• A feeling of closeness and connectedness that develops through communication between partners.
• From the latin word Intimus meaning inner.
• Talk of intimacy tends to focus on adult partnerships but there is intimacy among family members and friends.
•  Problems in one domain of intimacy usually indicates issues in other domains.  

• Family intimacy involves interpersonal devotion along the dimensions of INTELLECTUAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL.
• Each individual experiences differing needs for intimacy and confort and sometimes there is an inbalance of expectations and reciprocity.
• Intimacy is tied to overall family themes, images, boundaries, and biosocial issues. 

• A close, familiar and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship.
• A detailed and deep knowledge and understanding from close personal connection or familiar experience.
• Sexual relations.
• Stables couples exhibit and 5:1 ratio of positive versus negative messages.

1. PERSONAL: The rewards are inherent from the relationship; implies significant energy given to sustain relationship.
2. MORAL: A moral obligation to a partner or family member.
3. STRUCTURE: Barriers to leaving the relationship and the absence of viable alternatives.

• SELF-DISCLOSURE: When one person intentionally tells another person highly personal/private information that the other would not discover in a different manner.
• There is no intimacy without self-disclosure and no self-disclosure without trust, therefor you need trust for intimacy to exist.
• For the discloser to experience intimacy, the listener must respond verbally or non-verbally in a manner that conveys validation, understanding, and caring.
• An increase in mutual self-disclosure occurs within family relationship characterized by a strong relational culture of trust, confirmation, and affection.
• Managing privacy boundaries bears a direct relationship to family levels of cohesion, flexibility and ultimately intimacy.
• High cohesion in a family may resist negative disclosures for fear of losing cohesion.

• The quality of sexual relationships affect, and is affected by, the other characteristics of intimacy.
• Communication plays an important role in the development of intimate sexuality.
• Involves much more than the physical part.

Communication involves:

• Transmission of sexual information
• Showing sexual attitudes and behaviours
• Self-disclosure
• Verbal & Nonverbal 
• Biosocial beliefs
• Sexual identity
• Feelings

1. Gender identities
2. Personal Boundaries
3. Developmental change

• Partners develop their own patterns of sexual activity early in the relationship, although desires change over time.
• There are links between sexual desire and personal intimacy.
• Open communication is crucial, since a good sexual relationship depends on being able to express what is satisfying to each partner.
• MONOLOGICAL SEX: Implies that one/both partners attempt to satisfy only their needs.
• DIALOGICAL SEX: Mutual concern and sharing of pleasure.
• Sexual disclosure in both partners may contribute more to relational and sexual satisfaction.

Supports a sense of connectedness and helps prepare children for positive intimate relationships in adult life.

Parental talk about sexuality tends to influence offspring behaviour and appears to buffer teens from peer or environmental pressures. 

Many factors (gender, culture, age) have an impact on how parents communicate with their children about sex.

1. Children are more satisfied with the communication when the parent facilitates the conversation.
2. In order to be supportive, the parent needs to be open.
3. Start early: raising the topic early facilitates more frequent dicussion as well as children's perceptions of their parents as effective communicators.
4. Open conversations in families tend to facilitate child's open discussion with their own partners.

1. SEXUALLY NEGLECTED FAMILIES: where sex is seldom talked about, and when it is, it is at an abstract level.
2. SEXUALLY ABUSIVE FAMILIES: Characterized by boundary confusion between individuals and generations.
3. SEXUALLY HEALTHY FAMILIES: Characterized by respect, developmentally appropriate boundaries, support for gender identities, effective communication, and a shared system of culturally relevant sexual values and meanings.

1. Start young
2. Include both parents
3. Include sons and daughters
4. Establish a supportive environment in which mutual dialogue can occur

FAMILY SEX COMMUNICATION QUOTIENT (WARREN 2011)

A survey tool that measures general orientaion to discussions about sex within the family unit along the dimensions of: Confort, information, values

1. Effort
2. Sacrifice
3. Forgiveness
4. Sanctification

• Partners who make a significan effort to remain connected to family members become experts on their loved one's world.
• Nuturing our relationships is often put on the back burner, but lack of effort does result in many failed relationships.

• A willingness to sacrifice for your relationship demonstrates strong commitment, high relational satisfaction, and longe relationships.
• It can be very valuable for marital relationships to show devotion, but should never be at the expense of either person's needs. 

• Relational process in which harm is acknowledged by one/both parties, where the harmed extends mercy and one or both experience a transformation from negative to positive state.
• The closer you are to someone, the most devestating the transgression can be.
• Parent-child forgiveness develops as the child's ability to comprehend transgressions and forgiveness develops.
• Forgiveness has to be a proactive process or it may never occur.

• Psychological process through which aspects of life are perceived as having divine character and significance which serves as a source of relational conectedness.  
• For example, a couple seing marriage as a sacred state may help sustain their relationship during difficult times.

• Some family members establish barriers to deep relationships as a way to protect themselves from pain/loss.
• Building intimacy involves effort, sensitivity, and risk.
• Most couples associate more stressful days with increased dyadic differences.
• JEALOUSY
• DECEPTION