How do open relationships work?

In a nutshell, an open relationship means you still have one primary partner but both can have other sexual partners. Polyamory means you have multiple relationships that are both emotional as well as sexual. They may want to know from a therapeutic perspective if this kind of relationship can work.

What is the point of an open relationship?

Generally, people enter open relationships because they think its going to bring them more pleasure, joy, love, satisfaction, orgasms, excitement, or some combination of those.