Anxiety and/or Panic, Intimacy Issues, Self Harming Practices Counsellors

Anxiety and/or Panic, Intimacy Issues, Self Harming Practices

Intimacy issues are common for people who fear vulnerability. Some people can become vulnerable in front of a few trusted friends, however, but when a relationship starts becoming too close, they feel suffocated. In this sense, the intimacy issues are seated in the fear of developing a deep and meaningful relationship with another person.

Two fears that are at the heart of intimacy issues, are the fear of abandonment (fearing the partner might leave them) and the fear of engulfment (fearing that they would lose themselves in a relationship), which sometimes co-exist. These fears, often rooted in childhood traumas, are often deeply entrenched in codependent adult relationships where they cause friction.

A therapist who works with people who have intimacy issues will first help you to learn to become comfortable with yourself and accept yourself for who you are. You will explore the complex past events that have created these intimacy issues and discover that those events don't have to cloud your present experiences.

This process is essential in discovering that rejection does not have to be a traumatic experience. Finally, you will learn how to set personal boundaries that will help you to avoid the fear of engulfment and to cope, should abandonment occur. While healing intimacy issues can be a challenging and somewhat painful task, the rewards are incredible.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who addresses intimacy issues, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Andrea Yeo

M.Ed., RCC
Andrea Yeo is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BCACC, a Child Interviewer for BC Hear the Child Society, a Secondary School Teacher with North Vancouver School District, a Certified Parenting Facilitator and... Read more

Josipa Katinic

M.Couns., RCC
    • Online booking
 I work with individuals (15+) and couples online.  My clients commonly have struggles in the following areas and are willing to and want to see and feel an improvement in their lives through a... Read more

Dana Millar

M.Couns., CCC
Hello and Welcome! I'm Dana. I support individuals to overcome anxiety and depression, low self-esteem and poor body image and relationship/intimacy issues. I also have specialized training in PTSD and... Read more