Many desire an emotionally intimate relationship and yet react to the prospect by pulling away. They do this to obscure their true selves for one of two reasons. They fear rejection if they are to honestly reveal themselves to another. Or, it may be because of a foreboding sense that their identity will be taken away if they truly open up to another.
In either case, by pulling away they make themselves seem aloof and guarded and that makes rejection all the more likely. When it happens, their conviction that intimacy is not possible for them is reinforced.
For those caught in this web or for those who know people who are, author Jill P. Weber, PhD, a clinical psychologist, explains why a capacity for intimacy is not a fixed quality, but a skill to be developed and refined. This book is the fourth in her Relationship Formula Workbook series.
Weber shows how with practice it is possible to foster fulfilling relationships not only with romantic partners, but with family members, friends and coworkers. She draws on years of experience in her practice to layout doable strategies that fundamentally change an individual's ability to find genuine emotional rapport.