When one discusses or thoughts about intimacy in a romantic partnership, what generally, comes to mind are physical acts, like holding hands, cuddling, kissing, and also, and sex. Though, physical intimacy is an integral aspect of any romantic alliance it is one of the foremost factors that sets it apart from any other form of relationship, fostering emotional intimacy is simply as, if not more, important says couples therapist Shivani Sadhoo.
What is emotional intimacy? And why is it Important?
Emotional intimacy can be defined as letting yourself connect more deeply and intently with your partner through actions that display feelings, vulnerabilities, and trust. One part of a relationship is sharing your secrets, discussing your relationship, and telling your special one important news. A couple is usually happier when both partners can share and understand each other’s feelings.
Eventually, emotional intimacy forms a deep sense of security within your relationship and a capability to be completely yourself — warts and everything — without any feeling as if you risk the relationship itself. Without this kind of intimacy, a relationship struggles in several ways. For instance, you may feel bitter or resentful, experience hypersensitivity, have doubts or fears pertaining to your partner’s loyalty to you, or go through feelings of isolation or loneliness.
If emotional intimacy is absent, one or both the partners may feel a lack of safety, love, support, and overall bonding, and it also will most possibly impact your physical intimacy in a romantic relationship. It is not sustainable in the long term to have a romantic relationship without any emotional intimacy. If you think about emotional intimacy as the base of any relationship, it truly becomes a no-brainer to invest your resources (time, money, and energy) into forming it and continuing to nurture it.
This blog, by India’s leading marriage counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo talks about the importance of emotional intimacy and ways to improve it.
Some ways to improve emotional intimacy
Cultivating emotional intimacy is a continuous process and, like several things, might take some time to master. However, there are certain things you can do — beginning tonight — to enhance the emotional connection you have with your special one.
Be intentionally vulnerable to earn your partner’s trust
Even if you have spent an enormous amount of time with someone, it is at times difficult to break down your personal walls. Though you cannot force another person to become vulnerable, you can certainly go out of your way to be vulnerable yourself.
The practice of intentional vulnerability is crucially important. Rather than trying to be vulnerable in every aspect of your life, choose one place to begin. It may translate to sharing something that happened during work you may not have otherwise discussed, expressing your feelings you have had in the past that has been difficult to share or revealing a fact about yourself that you have been holding onto.
Shivani Misri Sadhoo is an internationally recommended relationship counsellor by the world’s biggest and most trusted study and research-based foundation for couples therapy – Gottman Institute. She is trained in specialised key relationship counselling Skills from AIIMS, VIMHANS and various other reputed institutions. Counsellor Shivani Misri Sadhoo is also certified in emotionally focused therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy.
Counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo is also a Certified Neuro Linguistic Practitioner with specialized training and experience in the field of affairs/betrayals, trust issues, difficulty communicating, conflicting values, bereavement, grief and loss (affairs, separation, divorce, childhood) and emotional health issue (anxiety, social anxiety, fear, depression, low mood).
Currently, Shivani Misri Sadhoo is one of the top counselors with the HIGHEST Success Rate with over 17,000 happy couples and individuals (based in India and abroad), who has benefited from her therapy. Psychologist and Counselor Shivani Misri Sadhoo not only practices independently from her clinic in Greater Kailash, Delhi, India, but also is listed on the panel of eminent hospitals like IBS Hospital Panel – Institute of Brain and Spine, Express Clinic, Fortis (formerly) based in Delhi.
Call Counselor: +91-8860875040
Email: saarthiforlife@gmail.com
