Polyam Wellness Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:31:05 -0400 https://polyamradio.com/shows/wellness/ en-us © 2026 Polyam Wellness yes bfa691ac-c9ef-581c-bfff-c64e41a7edcc Polyam Radio episodic false  Living this life well takes more than good intentions. It takes knowledge, honest conversation, and access to information that actually applies to how we love and who we are. Polyam Well is the show that delivers all of it. Physical health, sexual health, mental and emotional wellness, communication tools, consent frameworks, and the research that speaks directly to people navigating relationships with more than one partner. No judgment, no hedging, no content written for an audience that doesn't look like us. Just straight, informed, caring conversation about how to take care of yourself and the people you love. 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Polyam Radio https://storage.buzzsprout.com/jtdogk2h5f5lnsf7a5e5nebw08lb?.jpg Polyam Wellness https://polyamradio.com/shows/wellness/ Becoming a Therapist - Olivia Duprez Becoming a Therapist - Olivia Duprez Polyam Wellness E017: Becoming a Therapist with Olivia Duprez

What does it take to become a therapist, and what happens when you want to specialize in communities that traditional therapy doesn't always understand?

In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banx sits down with Olivia Duprez, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Open By Design, for a casual conversation about her journey into the mental health profession. We talk about the years of education, thousands of hours of supervised experience, the challenges of working with polyamorous, ENM, and kink communities, and why finding a therapist who truly understands your relationships matters. Olivia also shares some excellent advice about choosing a therapist, asking questions, and remembering that trust is something you build, not something you owe someone simply because they have a degree.

Learn more about Olivia at https://openbydesigncoaching.com

]]> Polyam Wellness E017: Becoming a Therapist with Olivia Duprez

What does it take to become a therapist, and what happens when you want to specialize in communities that traditional therapy doesn't always understand?

In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banx sits down with Olivia Duprez, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Open By Design, for a casual conversation about her journey into the mental health profession. We talk about the years of education, thousands of hours of supervised experience, the challenges of working with polyamorous, ENM, and kink communities, and why finding a therapist who truly understands your relationships matters. Olivia also shares some excellent advice about choosing a therapist, asking questions, and remembering that trust is something you build, not something you owe someone simply because they have a degree.

Learn more about Olivia at https://openbydesigncoaching.com

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19928003 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:00:00 -0700 1001 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #OliviaDuprez #BecomingATherapist #MentalHealth #Therapy #Polyamory #EthicalNonMonogamy #ENM #KinkAwareTherapy #RelationshipTherapy #MarriageAndFamilyTherapy #OpenRelationships #OpenByDesign #AlonzoBanx 1 17 full false Elizabeth Schiff - Considerations for Consent. Elizabeth Schiff - Considerations for Consent. Consent is not a one-time yes. It is an ongoing conversation about boundaries, expectations, risk and the ability to stop when something changes. In Polyam Wellness E016, Alonzo Banx talks with sociologist and sex educator Dr. Elisabeth “Eli” Sheff about how consent is understood in BDSM and kink, why communication before a scene matters, what can happen when assumptions replace explicit agreements, and how alternative relationships can become complicated when they intersect with courts, custody and family life. The conversation also explores relationship compatibility, mixed monogamous and non-monogamous dynamics, and the importance of finding professionals who actually understand the communities they are serving.

https://sheffconsulting.org/ 

https://www.bondingproject.com/ 

Explore Dr. Eli Sheff's most recent projects HERE

]]> Consent is not a one-time yes. It is an ongoing conversation about boundaries, expectations, risk and the ability to stop when something changes. In Polyam Wellness E016, Alonzo Banx talks with sociologist and sex educator Dr. Elisabeth “Eli” Sheff about how consent is understood in BDSM and kink, why communication before a scene matters, what can happen when assumptions replace explicit agreements, and how alternative relationships can become complicated when they intersect with courts, custody and family life. The conversation also explores relationship compatibility, mixed monogamous and non-monogamous dynamics, and the importance of finding professionals who actually understand the communities they are serving.

https://sheffconsulting.org/ 

https://www.bondingproject.com/ 

Explore Dr. Eli Sheff's most recent projects HERE

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19871712 Sun, 27 Sep 2026 16:00:00 -0700 1431 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #Consent #BDSM #Kink #SexualHealth #SexEducation #SaferSex #Communication #Boundaries #Polyamory #ENM #EthicalNonMonogamy #AlternativeRelationships #RelationshipHealth #SexPositive #KinkCommunity #ConsentMatters 1 16 full false Four Days After Prostate Surgery: Michael's Story Four Days After Prostate Surgery: Michael's Story Four days after a robot-assisted simple prostatectomy, Michael sits down with Alonzo for an unusually candid conversation about what brought him to surgery and what recovery actually feels like while it is still happening. From years of worsening urinary symptoms and medications that eventually stopped being enough, to an enlarged prostate, bladder diverticula, surgery, a catheter, and the first days afterward, Michael shares the parts men rarely talk about—and the one thing he wishes he had done much sooner: learn what was happening inside his own body and ask more questions. 

]]> Four days after a robot-assisted simple prostatectomy, Michael sits down with Alonzo for an unusually candid conversation about what brought him to surgery and what recovery actually feels like while it is still happening. From years of worsening urinary symptoms and medications that eventually stopped being enough, to an enlarged prostate, bladder diverticula, surgery, a catheter, and the first days afterward, Michael shares the parts men rarely talk about—and the one thing he wishes he had done much sooner: learn what was happening inside his own body and ask more questions. 

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19691212 Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0700 1636 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #MensHealth #ProstateHealth #BPH #ProstateSurgery #MensWellness #HealthEducation #PatientAdvocacy #RoboticSurgery #AgingWell #SexualHealth 1 14 full false How Big is a Penis, really? How Big is a Penis, really? Forget the locker room, porn, bragging and folklore. How big is a penis, really? In Polyam Wellness E013, Noah puts a ruler to one of the questions a lot of men quietly carry around for years. What the research actually says about average size, how a penis is properly measured, growers versus showers, whether shoe size tells you anything, and how much size really matters to partners. The numbers may surprise you, but the bigger lesson is even simpler: a ruler can measure a penis. It cannot measure whether you are a good lover.

]]> Forget the locker room, porn, bragging and folklore. How big is a penis, really? In Polyam Wellness E013, Noah puts a ruler to one of the questions a lot of men quietly carry around for years. What the research actually says about average size, how a penis is properly measured, growers versus showers, whether shoe size tells you anything, and how much size really matters to partners. The numbers may surprise you, but the bigger lesson is even simpler: a ruler can measure a penis. It cannot measure whether you are a good lover.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19667681 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:00:00 -0700 622 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #PenisSize #MensHealth #MensWellness #SexualHealth #SexEducation #BodyConfidence #BodyImage #PenisHealth #SexualWellness #Intimacy #Communication #ENM #WellnessWithoutShame 1 13 full true Do Condoms Make you Safe? Do Condoms Make you Safe? Do condoms keep you safe? No. They make sex safer, and that difference matters. In Polyam Wellness E012, Brandi Beckett looks at what condoms actually protect against, what they cannot protect against, why material and fit matter, how lubrication and storage affect them, and the mistakes that can turn a very effective barrier into a much less effective one. Condoms remain one of the best tools we have, but safer sex is bigger than anything that comes out of a foil wrapper.

]]> Do condoms keep you safe? No. They make sex safer, and that difference matters. In Polyam Wellness E012, Brandi Beckett looks at what condoms actually protect against, what they cannot protect against, why material and fit matter, how lubrication and storage affect them, and the mistakes that can turn a very effective barrier into a much less effective one. Condoms remain one of the best tools we have, but safer sex is bigger than anything that comes out of a foil wrapper.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19667679 Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:00:00 -0700 681 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #Condoms #SaferSex #SexualHealth #SexEducation #STI #STIPrevention #BirthControl #CondomSafety #SexualWellness #ENM #Polyamory #Communication #WellnessWithoutShame 1 12 full true The Clitoris or where is the little man in the boat The Clitoris or where is the little man in the boat Most of us were taught that the clitoris is a tiny spot somewhere near the top of the vulva. That is true in roughly the same way that saying an iceberg is the part sticking out of the water is true. In Polyam Wellness E011, Kelsey Ireland takes us beyond the little man in the boat and into the anatomy most of us were never actually taught. Where the clitoris is, how much of it exists beneath the surface, why different bodies respond differently, and why knowing the anatomy matters for pleasure, communication, medical care and understanding your own body. Finding the clitoris was never supposed to be a trick.

]]> Most of us were taught that the clitoris is a tiny spot somewhere near the top of the vulva. That is true in roughly the same way that saying an iceberg is the part sticking out of the water is true. In Polyam Wellness E011, Kelsey Ireland takes us beyond the little man in the boat and into the anatomy most of us were never actually taught. Where the clitoris is, how much of it exists beneath the surface, why different bodies respond differently, and why knowing the anatomy matters for pleasure, communication, medical care and understanding your own body. Finding the clitoris was never supposed to be a trick.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19667669 Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:00:00 -0700 1210 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #Clitoris #ClitoralAnatomy #Vulva #SexualHealth #SexEducation #WomensHealth #Pleasure #BodyKnowledge #SexualWellness #Communication #Anatomy #WellnessWithoutShame 1 11 full true Periods Suck -  A Men's Primer. Periods Suck -  A Men's Primer.  Periods are normal. They can also hurt, exhaust you, wreck your sleep, upset your stomach, change your mood, and generally make an ordinary day a lot harder. In Polyam Wellness E010, “Periods Suck: A Men’s Primer,” Kelsey Ireland gives men the education most of us never got. What a period actually is, why cramps happen, what PMS and PMDD mean, when pain or bleeding deserves medical attention, what menstrual products actually do, and perhaps most importantly, how to support someone without trying to explain their own body back to them. You do not have to experience a period to understand one. You just have to learn enough to stop being useless when someone you care about is having one. 

]]>  Periods are normal. They can also hurt, exhaust you, wreck your sleep, upset your stomach, change your mood, and generally make an ordinary day a lot harder. In Polyam Wellness E010, “Periods Suck: A Men’s Primer,” Kelsey Ireland gives men the education most of us never got. What a period actually is, why cramps happen, what PMS and PMDD mean, when pain or bleeding deserves medical attention, what menstrual products actually do, and perhaps most importantly, how to support someone without trying to explain their own body back to them. You do not have to experience a period to understand one. You just have to learn enough to stop being useless when someone you care about is having one. 

]]> Polyam Radio Buzzsprout-19626527 Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0700 1458 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #PeriodsSuck #MensPrimer #Menstruation #PeriodEducation #MenstrualHealth #PeriodPain #PMS #PMDD #SexualHealth #RelationshipEducation #MensEducation #WomensHealth #WellnessWithoutShame 1 10 full true The Prostate and What It Does The Prostate and What It Does Most men know they have a prostate. Far fewer know what the hell it actually does until it starts demanding their attention. In Polyam Wellness E009, Noah takes us through one of the busiest intersections in the male body. What the prostate does, why it can affect urination, ejaculation, fertility and sexual function, what BPH and prostatitis actually mean, how PSA testing works, and when a change deserves medical attention. It is thirteen minutes of anatomy and health information most of us probably should have learned decades ago. 

]]> Most men know they have a prostate. Far fewer know what the hell it actually does until it starts demanding their attention. In Polyam Wellness E009, Noah takes us through one of the busiest intersections in the male body. What the prostate does, why it can affect urination, ejaculation, fertility and sexual function, what BPH and prostatitis actually mean, how PSA testing works, and when a change deserves medical attention. It is thirteen minutes of anatomy and health information most of us probably should have learned decades ago. 

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19621621 Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:00:00 -0700 834 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #ProstateHealth #MensHealth #Prostate #BPH #Prostatitis #PSA #ProstateCancer #SexualHealth #MensWellness #PelvicHealth #HealthEducation #WellnessWithoutShame 1 9 full false Do I Have Herpes Do I Have Herpes A sore, a positive blood test, or a worried phone call can create more questions than answers. This episode explains what herpes can look like, when a lesion swab is most useful, why blood test timing and index values matter, and why a low positive HSV 2 result may need confirmation before anyone treats it as a lifelong diagnosis.

]]> A sore, a positive blood test, or a worried phone call can create more questions than answers. This episode explains what herpes can look like, when a lesion swab is most useful, why blood test timing and index values matter, and why a low positive HSV 2 result may need confirmation before anyone treats it as a lifelong diagnosis.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19605639 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:00 -0700 944 herpes, HSV 1, HSV 2, STI testing, sexual health, herpes blood test, lesion swab, false positive, partner communication, Polyam Wellness 1 8 full true Erectile Dysfunction When the Body Does Not Cooperate Erectile Dysfunction When the Body Does Not Cooperate An erection is not a simple yes or no signal of desire. Heather and Alonzo talk plainly about stress, medication, condoms, performance pressure, new partners, ED medication, and the many ways good sex can continue when a penis does not cooperate.

]]> An erection is not a simple yes or no signal of desire. Heather and Alonzo talk plainly about stress, medication, condoms, performance pressure, new partners, ED medication, and the many ways good sex can continue when a penis does not cooperate.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19605628 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:00 -0700 955 Erectile dysfunction, ED, sexual health, performance pressure, intimacy, communication, ED medication, sexual confidence, Polyam Wellness 1 7 full true Did Doctors Really Invent the Vibrator to Cure Hysteria Did Doctors Really Invent the Vibrator to Cure Hysteria The famous story says Victorian doctors invented the vibrator because their hands got tired treating women for hysteria. The evidence tells a very different story. This episode separates the myth from the medical record and follows the vibrator from early massage machines into the history of modern sexual technology.

]]> The famous story says Victorian doctors invented the vibrator because their hands got tired treating women for hysteria. The evidence tells a very different story. This episode separates the myth from the medical record and follows the vibrator from early massage machines into the history of modern sexual technology.

]]> Polyam Radio Buzzsprout-19596358 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:00 -0700 1617 vibrator history, hysteria myth, sex toys, sexual history, women’s health, medical history, Magic Wand, sexuality education, Polyam Wellness 1 6 full true What Percentage of America Is Bisexual or Gay What Percentage of America Is Bisexual or Gay What do the numbers really mean when identity, attraction, behavior, and fantasy do not always line up? This episode separates the statistics from the assumptions, looks at why bisexuality appears differently across age and gender, and explains why one thought or experience does not automatically define someone’s identity.

]]> What do the numbers really mean when identity, attraction, behavior, and fantasy do not always line up? This episode separates the statistics from the assumptions, looks at why bisexuality appears differently across age and gender, and explains why one thought or experience does not automatically define someone’s identity.

]]> Polyam Radio Buzzsprout-19596355 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:00 -0700 1268 bisexuality, gay, LGBTQ, sexual orientation, sexual identity, attraction, Kinsey Scale, sexuality statistics, Polyam Wellness 1 5 full true Are we all becoming poly? Are we all becoming poly? Polyamory is appearing more often in media, relationships, and everyday conversation—but is human behavior actually changing, or are people simply gaining better language and more freedom to live openly? In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banks looks at the history, research, and cultural shifts behind consensual non-monogamy and asks what is really changing.

]]> Polyamory is appearing more often in media, relationships, and everyday conversation—but is human behavior actually changing, or are people simply gaining better language and more freedom to live openly? In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banks looks at the history, research, and cultural shifts behind consensual non-monogamy and asks what is really changing.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19535301 Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:00:00 -0700 1580 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #Polyamory #EthicalNonMonogamy #ConsensualNonMonogamy #OpenRelationships #RelationshipCulture #ModernRelationships #ENMCommunity #ConnectedCommunities 1 4 full true Why did he go soft Why did he go soft When a man loses an erection, both partners may immediately assume it means rejection, lost attraction, or failed sex. In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banks explains how stress, pressure, fatigue, medication, alcohol, age, condoms, and general health can affect erections—and why a penis should never be expected to speak for the man.

]]> When a man loses an erection, both partners may immediately assume it means rejection, lost attraction, or failed sex. In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banks explains how stress, pressure, fatigue, medication, alcohol, age, condoms, and general health can affect erections—and why a penis should never be expected to speak for the man.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19535299 Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0700 1377 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #ErectileHealth #MensHealth #SexualHealth #PerformanceAnxiety #SexEducation #Intimacy #ENMCommunity #ConnectedCommunities 1 3 full true Yes, blue balls are real. Yes, blue balls are real. Blue balls are real, but they are temporary, rarely dangerous, and never another person’s responsibility to fix. In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banxs explains what causes the discomfort, how the body resolves it, what can help, and when testicular pain may signal something more serious.

]]> Blue balls are real, but they are temporary, rarely dangerous, and never another person’s responsibility to fix. In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banxs explains what causes the discomfort, how the body resolves it, what can help, and when testicular pain may signal something more serious.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19535290 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0700 703 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #BlueBalls #SexualHealth #MensHealth #ConsentMatters #SexEducation #BodyAwareness #ENMCommunity #ConnectedCommunities 1 2 full true Is Semen Supposed to Look Like That? Is Semen Supposed to Look Like That? Semen can change in color, texture, thickness, and volume, but most people were never taught what those changes actually mean. In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banks explains what is usually normal, which changes deserve medical attention, and why appearance alone cannot tell you whether someone is fertile or free from an STI.

]]> Semen can change in color, texture, thickness, and volume, but most people were never taught what those changes actually mean. In this episode of Polyam Wellness, Alonzo Banks explains what is usually normal, which changes deserve medical attention, and why appearance alone cannot tell you whether someone is fertile or free from an STI.

]]> Polyam Wellness Buzzsprout-19535285 Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0700 1342 #PolyamWellness #PolyamRadio #SexualHealth #MensHealth #SemenHealth #STIAwareness #FertilityHealth #SexEducation #ENMCommunity #ConnectedCommunities 1 1 full true