
122: Part 6/8, Polyamory, Parenting, and the Art of Staying Yourself: Designing a Relationship that Works Series
From Permission To Be Human by Janelle and Andrea
March 11, 2026 · 49 min · Episode 122
About this episode
The episode explores the dynamics of relationships beyond traditional structures, emphasizing love and communication.
122: Part 6/8, Polyamory, Parenting, and the Art of Staying Yourself: Designing a Relationship that Works Series What if the real secret to a lasting relationship isn't the structure — monogamy, polyamory, swinging, or anything else — but the willingness to approach with love? In this episode, Andrea and Janelle sit down with John Holle and Katie Wise, a Boulder-based couple married for 17 years who have experimented with nearly every relationship format imaginable. From open play and live-in partners to raising teenagers inside a radically honest household, their story is less about labels and more about curiosity, growth, and choosing each other again and again. It's messy, tender, funny, and surprisingly wise. There's a nod to play therapy, the book "Polysecure", Tamera and the documentary, "The Village of Lovers." You'll hear: -How their childhoods--chaotic divorce and big-time care--impacted their own choices -About the Burning Man that began their foundation -The intense chapter of a household with three adults and two kid -Navigating jealousy, attachment styles, and the myth that one person must meet every nee -Why community, coaching, and conscious conversation have been…
People in this episode
Hosts: Andrea, Janelle
Guests: John Holle, Katie Wise
Topics covered
- polyamory
- parenting
- relationships
- communication
- personal growth
Keywords
- polyamory
- parenting
- relationships
- jealousy
- attachment styles
- community
- coaching
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: consciousfamilyfirm.com, Katie Wise + Bhakti Explosion
Books & works: Polysecure, The Village of Lovers
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