Session 1
Live, 90 minutes. Replay included.
Most of us were never taught how to build a relationship. We were handed rules. "Don't fall for anyone else." "Text me when you leave." "We won't catch feelings." Then we spend the whole relationship checking that the rule holds, quietly bracing for the day it snaps. That is not trust. That is a leash, and you end up trusting the leash instead of the person.
This 90-minute live webinar teaches a different way. You will learn to tell the difference between a rule, which comes from fear and tries to control what someone else does, and an agreement, which starts from a real need and moves you toward what you actually want. It is the foundation everything else is built on, and once you see it you cannot unsee it.
We will walk through the six most common mistakes people make with agreements: promising feelings you cannot control, agreeing in the plural until no one owns anything, chasing reciprocity, re-signing the same broken agreement over and over, treating agreements as permanent, and negotiating from your bare minimum instead of your ideal. You will recognize your own patterns in at least a few of them, and you will finally understand why they keep failing.
Then we get to the heart of it: what commitment and emotional responsibility actually mean. Commitment is not forcing someone to do what they said they would. It is knowing what you want, knowing what you can offer, and saying it out loud. We will also look at why so many complaints about a "situationship" quietly point back at us, and what to do about that.
This is not a talk about polyamory, open relationships, or monogamy. It is about ethical relationships, and the tools work whatever your structure. Bring a pen, download the handout, and come with one real situation in mind. You will fill in reflection prompts as we go, so you leave with more than notes. You leave with the start of a plan.
This webinar stands completely on its own. It is also Part 1 of a pair. The companion Workshop is where you take these ideas into live practice and build your own agreements. Each one is worth your time alone. Together they take you from understanding the tools to using them.
You can pick up these tools and build the relationship you want, or you can let go and see what happens. But do you want to?
What you will learn:
The real difference between a rule and an agreement, and why it changes everything
The six most common mistakes, and how to spot yours
What commitment actually asks of you
Why "why won't they commit?" so often points back at us
How to ask for what you want without it being toxic
Format: Live, 90 minutes. Camera optional. Recorded, with the replay included. Handout provided.
A note before you join: This series is for relationships that are basically decent, where both people still have the power to do something different. It is not a resource for abusive or controlling relationships. Being responsible is never the same as being guilty, and no one ever deserves to be mistreated.