one of the great truisms in psychology is the fact that relationships matter to our sense of well-being. two of those stages applied specifically to the college years: identity vs. identity diffusion and intimacy vs. isolation (click on these links to read more about them). our participants were in their late 50s, and we had data from their college years that we could use to predict their scores on identity and intimacy at the earlier intervals when they were in …

this is one of the main reasons it’s important for people who have fears to find healthy ways to deal with intimacy disorders and emotional intimate discomfort. one of the most common fears of being intimate that can lead to problems with being intimate is the fear of abandonment or loss. this is a direct route to the development of issues with being intimate. maintain a balanced distance until your partner lets you know that they are ready to work …

intimacy has more to do with shared moments than sexual interactions. intimacy is linked with feelings of closeness, safety, trust and transparency among partners in a collaborative relationship. intimacy is both the ability and the choice to be close, loving and vulnerable. this ability to be separate and together in an intimate relationship and being okay with that is called self-differentiation. this too is different from intimacy though to some that kind of dependent closeness may feel the same. the …

“that dip can happen for a number of reasons, including the natural progression of your relationship over time,” says chris kraft, ph.d., director of clinical services at the sex and gender clinic in the department of psychiatry at johns hopkins medicine. “it’s natural for a couple’s sex life to decline after having a baby because of the exhaustion and lack of private time,” says kraft. “and, couples aren’t as intentional about connecting with each other as they were earlier in …

you feel attached to this person in a special way, and you might find that you want to spend as much time with them as possible. a soulmate is someone that you feel comfortable with, and you’re surprised to find that you constantly find new things that you overlap with in terms of connection. this can be a way that you determine if someone is your soulmate; you want to know that the needs of each partner are valued and …