Cheers Sexy People!
Hello, Loving Without Boundaries (LWB) community! My heart goes out to you during these challenging times. I hope you are doing your best to keep safe. Sharing inspirational stories of hope, inclusion, and healthy lifestyles are more important than ever. If you are looking for ways to connect loved ones you are separated from, check out this blog post that I shared recently. On to another inspiring story…
I am so happy to share my latest podcast interview that I released recently with my new friend and colleague, Jim Fleckenstein. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Jim by recent podcast interviewee Pour Votreplaisir. We were all in attendance at the last polyamory conference I attended and presented at, Poly Living Philadelphia 2020. What an incredible conference that was, plus little did we know that it may be the last time many of us polyam folk would see each other in person for months and months to come due to COVID-19. I was familiar with Jim’s work as an educator, but was unaware he had produced a new book called “Love That Works: 38 Hacks for Amazing Relationships.” Not one to shy away from an opportunity to read an exciting new relationship book, and get the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the scholar who conceived it, I invited Jim to come on my podcast. Jim and I happen to live near each other, however we needed to in the end record the interview via a Zoom meeting due to social distancing requirements. Have no fear, it is still a wonderful interview. Jim! I am so delighted to make your acquaintance finally. Thank you for this amazing work that I am certain will help so many wonderful folks seeking your sage guidance.
Here is Jim Fleckenstein’s full bio:
Like many others, Jim Fleckenstein became a relationship coach and educator because of his own life experiences. After the end of his 25-year marriage in 2000, he put the skills he’d gained from his successful non-profit career and his insatiable curiosity to work on relationships. He created an educational nonprofit to foster new research into relationships. He also began a rigorous self-education process that included reaching out personally to leading researchers.
His efforts quickly bore fruit. His organization ultimately conducted five national conferences on relationships. He merged this organization into another, larger group in 2006 so as to continue his focus on self-education, scientific research, and helping people have successful relationships.
Jim was invited to co-present to a professional audience for the first time in 2002 at the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). He has since been invited to present at seven more AASECT conferences, to the Eastern Region Conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, to the Society for Sex Therapy and Research, and to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. He was invited to contribute to the Continuum Complete International Encyclopedia of Sexuality in 2004. In 2015, he was lead author on his first published research paper in the peer-reviewed journal, Sexual and Relationship Therapy. This paper was selected to become a chapter in the 2015 book, Sexuality and Aging. He currently has a paper under review by The Archives of Sexual Behavior. Since 2016, he has been a member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Positive Sexuality. In addition to his many professional presentations, Jim became a regular volunteer presenter at lay conferences, with nearly 20 appearances reaching hundreds.
Along the way, Jim developed a unique approach to relationships based on proven methods he encountered over his years of study. Ultimately, he formalized this approach as his Affirmative Intimacy™ method. He created The Earth Moved, LLC as a professional home for his coaching and educational efforts. His book, Love That Works: 38 Awesome Hacks for Amazing Relationships came out in December, 2019.
Some topics we discuss in this fun, informative, and entertaining interview:
- Jim shares with us his “lightbulb” moment, as well as more background and history of how he came to be a relationship coach and educator today.
- We dive into one of the concepts in Jim’s “Love That Works” book, creating a safe space. Jim shares “Before anything else can work to improve your relationship, you must co-create safe space. This includes taking into account honesty, integrity, non-punitive, transparency, mindfulness, and being fear-free.
- Tune in to listen to this fantastic podcast episode!
Thank you, Jim, for being so awesomely generous with your time, for this amazing piece of work with your new book, and for sharing your wisdom and insights with us via the podcast interview! It was enlightening, entertaining, and so fun! Follow Jim’s work and adventures his website affirmativeintimacy.com or on Facebook @affirmativeintimacy. You can also purchase his amazing book at ltwthebook.com.
To hear the podcast, go to the Podcast link here and subscribe to the Loving Without Boundaries podcast, then check out Episode 148 with Jim. Also, please help spread awareness of alternative lifestyles and create more tolerance for consensual non-monogamy in the world at large by Rating and Reviewing the LWB podcast in iTunes. It only takes a few minutes.
If you would like to be interviewed either in written form or via audio on the podcast, please feel free to contact me and we will set something up. Thank you!
The Loving Without Boundaries podcast is sponsored by AltPlayground.net.
ANNOUNCEMENT — GUEST PODCAST APPEARANCES
I recently have had the honor of being featured on this awesome podcast:
Shameless Sex Podcast with Amy and April – Episode 143, January 28, 2020
Check it out! We talk about all things jealousy, consensual non-monogamy, and living an alternative lifestyle while maintaining healthy relationships. Tune in to find out more!
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT OFFER – We have exclusive content for you via the LWB podcast and my Patreon page. Want to hear more from our amazing interviewees? You got it! Right on, let’s do it! Want monthly “Hangouts” with yours truly and other patrons? Cool! Let’s do it! It’s all there! Come join us, and enjoy exclusive content made just for you, our patrons of this work!
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY ONLINE
Free LWB Facebook Group for Healthy, Sex Positive, Open Relationships — Ready to explore healthy, connected (and virtually jealousy-free) open relationships? It’s all possible – especially when surrounded by a community of people already doing it. There’s an abundance of rock star information posted in the group daily by our amazing members. We create a safe place to engage that’s fun and thrilling! Click here and request to join our free group!
UPCOMING POLY-FRIENDLY EVENTS
PolyDallas Millennium 2020 — Virtual Conference, November 6–8, 2020. Come join me and other amazing folks at this year’s PolyDallas! I will be there signing copies of my book, recording podcast interviews, and generally supporting the amazing founder Ruby B. Johnson.
See you on the flip side, lovely community! Keep being brave, compassionately vulnerable, and uniquely and authentically you!
Wishing you peace, love and happiness
(and thrilling, fun sex too!)
Kitty
Need more specific help aligning your relationships with who you are?
** Discover Your Core Values & Create More Meaning in Your Love Life **
Are you feeling a little lost, challenged, or uninspired in your relationships and would love some guidance on your journey?
Our Free Breakthrough Session Call is a great place to start your path of discovery, so you can have more loving and intimate relationships that inspire you! Whether you’re already non-monogamous, involved with someone who is, or “poly-curious” and wondering if non-monogamy might be right for you, I work with people struggling with every aspect of multiple intimate relationships.
