Handbook of Consensual Non-Monogamy cover

Alumnus Theodore Burnes of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School has co-edited—with Dr. Michelle D. Vaughan, Associate Professor, School of Professional Psychology, Wright State University—the recently published The Handbook of Consensual Non-Monogamy: Affirming Mental Health Practice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022).

As the first comprehensive, intersectional examination of consensual non-monogamy, this handbook provides evidence-based research and practice across mental health disciplines on working with consensual non-monogamous (CNM) people and relationships.

The Handbook on Consensual Non-Monogamy provides a much needed comprehensive overview of what we now know about consensually non-monogamous relationships, drawing on a wide range of academic, therapeutic and activist theories and research,” writes Meg-John Barker, author of The Psychology of Sex and Understanding Non-Monogamies. “Situating monogamy and non-monogamy appropriately within a current capitalist, colonialist way of relating, this collection foregrounds anti-oppressive and relationship diversity affirming approaches to working with non-monogamous people across intersections. An invaluable resource for all professionals hoping to practice cultural humility around relationships and beyond.”

Theodore R. Burnes (Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology, Ph.D., ’06) is a Clinical Full Professor of Education in the Rossier School of Education at University of Southern California. He is a licensed psychologist and a licensed professional clinical counselor in the state of California. His professional interests include: the psychology of human sexual expression and sex-positivity; teaching and training pedagogy in mental health services; clinical supervision; social justice and advocacy; mental health and wellness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning (LGBTIQ) individuals; qualitative research epistemologies and ontologies.

Dr. Burnes is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (in Division 17 and Division 44) and is an Associate Editor for the journal Training and Education in Professional Psychology. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC). Dr. Burnes also maintains a private practice in which he sees a range of clients and also supervises pre-licensed professionals.