Intimacy

by Martin Fisher (Editor)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781468441628
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	03/19/2012
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1982
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

1 Intimacy: A Historical Perspective.- 2 Philosophical Approaches to Interpersonal Intimacy.- 3 Intimacy in Psychoanalysis.- 4 Object Relations Theory and Intimacy.- 5 Self-Theory and Intimacy.- 6 Intimacy in Interpersonal Psychoanalysis.- 7 Modern Psychoanalysis and Intimacy: Treatment of the Narcissistic Personality.- 8 The Shared Experience: A Theory of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.- 9 Existential Approaches to Intimacy.- 10 Humanistic Approaches to Intimacy.- 11 Intimacy in Gestalt Therapy.- 12 A Social Learning Approach to Intimacy.- 13 Intimacy in Rational-Emotive Therapy.- 14 Intimacy and Sex Therapy.- 15 Intimacy and Group Psychotherapy.- 16 Intimacy and Conjoint Marital Therapy.- 17 Passionate Love, Companionate Love, and Intimacy.- 18 Intimacy among Friends and Lovers.- 19 Attachment and Intimacy.- 20 Intimacy in Play and Play Therapy.- 21 Intimacy and the Psychotherapy of Adolescents.- 22 Intimacy Issues and the Older Patient.- 23 Intimacy in the Initial Interview.- 24 Aspects of Pseudointimacy in the Psychotherapy Relationship.- 25 Intimacy in the Supervisory Relationship.- 26 Intimacy in Assessment.