“I want an open relationship.”

It’s a sentence I hear more often in therapy—and rarely as simple as it sounds.

For many couples, this desire doesn’t come from rebellion or dissatisfaction. It comes from curiosity, growth, or the realization that monogamy was never consciously chosen—just inherited. But wanting something different isn’t the same as being ready for it.

Opening a relationship can deepen connection and self-awareness. It can also expose insecurities, communication gaps, and mismatched expectations that were easier to ignore before.

Before you download an app, set rules, or call yourselves “open,” it’s worth slowing down. What do you actually mean by open? What are you hoping it will give you? And are you both genuinely choosing this path—or is one of you quietly trying to keep the peace?

This blog walks you through the questions most couples skip—so whatever decision you make, it’s grounded in clarity, not impulse.