What is Fetish

Extra-relational sexual involvement is generally a taboo topic, with most Americans expecting their partners to remain faithful and monogamous in their relationship. However, while some couples exhibit traditional, monogamous relationships, other couples engage in consensually open arrangements for one or both partners. The spectrum of how relationships manifest make the taboo topic even more complex. This chapter examines episodes of Dr. Esther Perel's podcast Where Should We Begin? wherein couples seek therapy to discuss their primary romantic relationships after non-monogamy. Using relational dialectics theory, themes were identified through open-coding episode transcripts. Prominent among those codes were identification of relational needs, primary dialectical tensions, and fetishes within the relationships. The communicative practices of couples who experience non-monogamy as a result of open relationships as compared to those who experience affairs are explored throughout the themes.