Sexual intimacy is a key element to any healthy and happy relationship. Regardless of relationship duration, concerns about sexual intimacy and its role may arise. In actual fact, regular, sexual intimacy has been proven to strengthen a couple’s bond and maintain the bond over time.
This may be easier said than done! There is so much more to engaging in sexual intimacy with a partner that goes unnoticed! Enhancing sexual intimacy in a relationship involves multiple dimensions that vary between couples.
Enhancing Intimacy: Building a Fulfilling and Passionate Sex Life
This article will explore several different ways to promote an enriched sex life with your partner. Some areas include, communication, emotional connection, exploring sexual concerns, physical touch, differing sexual desires, and seeking professional help.
Sexual frequency, and satisfaction are directly correlated to relationship stability and satisfaction, according to Dr. Alexandra Critel. A satisfying sex life includes sexual compatibility, emotional closeness, shared interests, and preferences. Regular and meaningful sex not only improves relationships but also has physical benefits like increased blood flow, lower blood pressure, improved heart health, reduced stress, and, of course, enjoyment. So, let’s explore some different ways to increase our sexual intimacy with our partner!
Understanding the Role of Communication in Sexual Intimacy
Don’t underestimate the power of communication in sexual intimacy with your partner. Many valid reasons can make it challenging to discuss sex, such as past abuse, societal teachings, religious influences, previous experiences, fear of judgment, limited education, embarrassment, and difficulty in communication. Remember, talking about sex doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your sex life. In fact, being open and honest about your desires can lead to positive and fulfilling transformations. Embrace open communication to deepen intimacy and strengthen your relationship.
Opening up and discussing your preferences, wants, needs, and desires in the bedroom may open discussion with your partner of similar interests. You may be desiring or fantasising about something that your partner also wants but are just too afraid to ask for! On the contrary, you may want something that your partner is not interested in but may open the discussion for new or different opportunities in your sex life that you didn’t know existed.
Honesty and Transparency in Sexual Relationships
Don’t wait to ask for what you want or to just talk about sex with your partner. We always want to hold out and talk when things are ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’; that’s too late! But being open and honest from the start, making comments about how good it is, what could be done differently, or even saying what you want next time, it normalises the conversation and enhances the sexual encounters and intimacy.
Be honest with your partner! It’s important that we are honest and open with our partner about our wants and needs. Do not fake that you like something- this leads our partner to think that you like something that you don’t! honesty is always the best policy when it comes to sex and sexual intimacy. However, being honest does not mean that everything needs to be said at once. It’s okay to be honest with our partners and communicate in small steps so that we are not overwhelmed and can allow them to digest the information that we are giving.
Verbal and Nonverbal Expressions in Intimacy
Although honesty is key, not all of our communication needs to be given verbally either. This can include showing your partner what you might want, or moving their hand or their body to a place that feels better. Using both verbal and nonverbal communication, when it comes to sexual intimacy, can keep communication fun and alive.
As important as communication is, the second part to communication is receiving information from your partner as well. For communication to be effective, your partner must feel heard and validated and be met with non-judgement and support. By listening to our partner and being receptive to their needs and their feedback, it enhances our sexual intimacy and can create more pleasurable outcomes for both parties (or all parties) involved!
Exploring Emotional Connection and Intimacy
Emotional and sexual intimacy are separate, but very much connected. Emotional intimacy focuses on sharing feelings and emotions with our partner. It’s having the vulnerability to discuss openly, free of judgement and discrimination and knowing that you are safe. This connection allows a couple to connect on a more intimate level.
Sexual intimacy is connecting both emotionally and physically in a safe and vulnerable way. Couples who openly discuss and connect emotionally, are more likely to talk about their wants, needs and desires and therefore, connect more effective sexually as well. When people feel emotionally connected to their partner, it leads to sexual intimacy through emotional closeness.
Trust and Intimacy
Trust and intimacy are very much connected. When we are emotionally vulnerable and trust that our partner will receive this vulnerability with empathy, and compassion, our level of intimacy may increase. Trust is about feeling safe and secure with our partner, when our trust is high, we feel extremely emotionally connected to our partner, and often our sexual intimacy increases. Unfortunately, the breaking of trust can also affect our emotional connection and, consequently, our sexual intimacy. This cycle of impact can significantly influence the health and future of our relationship.
Through the exploration of both yours and your partner’s emotional and sexual needs, it can increase trust, connection, and vulnerability. This can enhance stability and connection in your relationship, building a stronger foundation for the future.
Addressing Sexual Concerns and Issues
We hear commonly of people who are struggling with sexual concerns, the most common concerns fit into a few categories; desire, arousal, orgasm, pain, and dysfunction. When a partner feels as though they are the problem, it may make engaging in sexual encounters uncomfortable and even anxiety provoking leading to many overarching themes and problems in their intimate lives. Time and time again, people are told to relax, take it slow, and/or have a drink. These problems are often left for years before being confronted and supported.
Psychotherapy can provide support in resolving sexual issues by delving into underlying feelings and emotions. It involves working together with your partner to explore potential solutions. Communication plays a crucial role in understanding each other’s sexual needs and desires. However, some concerns may require medical intervention, and it’s important to consult a healthcare professional. A thorough medical examination is essential to develop an appropriate plan tailored to your specific situation.
Promoting Sensual and Erotic Exploration
Couples often seek new sensual experiences for various reasons. Whether it’s the excitement of a new relationship, a desire to spice things up, or inspiration from media, exploring new sexual activities can be both thrilling and daunting. When our sex life feels unfulfilling, it can be intimidating to discuss trying something new with our partners. However, engaging in new sensual or erotic activities can enhance communication, boost our sex drive, and promote growth in our relationship. It’s an opportunity to add excitement, deepen connection, and foster relationship stability.
Let’s start with our senses! Sex therapists often focus on creating sensual connection when working with couples. This is because when couples focus on creating intimate sensations without orgasm and erotic initiation, it can enhance the connection between the couple. Sensual touching promotes couples to be present with one another without the goal of orgasm but can lead to orgasm.
Enhancing Intimacy with Consent and Communication
Once the couple is present with one another and has explored the sensual side of their love life, it may be time to explore the erotic side. Now, this does not need to mean whips and chains (but it can if that’s what you want to try). This could be things like trying out a new toy with your partner, watching an erotic film together, or trying a new sexual position. Whatever your comfort levels, it is important that we never try a new sexual act without the consent of our partner. Boundaries need to be established, and depending on the act, discussing a safe word or gesture becomes important if something is outside of our partner’s comfort zone.
When exploring sexual boundaries and limits through sensuality or eroticism, it is important that we maintain open and honest communication with our partner to create a safe and trusting environment and make the most out of the experience.
Enhancing Intimacy through Physical Touch
In relationships, we often overlook the simple things. Initially, we naturally crave closeness and physical affection with our partners. However, as time passes, we may unintentionally neglect these gestures, leading to a decline in intimacy. Physical touch serves as a love language, speaking volumes to many of us. Small acts like holding hands, touching shoulders, or placing a hand on a leg not only convey presence but also foster intimacy.
When emotional disconnection arises, therapists may suggest engaging in small acts of physical touch to rebuild the couple’s bond. These gestures go beyond mere sexual expression, focusing on emotional connection and affection between partners.
Incorporating daily physical touch into your relationship can foster reconnection and deepen the bond between you and your partner. It’s important to nurture closeness through touch without the expectation of sex. Through this practice, the bond between two individuals can strengthen and flourish.
Managing Differences in Sexual Desire
Mismatched sex drives and libidos are common in relationships. There are so many things in life that can throw us out of sync with our partner. This may include kids, work, ageing an or preference. Whether you desire more or less sex than your partner, it can feel frustrating if you and your partner are not on the same page when it comes to having sex. However, there are different ways to work around differing desires for sex.
Sometimes it can help to schedule sex. Although it can feel a little more planned or staged, planning sex can help to connect you and your partner again, and over time, can bring the spontaneity back into having sex. Boundaries are important here, as a couple, there needs to be mutual respect that if it comes time to the planned date, that if someone is not feeling into it, that their ‘no’ is respected. In these situations, it may be best to incorporate some physical intimacy like holding hands while going for a walk, or cuddling on the couch while watching a movie to simply maintain the intimacy while you sort through this time.
Exploring Low Libido
Understanding the underlying causes of low libido is vital. Consult a healthcare professional to rule out any medical conditions. Psychotherapeutic guidance can offer coping strategies for individuals facing libido challenges, promoting overall well-being and benefiting their relationship.
During this journey, compassion between partners is essential. Emotions tied to sex can evoke feelings of rejection, self-consciousness, and confusion. Effective communication is key. Openly express your feelings and show a willingness to support each other, paving the way for meaningful solutions and progress in your relationship.
Incorporating Variety and Spontaneity in the Bedroom
There is much debate on whether planned sex or spontaneity is better or more effective. There are many trains of thought, however, some people prefer an element of anticipation and excitement around sex that they feel is missing when it’s planned. But how might we bring that spontaneity back? Here are a few ideas!
It might be enough to plan a date night out! This might entail you both getting dressed up and dating (like you used too). Flirting at dinner and setting the scene for when you head back home allows your partner to anticipate in excitement for what’s to come. It may also be effective to send suggestive texts, or flirty texts to get your partner in the mood. Adding variety into the mix may also add excitement! Try something new! Opening the floor for communicating about fantasies and desires may bring excitement into the bedroom to explore and try something new with your partner rather than resorting to the same position or acts.
Adding variety and spontaneity into your sex life also brings in excitement and anticipation. It breaks routines that may have become familiar or potentially boring for both parties and may reignite the passion in the bedroom.
In the end
A lack of intimacy in marriages and relationships is a leading concern for experts in the counselling field. It is considered to be a leading cause for divorce and infidelity. Intimacy can take many different forms, but the foundation of intimacy is communication. Through strong communication about a person’s needs, wants and desires as well as their own personal concerns around sex, a couple has the power to overcome and work through any barriers that may be in their way. Through seeking professional help and exploring emotional and psychical connection, couples can walk away bonded and stronger than before.
If you and your partner are struggling intimately, reach out and see how we can help!
A strong intimate and sexual connection can make a large impact on the overall satisfaction and health of a couples relationship, and we want to be there to help you in whatever way we can!
References:
https://badgirlsbible.com/sexual-communication
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5016345/
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sexual-issues-general-therapy-0322126/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/link-between-emotional-and-sexual-intimacy
