Fear of intimacy

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July 25, 2011 — Intimacy. In close personal relationships, it’s a bond: an opening up to one another. Maybe it’s a romantic date or pillow talk or sex – a glue that keeps couples strong or a building block that leads to the next step in your relationship. All of us want this; at the same time most of us fear it. We get close, then get cold feet, shut down, and sabotage. But why? Do we suffer from old wounds? Do we let expectations get in the way? Maybe we’re unwilling to open that door all the way and expose our vulnerability? After all, terrible things could happen!

Dan Gottlieb explores the fear of intimacy – why we hide from what we want? We hear from international expert of interpersonal relationships Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. She’s the Director of Research and Education for theGlendon Association where she studies suicide and violence as well as couples and family relations. She is co-author (with Robert Firestone and Joyce Catlett) of Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice, Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion, and Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships. She is also a founder and contributor at PsychAlive.org and a blogger for Psychology Today.