On-Demand Webinars

Overcoming the Fear of Intimacy

 

 

In this Webinar: 

A 75-year longitudinal study from Harvard recently reported that love and relationships are by far the most important factors to leading a happy and fulfilling life. The study’s lead researcher, Dr. George Vaillant, wrote that there are two essential ingredients for a good life: “One is love. The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away.” So, why is it that we get in our own way when it comes to finding and maintaining love? On a romantic level, why are we our own worst enemy?

While most of us say we want love in our lives, so many of us find it difficult to tolerate meaningful romantic relationships that satisfy our needs and desires. Many people either struggle in selecting an appropriate, loving partner, or when they do enter a relationship, they feel compelled to push away or even punish the one they love. Fear of intimacy is an often subconscious reaction to closeness that frequently affects people’s personal relationships. Many people are afraid of being vulnerable or of losing their sense of identity by falling in love. These fears of physical and/or emotional intimacy tend to show up at various stages of a relationship when a person feels challenged. They also tend to arise in people’s closest and most meaningful connections.

In this Webinar, Dr. Lisa Firestone will explain both what causes this fear as well as how individuals can push past this fear and expand their capacity for love. By providing participants with a theoretical model that integrates psychodynamic, existential and family systems frameworks, Dr. Firestone will assist individuals and clinicians working with clients to develop and maintain true intimacy in their relationships. She will introduce interventions that can lead to enhanced communication and more personal relating between couples, while also creating a heightened sense of individuality in each partner.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Apply techniques from Voice Therapy to help challenge clients’ negative thoughts toward themselves and their partners.
  2. Explain how early childhood traumas affect an individual’s ability to maintain intimacy.
  3. Describe how the Fantasy Bond can interfere with couple relationships.
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Ordering Information

Once payment is received, you will be emailed a full video recording of this webinar along with all presentation materials.

Optional CEs (3) may be purchased through R. Cassidy Seminars. You can earn your CEs by watching the webinar and completing an accompanying reading assignment. A link to purchase CE Credits will be included in the email containing all your webinar resourcesMore Info Here

Continuing Education Information

Optional CEs (3) may be purchased through R. Cassidy Seminars. You can earn your CEs by watching the webinar and completing an accompanying reading assignment. A link to purchase CE Credits will be included in the email containing all your webinar resourcesMore Info Here

About the Presenter

Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. Dr. Lisa Firestone is the Director of Research and Education at The Glendon Association. An accomplished and much requested lecturer, Dr. Firestone speaks at national and international conferences in the areas of couple relations, parenting, and suicide and violence prevention. Dr. Firestone has published numerous professional articles, and most recently was the co-author of Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships (APA Books, 2006), Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice (New Harbinger, 2002), Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: The Wisdom of Psychotherapy (APA Books, 2003) and The Self Under Siege (Routledge, 2012). Follow Dr. Firestone on Twitter or Google.

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11 Comments

PsychAlive

Unfortunately, the live event is only available by paying with a credit card. After the Webinar has taken place, you can purchase a recording of the Webinar through PayPal.

Marta

Hello PsychAlive, What time is the seminar for Overcoming Intimacy in the Eastern Region. I live IN NC. And the total cost? Is there a book or anything else to purchase? Thanks, M.Martin

PsychAlive

Hello Marta. The event takes place from 2:00-3:30 PM EST. The cost of the Webinar is $15. You can purchase CE credits for an additional $15.

Jean

In order to count CEUs as “live” for the Minnesota Board of Social Work, the participant needs to be able to ask the instructor questions in real time via chat or some other feature. Do your courses offer this? Thanks!

Stacy LoCastro

Will this help for someone personally? I am also a social worker too, but this hits right home, completely. Please let me know. I have personally been struggling with this after two very tough relationships, one ending in a lose of life. I need help because of pushing men away, over judging every man, etc. this is what this is….

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