{"id":52264,"date":"2022-11-01T11:00:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T11:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=52264"},"modified":"2023-03-16T11:51:05","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T11:51:05","slug":"get-closer-intimacy-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/get-closer-intimacy-issues.htm","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Closer to Someone (Even if You Have Intimacy Issues)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_52269\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52269\" class=\"wp-image-52269 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3184008277_9ffb8313f1-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"how to get closer to people\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3184008277_9ffb8313f1-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3184008277_9ffb8313f1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3184008277_9ffb8313f1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3184008277_9ffb8313f1-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/3184008277_9ffb8313f1-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-52269\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/exage\/3184008277\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Elena Mitsura<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Don&#8217;t really know how to get closer<\/strong> to someone like others seem to? Struggle with intimacy issues, and an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/fear-of-relationships-and-love.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">inability to connect to others<\/span><\/a>?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Or do you worry that <\/strong>you will never have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/authentic-relationships.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">good relationship<\/span><\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-find-friends.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">friends you can count on<\/span><\/a>, even as you long to know what it feels like to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/trusting-others-hard.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> trust<\/span> <\/a>and love another?<\/p>\n<h2>How to Get Closer to Someone<\/h2>\n<p><strong>You&#8217;ll find a lot of advice out there encouraging you to focus on the other person<\/strong>, to essentially &#8216;trick&#8217; them into intimacy. But this is actually backwards and far from a sustainable or healthy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/communication-problems.htm\">relating strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">From a psychological perspective, to develop the skills that help you get closer to others, you have to work on <em>yourself, <\/em>not them. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Here are some concepts and tools you can work with to help you get closer to someone.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">1. First of all, choose different relationships.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Does every relationship you try to have just end up proving to you that you should not bother to get close to people? Given that they just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/feeling-let-down.htm\">always disappoint you<\/a>?<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">First things first &#8212; it is pointless to try to get close to someone who does not WANT you to be close to them, and yet that is what many of us with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/fear-of-intimacy.htm\">intimacy issues<\/a> tend to waste our time on. We choose relationships with people that are <a style=\"color: #333399;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-counterdependency.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">emotionally unavailable<\/span><\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/manipulative-behaviour-are-you-guilty.htm\">manipulative<\/a>. Or who are endlessly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/microcheating.htm\">micro&#8211;cheating<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_135736\" style=\"width: 390px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135736\" class=\" wp-image-135736\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-pixabay-236215-400x264.jpg\" alt=\"how to get closer to someone\" width=\"380\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-pixabay-236215-400x264.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-pixabay-236215-500x330.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-pixabay-236215-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-pixabay-236215.jpg 709w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-135736\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo by Pixabay for Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Sometimes it&#8217;s because we grew up<\/strong> in an unstable home, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/bad-parents-are-you-one.htm\">with a parent who was unstable or unavailable<\/a>, and this is the comfort zone that we unknowingly veer to. And of course if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-can-i-remember-childhood-trauma-abuse.htm\">childhood trauma<\/a> left us fearing anyone getting too close and seeing the real us that we perceive as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/am-i-a-good-person.htm\">no good<\/a>? Then we don&#8217;t choose those who are good at intimacy.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">But it becomes a self-defeating cycle. We try to connect with someone who isn&#8217;t really interested in connection, and when it obviously doesn&#8217;t work, we\u00a0 take it as &#8216;proof&#8217; we can&#8217;t have relationships.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Learn how to choose different types of people. <\/strong>Stop <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/always-moving-too-fast-in-a-relationship.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">rushing into things before you know someone<\/span><\/a>, and spend time learning the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/healthy-relationships-is-it-one.htm\"> signs of healthy relationships<\/a> and healthy people. (Our free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/healthy-relationships-help-guide.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guide to Healthy Relationships<\/span><\/a> is a good place to start.)<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">2. Drop assumptions.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Do you ask people what they think or feel before acting on things? Or do you assume you know what they are thinking, then<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/are-you-overreacting-how-to-tell.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> react<\/span><\/a>?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/assumptions-in-relationships.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Assumptions<\/span><\/a> block us from seeing people as they are and can even see us living in a false, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-paranoia.htm\">paranoid<\/a> reality where we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/push-pull-relationship.htm\">push people away<\/a> over things that aren\u2019t true.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Unless you can read minds, the only way to truly know what someone thinks and feels <\/strong>and to develop intimacy is to <em>learn how to ask<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/advanced-listening-skills.htm\">Develop better listen skills<\/a>, then if you aren&#8217;t clear on what someone is saying, ask them for more clarity.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">A now<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0146167297234003\"> well-known study by psychologist Arthur Aron<\/a> found that if we learn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/good-questions-to-ask.htm\">ask good questions<\/a>, we can develop intimacy with others far faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">3. Learn about perspective.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Do you think the way you see things is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/need-to-be-right-real-cost.htm\">always right<\/a>, meaning you tend to make others wrong?<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">People tend to back away from knowing you if they are constantly told &#8216;you are wrong&#8217;.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Actually, there often is no right and wrong, merely<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-perspective.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">perspective<\/span><\/a>. We all see life from the angle of our own values and personalities. Ten people can be at the same event, and all will tell a different story.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_52270\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52270\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-52270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14372396946_44f9a4f646-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"how to connect to others\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14372396946_44f9a4f646-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14372396946_44f9a4f646.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/14372396946_44f9a4f646-180x120.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-52270\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/david_martin_foto\/14372396946\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">David D<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">There is an old saying that suggests we try &#8216;walking a mile in another person&#8217;s shoes&#8217;. What would life look like if you were the other person? Can you try imagining?<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">4. Invest in self-knowledge.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Do you change who you are depending on who you are around?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>For others to connect to us, they need to be able to see who we are in the first place.<\/strong> If your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/7-ways-stronger-sense.htm\">sense of self is weak<\/a>, it can mean <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/nobody-understands-me.htm\">others struggle to understand you<\/a> and you are left <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/7-surprising-reasons-feeling-lonely.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">feeling lonely<\/span><\/a>. So how to get closer to people? Learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-listen-to-yourself.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">how to pay attention to what you feel<\/span><\/a>, what your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/personal-values-know-yours.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">personal values<\/span><\/a> are, and what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/healthy-boundaries.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">boundaries<\/span><\/a> work for you.<\/p>\n<p>Tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/journal-writing.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">journalism<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/myths-about-mindfulness.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">mindfulness<\/span> <\/a>are very helpful here (you can use our free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/mindfulness-help-guide.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guide to Mindfulness<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">5. How to get closer to someone? Learn how to trust yourself.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Do you doubt your own thoughts and feelings?<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">It\u2019s easy to focus on others being <a style=\"color: #800080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/trusting-others-hard.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">hard to trust<\/span><\/a>. But if you <a style=\"color: #800080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-trust.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">don\u2019t trust others<\/span><\/a>, the truth might be that you don\u2019t trust <em>yourself<\/em>. You don&#8217;t know what you&#8217;ll do next, or can&#8217;t trust yourself to make decisions that keep you safe and happy.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Slow down with the next decision you are asked to make. What is it you really want here? What decision would show <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/self-care-and-depression.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">good self-care<\/span><\/a>?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/good-questions-to-ask.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Learn to ask good questions of yourself<\/span><\/a>. You might also find<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/mindfulness-help-guide.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> mindfulness<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is also a way to get in touch with what you want more easily.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">6. Try self-compassion.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Do you secretly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/dangers-criticism-realise.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">criticise<\/span> others<\/a>?<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52267\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52267\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-52267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/15094575495_5220f9daa2-3-400x310.jpg\" alt=\"loneliness\" width=\"400\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/15094575495_5220f9daa2-3-400x310.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/15094575495_5220f9daa2-3.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-52267\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/82066314@N06\/15094575495\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Iqbal Osman<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Others will back away from intimacy with you if they sense you are always criticising them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Behind critical thoughts towards others is inevitably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/self-critical-signs.htm\">criticism towards ourselves<\/a>. So the best way to stop being hard on others is actually to work on giving ourselves a break.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>By learning to be more gentle<\/strong> with yourself using\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/self-compassion.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">self-compassion<\/span><\/a>, you will by default also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/self-esteem-help-guide.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">raise your self-esteem<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0And this, too, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/ten-tips-for-anger-management-in-relationships.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">makes relationships easier<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993366;\">7. Challenge your core beliefs.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Do you deep down just think you are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/why-do-i-feel-so-unloveable.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">not loveable<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0 are flawed, or are somehow not as good as anyone else?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/core-beliefs-cbt.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Core beliefs<\/span><\/a> are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/assumptions-in-relationships.htm\">assumptions <\/a><strong>about ourselves, others, and the world we mistake for facts<\/strong>. Unless we recognise and challenge these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/examples-of-core-beliefs.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">core beliefs<\/span><\/a> we developed in childhood, we can spend our whole life <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-take-a-decision.htm\">making decisions<\/a> under their false perspective. Such decisions will, of course, \u2018prove\u2019 the belief as \u2018right\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>What proof do you actually have that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/why-do-i-feel-so-unloveable.htm\">you are unlovable<\/a> (or flawed, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/feeling-not-good-enough.htm\">not good enough<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/why-do-i-feel-hopeless.htm\">hopeless<\/a>&#8230;). <strong>Is it possible this is just something that negative childhood experiences taught you? <\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">What would life look like if the opposite were true? What new decisions would you make?<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333333;\">When is it time to get support?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Again, intimacy issues often come from<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-childhood-trauma.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">traumatic childhood experiences<\/span><\/a>, or from childhoods where we just didn\u2019t get a chance to develop <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/attachment-theory-bowlby.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">healthy attachment<\/span><\/a> to a parental figure. We were not able to trust them to be there for us regardless.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/acute-stress-disorder-vs-ptsd.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Trauma<\/span><\/a> can be hard to navigate. So sometimes the answer to &#8216;how to get closer to people&#8217; can be to find the support of a professional therapist or counsellor. (Try our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/find-a-relationship-what-therapy-helps.htm\">what therapies help you find a good relationship<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-makes-a-good-therapist.htm\">good therapist<\/a> will create a safe space for you to<\/strong> process the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/emotionally-repressed-signs.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">repressed emotions<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/negative-thinking.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">negative thoughts<\/span><\/a> that arise for you around relating. They can help you work on all the tools in this article, and help you learn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/connecting-with-people.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">connect to others<\/span><\/a> in all new ways.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A therapist can also help rule out if it is a<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/personality-disorder-a-help-guide.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> personality disorder<\/span><\/a> blocking your ability to connect with others, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/compassion-for-borderline-personality-disorder.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">borderline personality disorder (BPD), <\/span><\/a>or if you might be on the autism spectrum, which can affect how you relate to others and may require learning specific communication and connection strategies.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Would you like to work with a <a style=\"color: #800080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/relationship-counselling-london.htm\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">therapist that specialises in intimacy issues<\/span><\/a>? Harley Therapy connects you with highly experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/relationship-counselling-london.htm#view-therapist\">relationship therapists<\/a> in three London locations. Online therapy sessions are also available. Or use our sister site to find <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\">UK-wide affordable registered therapists<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Still have a question about how to get closer to people and how to connect to others? Ask in our public comment box below.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-114425 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-395x400.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" width=\"110\" height=\"111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-395x400.png 395w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-768x778.png 768w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-500x506.png 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2019-02-23-at-18.17.37.png 792w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 110px) 100vw, 110px\" \/><strong>Andrea M. Darcy<\/strong> is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amdarcy.com\/\">mental health expert and writer who often writes about relationships<\/a>. Find her on Instagram for useful life guidance @am_darcy<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy Don&#8217;t really know how to get closer to someone like others seem to? Struggle with intimacy issues, and an inability to connect to others? Or do you worry that you will never have a good relationship or friends you can count on, even as you long to know what it feels [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":52269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[430,363,379],"class_list":["post-52264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-relationships","tag-intimacy-issues","tag-overcome-loneliness","tag-relationships","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Get Closer to Someone (Even if You Have Intimacy Issues) - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wish you knew how to get closer to someone? Intimacy issues can mean always feel lonely. Here are some ways to help you connect to others\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/get-closer-intimacy-issues.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Get Closer to Someone (Even if You Have Intimacy Issues)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wish you knew how to get closer to someone? Intimacy issues can mean always feel lonely. 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