Search Results for: lisa firestone/feed/2009/11/fear-of-intimacy

What Gets in the Way of You Having an Orgasm?

…ave revealed that when they achieved a combination of emotional and sexual intimacy with a man, they felt it broke the connection or sense of safety they felt from the “fantasy bond” they’d long experienced with their mothers. This illusion of fusion leaves many women with a feeling of fear about “growing up” or becoming fully differentiated from their mother or other prominent parental figures. Although these feelings are largely unconscious, the…

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Communication Between Couples: How to Communicate in a Relationship

…rbally. Read About: Three Things That Make Communication Impossible Related Books: Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships Fear of Intimacy  …

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How to Bring "Vacation Sex" Home With You

…n spite of the fact that most people say they want to fall in love and are fearful of the thought of ending up alone, when a person forms a real emotional attachmentto another person, it evokes a great amount of anxiety–a fear of loss, a separation from an old identity or a challenge to one’s self-protective defenses. The fantasy bond relieves each member of the couple of this anxiety and defends them against the deeper feelings of intimacy. As a…

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Toxic Relationships

…aying out patterns that turn the relationship toxic. Read about Overcoming Fear of Intimacy So Why Do You Enter a Toxic Relationship? Whether someone is driven to be with a person who is bad for them or compelled to push away a person who is good for them, people enter into a toxic relationship in order to repeat patterns from their past that are unpleasant but familiar. Of course, this is a highly unconscious process. People often choose a partne…

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"I Do Until I Don’t" The Truth Behind Celebrity Marriage

…mes when couples lose intimacy and emotional connections. According to Dr. Lisa Firestone, many couples maintain a fantasy bond in their relationships. This bond is an illusion of closeness and connection, but it is a fantasy version of love. In this way, couples preserve an imagination of love while keeping emotional distance from each other. This bond typically develops as couples fall out of love, yet they protect themselves by maintaining an i…

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CE Webinar – Love in the Age of Twitter

Presenters: Dr. Pat Love and Dr. Lisa Firestone Price: $15 Length: 90 Minutes 1.5 CE Credits available for an additional $15 purchase It’s not your imagination, 21st Century love relationships are more difficult to maintain. While 90 percent of young people still say that marriage is in their long-term plans, if trends continue, only half will be able to even come close to that goal. Relationships in general and marriage in particular, is more di…

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How I Came to Write a Book

…ook already and I write for mental health professionals.” Then I turned to Lisa Firestone. Her response, “Good idea, but I don’t have the time. I’m busy with my work at The Glendon Association and my blogs and my private practice.” Then they both said the same thing: “You should write it!” I said, “You can’t be serious!” My critical inner voice said, “You can’t write a book! Who are you kidding?” But my family and friends persisted in their suppor…

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The Importance of Psychological First Aid in Japan

…rst Aid is designed to help people cope with the stress, shock, confusion, fear, feelings of hopelessness, grief, anger, guilt and withdrawal that arise when a catastrophe has occurred. In Japan, these emotions are undoubtedly powerful, as people fear for their loved ones, their homes, their homeland, the jobs that sustain them and even the air they breathe. This state of shock not only impacts people’s long-term psychological stability, but their…

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Celebrating Transitions in this Season of Change

…ared. I stayed with Sally right where she was: in her fear. Validating her fear and concerns seemed to free up something for her. Her breathing became more even and she relaxed a bit. Her fear started to shift incrementally into excitement, and this grew as we began to consider her options. It reminded me of what Carl Rogers said: “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” When I think of transitions and ch…

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Negative Feelings, Essential Signals on the Road of Life: Supporting our Children on their Path

…er have a protective function. They are responses to threat and injustice. Fear, an emotion stirred by an impending event, prompts us to slam on the breaks and consider a proactive protective response. Planning, strategy, preparation, hard work, seeking resources and asking for help can all be rallied in response to a sense of fear. Anger activates the energy to try to make something STOP or to try to confront injustice to make change. Our kids ne…

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