ABSTRACT
The challenge for the woman and couple is to integrate intimacy, pleasuring, and eroticism into her relationship. The woman finds her “sexual voice,” especially her “erotic voice” and “orgasmic voice.” Sadly, the traditional gender socialization reinforces the split between intimacy and eroticism and between women and men. In healthy sexuality, both partners value intimacy and eroticism and turn toward the partner as an intimate and erotic ally whether the sexual encounter was wonderful or dysfunctional. Intimacy promotes a close, secure bond; nondemand pleasuring promotes sensual and playful feelings; and eroticism promotes intense sensations and feelings, including orgasm and intercourse. Intimacy, pleasuring, and eroticism are different dimensions but can be integrated and the whole is more than the parts.
