Elisabeth A. Sheff Ph.D., CSE

About

Elisabeth “Eli” Sheff, Ph.D., is the foremost academic expert on polyamorous families with children world-wide. Her first book, The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families details the results of the first 15-years of her study of polyamorous families with children. Stories from the Polycule: Real Life in Polyamorous Families is Sheff's second book, and her third book is When Someone You Love is Polyamorous: Understanding Poly People and Relationships . An expert witness, relationship coach, Guardian Ad Litem, educational consultant, and speaker with a background in academic sociology, Dr. Sheff specializes in gender and sexual minority families, kink/BDSM, and consensual nonmonogamies. She is the CEO at Sheff Consulting.

Books by Elisabeth A. Sheff Ph.D., CSE

Recent Posts

Fat and Sexy: How Body Positivity Is Smashing Fat Phobia

Tips for clinicians who want to provide culturally competent care for fat clients.

The Truth About Breath Play and Choking During Sex

What is the difference between choking or strangulation and breath play? A few answers: legality, execution, and risk.

How Women Are Transforming "Public" Sex

While public sex is nothing new, the ways in which women are taking charge of their own public sexual interactions are transforming the public sexual landscape.

Queer Families Need Planning for Loved Ones’ Deaths

Dealing with death can be tricky, but even more so for queer families whose relationships might not be legally recognized. Planning makes a huge difference.

Sex Positivity as an Antidote to Shame

Sex positivity can help to counter the impacts of shame.

What's the Hierarchy in Multiple-Partner Relationships?

Hierarchy is hard to escape completely in consensual nonmonogamous relationships, as it pops up even if partners say it's not there.

Consensual NonMonogamies and Pride

Some question if CNM qualifies as queer and should be included in Pride festivities, which could help with visibility, rights, and protection from discrimination.

What to Know About the World of Group Relationships

Some consensually nonmonogamous relationships, like polygamy, group marriage, polyamory, and relationship anarchy, focus on the group as the center of the relationship.

3 Ways That a Couple Can Be Polyamorous

Some consensually nonmonogamous relationships—swinging, monogamish, and hierarchical polyamory—center on a primary couple. That is great for some and offensive to others.

Consensual Nonmonogamies Focused on Individuals

Consensually nonmonogamous relationships take many forms and can be confusing. What are solo poly and relationship anarchy?