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A Final Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Diploma Program and Master’s Degree in Process Work, Process Work Institute, Portland, OR
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http://www.processwork.org/files/Finalprojects/Henrich_R_June_2011.pdf
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Dear Reader: What You Need to Know about this Paper This paper is a hybrid of sorts. It is at once my personal relationship story, a scientific research study on polyamorous lifestyles, and a resource for process work therapists and other clinicians working with polyamorous clients. That sounds like a lot for one paper to carry, and it is! Even as I was writing the paper and pulling it together, I thought, “Perhaps, I should simplify. I could make a paper out of any one of these topics, no need to cover all three!” Indeed, at first glance, the three approaches appear strange bedfellows: there is the storyteller, the researcher, and the Process Worker all mixed up together, and although I was tempted to follow just one of these paths for the sake of ease and clarity, I quickly realized that my life has never really been about taking the clear and well-traveled road. Instead, my life has largely leaned towards exploring the more unknown and unpaved paths that challenge societal norms. So the pioneer in me said, “Why stop now? Just accept and believe in the path that this paper has taken and go for it!” As you will see, much of this paper is about freedom and following a path of heart that chooses two or three primary relationships when choosing only one would have been the easier road. So, it is fitting that, in the end, I found the inner and outer freedom to let this paper express its diverse nature as well as my own. As you follow along, dear reader, you will notice the voices of the storyteller, the researcher, and the ProcessWorker zigzagging throughout. I hope you are able to embrace all of them to one degree or another, just as I have.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Dear Reader: What You Need to Know about this Paper This paper is a hybrid of sorts. It is at once my personal relationship story, a scientific research study on polyamorous lifestyles, and a resource for process work therapists and other clinicians working with polyamorous clients. That sounds like a lot for one paper to carry, and it is! Even as I was writing the paper and pulling it together, I thought, “Perhaps, I should simplify. I could make a paper out of any one of these topics, no need to cover all three!” Indeed, at first glance, the three approaches appear strange bedfellows: there is the storyteller, the researcher, and the Process Worker all mixed up together, and although I was tempted to follow just one of these paths for the sake of ease and clarity, I quickly realized that my life has never really been about taking the clear and well-traveled road. Instead, my life has largely leaned towards exploring the more unknown and unpaved paths that challenge societal norms. So the pioneer in me said, “Why stop now? Just accept and believe in the path that this paper has taken and go for it!” As you will see, much of this paper is about freedom and following a path of heart that chooses two or three primary relationships when choosing only one would have been the easier road. So, it is fitting that, in the end, I found the inner and outer freedom to let this paper express its diverse nature as well as my own. As you follow along, dear reader, you will notice the voices of the storyteller, the researcher, and the ProcessWorker zigzagging throughout. I hope you are able to embrace all of them to one degree or another, just as I have.