Close Encounters

We want intimacy that evokes a loving sense of familiarity, attachment, companionship, devotion and trustan emotional haven that shelters during rough times with shared confidence, faith and support.Intimacy does not automatically evolve just because we are in love with someone. It takes time, patience and focus. Both partners must be willing to share their vulnerabilities to develop high-caliber intimacy. They can't worry about betrayal or loss of control. They must peel away the protective barriers to reveal the treasure.Although the steps to intimacy are not mysterious and the skills are not complex, they are elusive. The steps must be practiced, creating a dance where neither partner leads, but both are well schooled in the choreography. Without true intimacy, it is impossible to sustain passion.Here, we bring you 100 tips to heighten your intimacy. Sample a few, and we will wager that soon you will find your partner smiling more and opening up to the person he likes best in the worldyou.You and your partnerdestined to be a truly intimate couplewill be set to share a lifetime of love, warmth, and quintessential closeness. You want it. So, go out there and get it!

Marvin Stone, M.D. is a graduate of New York Medical College and completed his residency in psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. Dr. Stone has been practicing general psychiatry, marital therapy and sex therapy for over twenty years and is a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Stone resides in Houston, Texas.Cari La Grange Murphy is an accomplished freelance writer specializing in the fields of psychology, spirituality, health/fitness and relationships. She has completed her second book entitled Your Soul is Calling You and she resides in Houston, Texas where she is working on her third book.Diane Stafford has been a key figure in a number of magazines including Houston Home and Garden (editor-in-chief), Houston Health and Fitness(founder/editor-in-chief), Latin Music Magazine(senior editor), Philanthropy in Texas (editor) and Texas Woman Magazine (founder and editor-in-chief). Stafford now works as a freelance writer and edits books for Arte Publico Press.