Five Types of Intimacy
Dr. Judy Ho
Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist | Tenured Professor | TV & Podcast Host | Published Author
Intimacy is a crucial element of strong, sustainable relationships. It helps us feel safe, protected, secure, and loved.?
People often assume that intimacy only exists in the context of romantic and sexual relationships, but there are actually five types of intimacy. All of them are essential to feeling fulfilled in our social connections, and helping us to access higher feelings of satisfaction, joy, and stronger mental and physical health.?
The next time you feel disconnected or lonely, ask yourself which type of intimacy you need the most, and connect with someone from your inner circle or another trusted person to meet this need—although it’s worth noting you don’t need one person to fulfill all five forms on their own.?
Ways to Cultivate Intimacy
Here are some ways you can address each type of intimacy with a friend, colleague or loved one:
Intimacy, or the degree of closeness between people, requires constant work, dedicated attention, and willingness to open up to, and put trust in others. But this effort is worthwhile - because it also brings you calm, joy, and the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself.
Bonus Tip: Deepening Your Connection with One Person
Identify one important person in your life whom you’d like to improve relationship with. Rate your satisfaction with this relationship on a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest satisfaction). Then, for one week, commit to doing something each day to foster intimacy with this person in the areas you choose. For example, you can pick your best friend, and do something to build your intellectual intimacy with them on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and something to grow your experiential intimacy with them on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. At the end of the week, rate your satisfaction with this relationship again. Chances are, you’ll see this number improve significantly - which gives you more motivation to continue this work with them and others in your life.
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My podcast is called?Mental Health Bites with Dr. Judy. In just 10 minutes, we dive into a hot topic, answer your burning questions, and leave you with a practical tip to improve your mental wellness. ??
I created this podcast for people who love to learn and improve themselves, but find they don’t have the time to listen to an entire podcast from beginning to end. Mental Health Bites is designed to be consumable while you’re on the go - you can get all the wellness information you need in just 10 minutes!
Here's where you can check out the podcast:
If you found this helpful, please share this with a friend.
Cheers to your health,
Dr. Judy Ho
Order The New Rules of Attachment here: https://bit.ly/3MvuvvF
About me:
Dr. Judy Ho, Ph. D., ABPP, ABPdN is a triple board certified and licensed Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, television and podcast host, and author of Stop Self-Sabotage.?An avid researcher and a two-time recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Services Research Award, Dr. Judy maintains a private practice where she specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations and expert witness work. She is often called on by the media as an expert psychologist and is also a sought after public speaker for universities, businesses, and organizations.
Dr. Judy received her bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Business Administration from UC Berkeley, and her masters and doctorate from SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She completed a National Institute of Mental Health sponsored fellowship at UCLA's Semel Institute.