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Ethics and Values in Music Therapy for Persons Who Are Elderly
Published in Patricia J. Villani, Ethics and Values in Long Term Health Care, 2016
In addition to providing programs for those who are old, music therapy interventions can also be designed for family members and/or caregivers to provide stress relief and management, opportunities for personal enrichment, and opportunities to interact purposefully and meaningfully with care receivers. With this interaction comes the restoration of emotional intimacy so essential to satisfactory relationships.
Shame, Vulnerability, and the Four Spheres of Self
Published in Ron Potter-Efron, Bruce Carruth, Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism, 2013
Ron Potter-Efron, Bruce Carruth
aspects of self are protected by a veil of privacy that includes a feeling of shame when exposed (Schneider, 1977). "Emotional intimacy" occurs as these more hidden aspects of self are revealed to others with the hope that they will be judged acceptable. These interactions take place primarily in what I have labeled the "Comparative Self" layer. The main dynamic of this layer is in revealing the negatively judged (shamed) self to others in the quest for positive acceptance. 4. A protective, defensive layer develops between these two senses of self. The main purpose of this layer is to help keep from view those aspects of self that are least accepted, the parts of the self that bring shame when observed. This layer, then, defends individuals both from the negative judgment of others and from the feeling of shame itself. For example, people often withdraw from contact not after they have been shamed but before any judgmental interactions, just so they will not have to endure the feeling of shame. Similarly, the rage response may be utilized by an individual in order to force people to
Infidelity
Published in Fred P. Piercy, Katherine M. Hertlein, Joseph L. Wetchler, Handbook of the Clinical Treatment of Infidelity, 2013
Katherine M. Hertlein, Joseph L. Wetchler, Fred P. Piercy
Emotional infidelity, rather than being characterized by a physical component, is instead defined by emotional intimacy and connection shared by two people to the exclusion of one of their partners (Collins, 1999; Drigotas, Safstrom, & Gentilia, 1999; Shackelford, 1997; Spring, 1996). An emotional affair occurs when one invests resources such as romantic love, time, and attention in another person other than the partner (Shackelford, 1997). Aspects of emotional intimacy may include sharing, understanding, companionship, self-esteem, and an otherwise close relationship (Glass & Wright, 1992). Moultrup (1990) refers to infidelity as an emotional solution to an emotional problem. Emotional affairs also appear to be more prevalent than physical affairs. Glass (2003), for example, reports that 44% of husbands and 57% of wives in her study indicated that in their affair, they had a strong emotional involvement to the other person without intercourse. Further, women are more likely to have an emotional component in their infidelity than men (Glass & Wright, 1985; Shackelford, 1997; Sheppard, Nelson, & Andreoli-Mathie, 1995). Emotional intimacy is clearly a powerful bond maintaining an affair (Glass, 2003).
An online sensate focus application to treat sexual desire discrepancy in intimate relationships: contrasting case studies
Published in Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 2023
A small number of studies have examined ways in which couples can mitigate instances of sexual desire discrepancy in their relationships (Herbenick et al., 2014; L. M. Vowels & Mark, 2020). Herbenick et al. (2014) focused on a sample of women and found several strategies that the women used to manage sexual desire discrepancy in their relationship including having sex anyway, using toys, other physical closeness, or scheduling sex. Furthermore, in a mixed methods study, Vowels and Mark (2020) found that using partnered strategies (i.e. communication, spending time together, and having sex anyway) were better predictors of sexual and relationship satisfaction than using solitary strategies (i.e. doing nothing or masturbating alone). Additionally, other studies have provided suggestions on how to maintain sexual desire between partners. These include working on improving emotional intimacy (Brotto et al., 2009; Campbell & Rubin, 2012) and communication (Ferreira et al., 2014), and engaging in self-expanding activities together and avoiding monotony (Ferreira et al., 2014). These studies suggest that there are ways in which couples can mitigate instances of sexual desire discrepancy in their relationships and doing it with a partner is likely to be more beneficial than doing something alone.
Sexual Satisfaction in Older Heterosexual Couples From Four European Countries: Exploring the Roles of Actual and Perceived Discrepancy in Sexual Interest
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2021
N. Fischer, A. Štulhofer, G. M. Hald, A. Carvalheira, B. Træen
Some studies suggest that sexual satisfaction and well-being in older women and men are not matters of quantity but quality (Forbes et al., 2017; Gillespie, 2017b; Lodge & Umberson, 2012; Ménard et al., 2015). For instance, research findings seem to indicate that, compared to penetrative intercourse, other types of intimate physical activities such as exchanging affection (kissing, cuddling, hugging, caressing) become more essential as a source of sexual satisfaction as people age (Clarke, 2006; Hinchliff & Gott, 2004; Hinchliff et al., 2018; Sandberg, 2013). In addition, emotional intimacy, defined as “a perception of closeness to another that is conducive to the sharing of personal feelings, accompanied by expectations of understanding, affirmation, and demonstrations of caring” (Sinclair & Dowdy, 2006, p. 194), seems to be associated with what is perceived as “good sex.” For example, a qualitative study investigating facilitators of “optimal” sexuality in older age indicated a strong link between relationship quality (closeness, emotional intimacy, trust, feelings of love, caring for each other, and communication) and “optimal sexual experiences” (Ménard et al., 2015, p. 87). It is interesting that while a growing number of qualitative approaches point to the importance of emotional and sexual intimacy in older ages (Clarke, 2006; Hinchliff & Gott, 2004; Hinchliff et al., 2018; Lodge & Umberson, 2012; Ménard et al., 2015; Sandberg, 2013), quantitative studies exploring the relationship between emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction in older heterosexual couples are lacking.
A randomized pilot trial of a couple-based intervention addressing sexual concerns for breast cancer survivors
Published in Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 2019
Jennifer Barsky Reese, Katherine Clegg Smith, Elizabeth Handorf, Kristen Sorice, Sharon L. Bober, Elissa T. Bantug, Sharon Schwartz, Laura S. Porter
All participants completed relationship outcome measures. The Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale (DSCS)28,29 assessed perceived quality of communication about sex in the context of the intimate relationship (i.e., sexual communication). Cronbach’s alpha = .83 and .89 for survivors and partners, respectively. Emotional intimacy was assessed using the Emotional Intimacy subscale of the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR),30 which measures feelings of closeness in the context of participants’ intimate relationships. Cronbach’s alpha = .83 and .80 for survivors and partners, respectively. Relationship quality was assessed through the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS-7),31 an abbreviated form of the DAS that focuses on consensus in the relationship and correlates well with the full DAS.32 Cronbach’s alpha = .83 and .64 for survivors and partners, respectively.