‘Filled with joy’: Psychologist opens up about life as part of a throuple

A high-profile psychologist has revealed the confession from a co-worker that completely changed her life – and her wife’s life.

A psychologist, who is part of a throuple, has revealed she “never once” considered a multiple relationship until a co-worker confessed she had feelings for her.

Dr Nicole LePera, who is a clinical psychologist in the US, posting online as @the.holistic.psychologist, spoke about her relationship on Annie Macmanus’ podcast Changes.

Dr LePera often posts about her own experiences to her 6.6 million followers, including how she ended up being in a throuple with her wife Lolly and co-worker Jenna Weakland.

She met Jenna at the first event she ever ran, which was a free guided meditation in Los Angeles.

“She was someone who was in the community for a very long time – I knew her [social media] handle – so when she approached me I was like, ‘I know you,’” she said.

Lolly, Jenna Weakland and Dr Nicole LePera are in a throuple. Picture: Instagram/@the.holistic.psychologist

She hired Jenna to work for the business, and after she and Lolly moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles the three ended up spending a lot of time together.

“Somewhere months down the line things started to get really difficult and conflictual between us – a lot of nitpicking and snapping at each other,” she said.

One morning Dr LePera and Jenna were discussing how to move past it, and the co-worker revealed she had romantic feelings for both of the married women, who had been together at that point for seven years.

Jenna said she felt confused as she had never been in anything but a monogamous relationship before and didn’t know how the other two women would react.

“Never once [had Lolly and I] thought about or talked about – or even heard – about a more plural or multiple relationship,” Dr LePera said. But she added she felt excitement at Jenna’s admission.

Over several months, the three shifted their dynamic to a more romantic space.

Dr LePera initially came out as gay when she was 19 – with her mother not talking to her for three months afterwards.

So revealing to the world that she was in a relationship with two people at the same time was something she was very nervous about, both for the reaction towards the three of them and the possible blowback on their business.

But the psychologist felt she was being unauthentic by not being open about it, and wanted to help others who may be in a similar situation.

In August 2022, Dr LePera officially revealed her relationship status, sharing a photo of herself and her two partners on Instagram.

“I am in a throuple. A three-person committed relationship,” she wrote in the caption.

That day, her Instagram account lost its highest number of followers.

But since then, she has continued to speak about the positives of their relationship, writing on one post: “There are so many perks to having a life partnership with more than one human.

“More than a throuple, we are a family, best friends – a team. I love building life with you angels.”

Dr LePera said people don’t fit into a box called “partner”, and while she will never try to actively convince people to switch to multiple relationships, the relationship allows her to be authentic.