Dr. Heath Schechinger

Dr. Schechinger wears a navy blue blazer over a light blue button up shirt and sits in front of a stone staircase. His hand are joined at over his lap. He has shoulder length brown curly hair, and smiles at the camera.

he/her

Dr. Heath Schechinger is a Co-Founder of PLAC and serves as the Executive Director of the Modern Family Institute, an organization dedicated to research, education, policy, and clinical practice focused on diverse family and relationship forms. Dr. Schechinger is also a Founding Co-Chair of the American Psychological Association Division 44 Committee on Consensual Non-monogamy, and sits on the board of the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy. Dr. Schechinger is honored to contribute as Affiliate Faculty at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.

With over a decade of experience in research and therapeutic practice, Dr. Schechinger’s groundbreaking work delves into the complex dynamics that underscore both monogamous and non-monogamous relationships. His research illuminates the factors that engender healthy, thriving relationships and extends into emerging paradigms like polyamory, platonic co-parenting, and other non-nuclear configurations.

A prolific author, Dr. Schechinger has penned multiple empirical publications and clinical resources that provide invaluable insights into the practice and ethics of CNM. His work has captured the attention of mainstream media, earning features in prominent outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, Vogue, Goop, and Psychology Today.

Through his integrated approach combining academic insight, clinical acumen, and social advocacy, Dr. Heath Schechinger remains at the forefront of the ongoing dialogue on family and relationship diversity.