Invitation to Intimacy

Book excerpt: Encounter the power of intimacy-thrilling, grueling, and profound-through the innermost workings of the 35-year relationship between two marriage therapists.Much more than "just sex," true intimacy flows from invitations to be deeply known to another. One of our strongest emotional desires is to feel understood, received, and loved in our closest relationships. Yet, to be known and to know another deeply, especially in the context of committed partnerships, we risk pain, loneliness, and betrayal. Is intimacy worth the risk?This candid memoir begins with a husband's dramatic diagnosis and weaves marital flashbacks and counseling sessions into the progression of his disease. Despite their degrees, licenses, and the specialized knowledge they shared daily with their own clients, they faced the same challenges as everyone in lasting relationships. What would sustain them through the darkest nights of their marriage?Through the everyday decisions and extraordinary movements that compose one marriage between two therapists, we see what is possible for every couple-the exhilarating, frightening, and ultimately healing power when we accept invitations to intimacy.