emotional and sexual intimacy

I found the following descriptions of what sexual and emotional intimacy might look like and am posting them here for future reference. I believe both are equally important, in addition to spiritual intimacy.


Emotional Intimacy:

Many couples never make it to emotional intimacy because it is in emotional intimacy where you must accept the person for whom he or she is without reservation, flaws, irrationality and all. At this level, you feel comfortable sharing yourself without fear of repercussions. On a daily basis, both parties feel comfortable to voice and share their anger, happiness, secrets, sensual side and sexual feelings. You know you are loved and love your partner no matter how either of you feel or act.

Emotional Intimacy


Sexual Intimacy:

Anyone can have sex; it takes something special go from physical activity to intimacy. Sexual intimacy involves the full range of sensual perception including touch, kiss, looks, expressions of endearment, (the exchanging of gifts and favors for events and just because), communication, comments and of course, intercourse and orgasm. The key to sexual intimacy is sexual liberation, a state that takes time, patience and tremendous trust to reach.

Sexual liberation is the right to accept or decline advances without fear of ridicule, rape or coercion. If wife withholds sex regularly as a tool of manipulation, sexual liberation has not been achieved. If a man withholds sex due to physical problems without making his partner aware of these, such as embarrassment over erectile dysfunction or a lack of desire due to stress, sexual intimacy has not been achieved, (this also would fall under emotional intimacy). Likewise if a woman continually fakes orgasm and is afraid to talk with her partner about it and seek a solution together...you got it, she and her partner have not achieved sexual intimacy. With sexual liberation, even embarrassing subjects like the inability to orgasm, herpes, past rapes, not being a virgin or being a virgin, sexual fears or loss of function, though difficult to bring up, should never make you feel like you will lose your partner should these be disclosed. If you feel that telling this issue may cause him/her to leave, you don't have trust. Without trust, you do not have intimacy. This is also why waiting to delve into sexual intimacy is recommended until after you've achieved a majority of elements in the preceding six. Trust takes time, a lot of time, to develop.

Sexual Intimacy