By Rebecca E. Blanton

Making lasting and happy relationships work takes learning and practice. Unfortunately, intimacy skills are not something we often have an option to practice in low-risk situations. Luckily, relationship coaches have taken to the internet and provide online intimacy courses for couples with tons of tips, tools, and explanations about how to make relationships work.

Online Intimacy Classes: A Modern Solution for Age-Old Challenges

Staying together in a healthy, loving relationship as a couple has always been a struggle. While folks in previous generations stayed together for the long-haul, many of these relationships were sustained through financial and social pressures, not the partners’ desires to stay together.

There have been a variety of solutions for people to figure out how to make a relationship work. These have included self-help books, seeing a therapist, or talking with friends. You may have tried these solutions for yourself and not found them to be as helpful as you wanted them to be.

Today’s online intimacy classes combine the best aspects of couple’s therapy, marriage preparation, and intimacy counseling. You can access them in your home for free or a reasonable cost. They are accessible if you have an internet connection and phone or laptop. They are taught by people you can ask specific questions and have information tailored to your needs. You can also attend these classes with or without your partner.

Are Online Intimacy Courses for Me?

If you are new to online courses, you may be asking yourself, “Who takes these classes?” and “How do I know relationship courses are for me?”

Intimacy courses and relationship classes offer a huge range of topics, specialists, and are geared for all types of relationships. Classes on setting boundaries, talking about sexual needs, fighting fair, managing family and career issues, and more are available. Because relationships are a journey you can find courses which meet you where you are at in your current partnership.

Online relationship courses are taught by a wide range of specialists. Some are trained marriage counselors, some are lifestyle and intimacy coaches, some are Ph.D.s, and some are trained in subspecialties. This provides you many opportunities to work with specialists who resonate with you.

Creating a Map for Your Intimacy Journey

You will have a unique approach to your intimacy journey because it is YOUR journey. There is no “right” way to go about selecting couple’s intimacy courses, marital counseling, relationship challenges, and resources. The best way to start your intimacy journey is to ask yourself a few questions.

  • What do I want to learn?
  • Where are my intimacy weaknesses?
  • Do we need a marriage preparation course?
  • Do I fight fairly with my partner?
  • Can I express what I need to my partner?
  • Am I able to listen to my partner’s needs, concerns, and criticisms with an open heart and mind?
How do I find an online Intimacy course that is right for me?

Look for online relationship courses taught by professionals with degrees and certifications in the topics you are interested in exploring. *If they offer blog posts, books or podcasts, check out those to see if their teaching style and approach to relationships and marriage fit with your approach. Once you find a few teachers you are interested in, check out the courses they offer and sign up!

Increasing Relationship Satisfaction

In designing your intimacy journey, keep an eye toward work which will increase your relationship satisfaction. There are key intimacy issues involved in healthy and satisfying relationships. These include the skills to discuss your needs and desires, skills to maintain you and your partner’s support systems, learning to fight fair, and skills to deepen your intimacy connections.

Seeking out courses about relationship skills which you may not have had a chance to practice and develop in your own life is key to getting the most out of online relationship coaching and courses. For example, most of us have not learned how to fight with partners when a conflict arises. If healthy fighting was not modeled in your own home growing up, chances are you lack the skills to address issues in a relationship in a way that leaves you and your partner feeling good about the final outcome. Online courses, especially when taken together with your partner, can be key to developing the skills for long-term relationships satisfaction.


 Suggested Practice

When creating a plan to deepen your intimacy and your journey with a partner there are several practices you can try.

Talk to your partner about intimacy goals.

  • Where would you like to see this relationship in 2 years?
  • Are there things you would like to incorporate to our sex life?
  • When you think about us as an old couple, what do you want to see?

Talk to your partner about where your relationship feels strong.

  • What is working well for you in our relationship?
  • What makes you happy about our relationship?
  • What do we do together that makes you happy?

Make a list of the areas you and your partner feel could be helped with outside instruction or classes.

Once you have an idea of where you and your partner want to grow as a couple, you can begin to seek out online relationship courses which best fit you personally. Sometimes these courses will be best when taken together. Other times you and your partner may want to take separate courses to work on specific issues you feel you want to explore.

Recommended Resources

The Four Aspects of Effective Goal-Setting for Relationships

By Martha Kauppi at The Institute for Relational Intimacy

Rebecca Blanton, Guest Blogger

Rebecca Blanton (aka Auntie Vice) is a writer and performer. Her work focuses on kink, adult sexuality, and gender. She performs as a storyteller and stand-up comic. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Psychology.

Blog: LoveLettersToAUnicorn.com
Website: AuntieVice.com

Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok @AuntieVice

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