challenging behaviors with curiosity and compassion can strengthen our capacity to show up as better, more connected partners.

Dr. David Pascale-Hague is a licensed psychologist, professor, and advocate whose work focuses on mental health, sexuality, and relationships. With over 15 years of experience in practice and higher education, he brings a commitment to supporting diverse communities and creating inclusive spaces for healing, growth, and connection.

Dr. Pascale-Hague specializes in working with individuals and relationships navigating nonmonogamy, kink, and other forms of sexual and relational diversity. He integrates experiential therapy with cultural humility and real-world understanding, helping people explore their values, communicate more effectively, and build lives that reflect authenticity and care.

In addition to his clinical and academic work, he creates public education on ethical nonmonogamy and sexuality. He has been a presenter at TEDx, the American Psychological Association, the Kentucky Psychological Association, SouthWest Love Fest 2025, and is a Diversity Mentor with the American Psychological Association. Dr. Pascale-Hague is known for his grounded, compassionate approach and his belief that mental health care should support the full diversity of human experience.

Jen Gerardy believes that relationships are revolutionary. Through her 3 years of training as a Holistic Family Consultant, her decades of experience in community building, and her compassionate, playful, and insightful coaching style, she helps families develop relationships in which everyone’s needs are met, everyone can thrive, and that feel connected, joyful, and sustainable. Her approach welcomes queer, non-monogamous, and neurodivergent individuals seeking to improve their parenting, partner, and self relationships, without pathologizing any part of who they are. She knows that through building healthy relationships at home, we can build an inclusive and expansive world in which we do not need to sacrifice parts of ourselves to gain connection.

Intentional Relating in a Colonized World:

Decolonizing Non-Monogamy

Saturday, November 8th  |  2:00PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - C

This workshop will offer a powerful, no-fluff introduction to decolonizing your non-monogamy practice.

Rooted in the transformational framework of the Intentional Polyamory f cohort, this presentation brings the four pillars of Intentional Relating — Self Work, Relational Culture, Information Sharing, and Community — into direct conversation with race, power, and privilege.

Through storytelling, reflection, and truth-telling, Chaneé will invite attendees (especially White and non-BIPOC audience members) to reckon with the ways colonial values like ownership, hierarchy, control, and individualism have shaped modern "ethical" non-monogamy—and what it looks like to intentionally unlearn them.

Real talk about the difference between being "open" and being intentional

Chaneé Jackson-Kendall (she/her) is a Black polyamorous educator and coach who co-founded Black Poly Pride (est 2019) - the first and only Black polyamorous conference for Black people, by Black people. She has openly identified as non-monogamous and kinky for over a decade, and is the proud Mama of a kind, intelligent son, whom she lovingly co-parents with 3 other amazing humans. Chaneé has dedicated her life to polyamorous education, outreach, and activism, and is passionate about normalizing polyamory as both a relationship orientation and a valid relational choice.

Chaneé discovered the online polyamorous community in 2012 and has been an active, and often outspoken member ever since. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; she led the Black Poly Pride team in hosting a series of virtual events entitled “Are Black People Allowed. In late 2022, Chaneé launched Intentional Polyamory, an educational initiative that provides one-on-
one coaching, in addition to a rolling cohort to teach people how to create polyamorous lives, on purpose. Since the first Intentional Polyamory cohort in January 2023, Chaneé has completed 5 cohorts; including one specifically geared toward therapists, counselors, coaches, and other helping professionals.

Navigating Dysphoria & Polyamory:

Tools for Checking In, Finding Gender Euphoria, and Saying "No"

Saturday, November 8th  |  2:00PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - D

This session will help participants feel more aware of their own triggers for dysphoria, gain skills to communicate them before sex, and build confidence addressing harm caused by partners if it comes up. This session will be focused on trans people, but is open to cisgender allies who have trans partners or want to learn how to better support future trans partners.

Participate in a personal or group activity to feel what "yes" and "no" feel like in response to an imaginary sexual situation (participation not required)

Sara is the founder of Queer Sex Ed and the co-host of the Queer Sex Ed Podcast. She has been an educator and public speaker for over 17 years, focused mainly on sexual health and LGBTQ education. She left her position as the Education and Services Manager at Rocky Mountain Equality (formerly Out Boulder) in October 2017 to start her own business, Queer Sex Ed, which educates about sexuality in a queer-informed perspective. 

When The We Becomes Me:

Reclaiming Self After Poly Breakups

Saturday, November 8th  |  4:00PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - A

The end of a polyamorous relationship—or the shift of a connection into a new form—can feel like a death. Whether it’s a breakup, a change in relationship structure, or an unexpected rupture, these transitions can leave us raw, untethered, and uncertain of how to move forward. In polyamory, where love is expansive and bonds are many, the loss of one can echo across the rest.

In this class, we’ll explore the unique grief, complexity, and emotional transitions that come with the end (or redefinition) of a polyamorous relationship.

We will explore:

• Understanding grief and loss in the context of polyamory
• Navigating relationship shifts without defaulting to hierarchy or blame
• Emotional and energetic detangling between multiple partners
• Rituals for closure, reflection, and compassionate release
• Rebuilding identity and community after a breakup
• How to hold yourself and others with care through change

This is a soft space for hard truths. Whether you’re grieving, healing, or preparing for a possible transition, this class offers affirmation, tools, and the reminder that endings are not failures—they are openings for transformation, clarity, and deeper self-love.

Permission to Feel – Leave with the reassurance that your grief is valid, and that healing takes the time and care you deserve.

Mistress Kali, a 27 year-old and passionate individual, has been an integral part of the BDSM lifestyle for the past six years. Embracing her role as a Sadistic submissive she has cultivated a unique focus on service and dungeon safety establishing herself as a cornerstone in creating safe and inclusive spaces within the kink community, especially for People of Color (POC).

Her journey began with a deep-seated desire to explore the realms of vulnerability and service, which led her to become a trusted figure in dungeon environments. As a dungeon monitor, Mistress Kali ensures that safety protocols are upheld, fostering a secure and welcoming atmosphere for all participants. Her dedication to inclusivity has made her a beacon for POC individuals, offering guidance and support as they navigate the kink lifestyle.

Under the mentorship of Sir Tokin, Mistress Kali has honed her skills and expanded her understanding of the BDSM dynamic. Sir Tokin’s guidance has been instrumental in her growth, helping her refine her approach to service and advocacy within the community.

In addition to her hands-on roles, Mistress Kali is passionate about educating other submissive-types (s-types) on the importance of communication and self-advocacy. She leads workshops and discussions, emphasizing that it is not only acceptable but crucial for submissives to speak up about their needs, boundaries, and desires. Her teachings resonate deeply, encouraging others to embrace their voices within their dynamic roles.

Mistress Kali’s commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment has made her a respected and influential figure in the BDSM community. Her ongoing journey is a testament to the power of vulnerability, service, and advocacy, inspiring many to follow in her footsteps.

Monogamy? In this Economy?

Saturday, November 8th  |  4:00PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - C

What are the joys and complications of living in households with more than two adults? In this class we discuss important considerations and conversations folks should have before moving in with multiple partners and metamours, including:

• Arranging living situations typically designed for dyads to accommodate various family shapes
• How the size of home impacts your relationships
• Whether the "monogamy? in this economy?" joke has a basis in reality
• Ways to organize finances when forming a joint household
• How changing your nesting structure can change your relationship network
• Metamour relationships
• The most common challenge to relationships cited by the hundreds of folks I surveyed to write the book: inequitable division of chores and household tasks
• Breakup concerns that might differ in a multi-partner situation
  

Join me to learn about the many, many options available to choose your own household adventure - and to hear some of the most common stumbling blocks folks already living in multi-partner homes shared.

Legal concerns and changes in those of multiparent families

Author of Monogamy? In this Economy? Finances, Childrearing, and other Practical Concerns of Polyamory and Ready for Polyamory; and a relationship coach who runs the blog and social media pages Ready for Polyamory, Laura Boyle has been nonmonogamous for nearly 20 years and is polyamorous in a relationship anarchy influenced manner. She has been an expert voice in a variety of publications over the last several years on the subjects of nonmonogamous parenting and polyamory more generally, including being named one of Cosmo's 10 Tiktok accounts to follow about polyamory in 2021, and Monogamy? In this Economy? being mentioned in the New York Times as one of six books about polyamory for therapists to read in 2024.

Parent Connection:

Dinner/Social

Saturday, November 8th  |  5:30-6:30PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - C

Note: This session takes place during the dinner break. Attendees are welcome to bring food purchased from the hotel into the room for the session, but outside food it not permitted. There will be time after the session to eat before the evening activities begin.

In small groups, anyone interested in polyamory and parenting will discuss and share their wisdom and experiences navigating their unique challenges. Discussion prompts and questions will be offered, with time to share insights with the larger group. The primary goal is community building among those with the unique shared experience of raising children within non-monogamy.

Confidence to implement polyamory + parenting in their families

Jen Gerardy believes that relationships are revolutionary. Through her 3 years of training as a Holistic Family Consultant, her decades of experience in community building, and her compassionate, playful, and insightful coaching style, she helps families develop relationships in which everyone’s needs are met, everyone can thrive, and that feel connected, joyful, and sustainable. Her approach welcomes queer, non-monogamous, and neurodivergent individuals seeking to improve their parenting, partner, and self relationships, without pathologizing any part of who they are. She knows that through building healthy relationships at home, we can build an inclusive and expansive world in which we do not need to sacrifice parts of ourselves to gain connection.

Consent and Cuddle

Saturday, November 8th  |  7:30PM & 9PM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - D

Join us for an evening of consent, connection, and cuddles. This cozy social begins with a 30-minute mini-workshop where we’ll explore consent - how to ask, give, modify, and revoke it in a gentle, embodied way. After that, we'll open the space for “free-range” cuddling where folks can snuggle, cuddle, or rest in proximity with others in whatever mutually comfortable ways emerge.

Come prepared to slow down, explore boundaries, and practice care-based intimacy in a supportive community.

Daniel Stec (they/them) is a somatic facilitator and organizer with a passion for creating safer, embodied spaces of connection. They have trained with Dr. Betty Martin in the Wheel of Consent framework and bring years of experience leading both individual and group cuddle practices. Daniel also draws from training in somatic sex education, weaving together touch, consent, and body awareness to help participants deepen into authentic intimacy and relational care.

CEU Elligible

Emotions in Motion: 

Navigating Jealousy, Insecurity, and the Challenges of Vulnerability in Non-Monogamy

Sunday, November 9th  |  9:00AM  |  Room: Fortune Square Ballroom - A

Jealousy and insecurity are common emotional experiences in non-monogamy, but so is vulnerability—the openness and uncertainty that comes with deep emotional connections. This session will explore the fluid and ever-changing nature of emotions, providing participants with tools to manage difficult feelings with clarity, self-awareness, and compassion. Attendees will learn emotional regulation techniques, self-reflection strategies, and communication tools to navigate these challenges and strengthen their relationships.

Enhance communication skills to express emotions honestly while fostering trust, intimacy, and emotional safety in relationships.

Dr. Rachael Meir is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and sex and relationship coach with twenty years of experience in the field of psychology. She earned her Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. With a compassionate and non-judgmental approach, Dr. Meir empowers individuals and couples to explore and embrace their authentic selves, desires, and relationship structures.

She is sex-positive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and BDSM/kink aware, specializing in ethical/consensual non-monogamy, including swinging, open relationships, and polyamory. Over the years, Dr. Meir has helped hundreds of people navigate the challenges of opening their relationships and sustaining multiple sexual and romantic partnerships. As a bisexual woman in a polyamorous triad with her partners, Aaron and Kasey, and their dog, Tally, she brings both personal and professional expertise to her work.

Dr. Meir is also the author of 50 Questions to Ask Before Opening Your Relationship, where she offers practical guidance and compassionate support for those exploring polyamory. Drawing on her clinical experience and lived perspective, her work provides a thoughtful roadmap for individuals and couples seeking to navigate non-monogamy with confidence and clarity.

Modeling Healthy Love:

How We Talk to Youth About Healthy Relationships, Boundaries & Connection

Sunday, November 9th  |  9:00AM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - C

How we talk to youth about healthy relationships matters—and often reflects what we ourselves are still learning. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how middle and high school students are engaging with topics like communication, self-worth, and boundaries. Drawing from firsthand experience facilitating workshops with teens, I’ll share key lessons, real-life examples, and common questions that come up when young people talk about relationships. Together, we’ll reflect on how adults can model clear, compassionate communication and how our own relationship frameworks shape the way we engage with the next generation. This session invites open discussion, self-reflection, and an exploration of how to be both affirming and age-appropriate in conversations with youth.

Participants will practice tools for communicating personal boundaries effectively and responding to others with respect, with an emphasis on modeling these skills in both youth-facing and adult relationships.

Mikala Williams-Yee (They/She) was born and raised in Iowa and holds a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics, along with a minor in French and TEFL/TESOL certification. A dedicated nonprofit professional, they have held multiple youth-serving roles, including Director of Youth Engagement at Please Pass the Love, a school mental health nonprofit, until its closure in May 2023. Their impact continues through positions at United Way, where they focus on community engagement and youth opportunity, as well as through their work as an assistant swim coach for a Michigan public school recreation team, coaching youth ages 6–18. Passionate about mental health advocacy, they understand the urgent need for accessible resources, having witnessed disparities in mental health education from a young age. They believe that uplifting and empowering youth voices is essential to building more resilient, inclusive communities.

CEU Elligible

Black Girl Magic:

Witchcraft as Sexual Freedom

Sunday, November 9th  |  11:00AM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - A

Throughout American history, Black people have consistently been policed and scrutinized. This scrutiny magnifies when looking at the intersectionality of race and gender for Black women. America’s history of negative sexual stereotypes for Black women in collaboration with the strict rules and guidelines of the Black Church, have left many Black women feeling dissatisfied with their intimate relationships. A return to indigenous practices, often referred to historically and recently, as witchcraft, these practices give newfound freedom to Black women. This presentation dives deeper into the lived and embodied experiences of Black women in the United States who have reclaimed long lost practice and their sexual freedom and autonomy.

Understanding of their own potential freedom and autonomy

Malesha Griffin is a certified social worker, sexologist, and sex coach from Louisville, Kentucky. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the Human Sexuality program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, with research focuses on the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, and spirituality.

Embracing Conflict:

Skills to Develop Understanding and Find Solutions Together

Sunday, November 9th  |  11:00AM  |  Fortune Square Ballroom - C

Conflict naturally occurs in every human relationship. It can be uncomfortable or stressful, and we may resist even identifying it, but learning conflict conversation skills can help. In this interactive training, participants will practice listening to truly understand, and experience that listening and understanding from others in the workshop. Participants will also get practical tools to calm their stress response during conflict, increase their self-awareness around their conflict styles, and explore how to structure and prepare for difficult conversations.

To prepare for difficult relationship conversations, we can start with self-reflection on our motivations, feelings and goals and on what we think the other person's perspective is. Getting active listening support from someone else can help us do this prep.

Melanie Rowen is a queer relationship anarchist, mediator and conflict coach who frequently trains individuals and groups on effective communication in conflict situations. A recovering lawyer, Melanie previously worked on queer civil rights in family law settings, including relationship recognition, issues involving trans and non-binary youth and their families, and issues facing LGBTQI elders. She mediates and teaches from the Understanding-Based Model of conflict resolution, which emphasizes consent-based process, supporting individual autonomy and honoring connection.

Bekki Callaway (they/them) is a queer, non-monogamous mediator in the San Francisco Bay Area who works with LGBTQ+, non-monogamous, and other non-traditional families and allies. Their mediation practice is focused on creating collaborative solutions for family transitions that take into account the unique needs of each family and treat all individuals with respect, compassion, and kindness. Bekki is passionate about creating community and found family. They co-founded the Poly Alt Parenting group, which holds regular potlucks and discussions for non-monogamous families and allies, and also run a sex positive womxn's sangha.