Intimacy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

   PDF

2. Intimacy

   • Richard E. Sexton, Virginia Staudt Sexton

   Pages 1-20

3. Philosophical Approaches to Interpersonal Intimacy

   • Warren Wilner

   Pages 21-38

4. Intimacy in Psychoanalysis

   • Robert Mendelsohn

   Pages 39-51

5. Object Relations Theory and Intimacy

   • Jay S. Kwawer

   Pages 53-64

6. Self-Theory and Intimacy

   • Ernest S. Wolf

   Pages 65-77

7. Intimacy in Interpersonal Psychoanalysis

   • Joseph W. Newirth

   Pages 79-97

8. Modern Psychoanalysis and Intimacy

   • Jacob H. Kirman

   Pages 99-114

9. The Shared Experience

   • Martin N. Fisher

   Pages 115-125

10. Existential Approaches to Intimacy

    • Magda Denes

    Pages 127-140

11. Humanistic Approaches to Intimacy

    • Alvin R. Mahrer

    Pages 141-158

12. Intimacy in Gestalt Therapy

    • Douglas M. Davidove

    Pages 159-173

13. A Social Learning Approach to Intimacy

    • Gayla Margolin

    Pages 175-201

14. Intimacy in Rational-Emotive Therapy

    • Albert Ellis

    Pages 203-217

15. Intimacy and Sex Therapy

    • Judith Ladner

    Pages 219-230

16. Intimacy and Group Psychotherapy

    • Max Rosenbaum

    Pages 231-246

17. Intimacy and Conjoint Marital Therapy

    • Bernard Frankel

    Pages 247-266

18. Passionate Love, Companionate Love, and Intimacy

    • Elaine Hatfield

    Pages 267-292

19. Intimacy among Friends and Lovers

    • James M. McMahon

    Pages 293-304

20. Attachment and Intimacy

    • David Morris

    Pages 305-323

Intimacy is a complex and heterogeneous concept that has generated a variety of definitions, theories, and philosophies over the years. Al­ though there is much disagreement about the essential meaning of the term, there seems to be a consensus that intimacy, whatever it may be, is of central importance in human relationships, and specifically, in the theory and practice of psychotherapy. One approach to intimacy focuses on an intrapsychic conception. Intimacy occurs when an individual achieves full self-knowledge, and is fully in touch with his or her feelings and wishes. From this viewpoint, an intimate act occurs when a person is willing to share these feelings and wishes with another, so that self-disclosure becomes an important index of intimacy. This definition also implies that intimacy need not be reciprocal, so that a therapeutic relationship can achieve a good deal of intimacy without the therapist engaging in self-disclosure. An alternate approach to intimacy stresses the interpersonal nature of the concept. Intimacy is seen as the product of an interaction, and can only occur between people. Each one is able to touch something meaningful in the other, whether at a conscious, behavioral level or an unconscious and inferential level. Therapists seeking intimacy in these terms would probably be a good deal more active, and consider it more important to reveal something of the substance of their own persons, if not the facts of their lives.

• Therapeut
• assessment
• interaction
• play therapy
• psychoanalysis
• psychotherapy
• social learning
• stress

• Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, Garden City, USA

  Martin Fischer, George Stricker

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