Depending on who you’re talking to, polyamory can be a bad word. Many people believe that entering a poly relationship is an excuse to have your cake and eat it too, a way to exert control over a significant other, or a loophole to avoid breaking up.

Magenta Brooks is here to tell you that polyamory—and more specifically, ethical non-monogamy—is none of those things. With honest communication and vulnerability, it can be a relationship dynamic that fully and authentically serves everyone involved.

In this episode of Your Secret is Safe with Me, Dr. Marie Murphy talks to Magenta Brooks, a relationship coach who specializes in polyamory, about the ins and outs of ethical non-monogamy. Together, they discuss the various alternatives to monogamy, the indications that you prefer—or are curious—about polyamory, and the crucial importance of developing honest and vulnerable communication styles. Keep listening.