I see so many couples that have drifted from being close to being so far apart. It's amazing but true - couples can drift from soul mates to room mates before they even realize what is happening.

How close do you want to be?

The key question here for partners to consider is just how close they want to be.

In this point we are talking about intimacy (which includes, but is not limited to, sex.)

Emotional intimacy involves so much more than only sex. To be emotionally intimate, you have lo be willing and able to step into a person's world and see it, feel it and experience it as he or she does. You don't have lo completely understand it or agree with it, you just need to be able to make that emotional leap and connection into the world of your partner.

Two key questions

Two key questions to consider at this point are:

What have you done lately to draw you and your partner together?

What can you do together on a regular basis, to draw the two of you closer together?

Author Richard Bach wrote about this sense of intimacy in The Bridge Across Forever when he wrote: "There is a kind of love where you are better off together than alone."

That is a both a great definition of intimacy and a great goal to constantly work toward in your relationship.

Jeff Herring

Jeff is a marriage and family therapist, singles and relationship coach, mentor coach, speaker, syndicated relationship columnist and author.

Jeff has a full time private practice in Tallahassee in which he specializes in couples, teen and parent counseling. He also is a relationship coach specializing in working with couples and singles. Some of his professional activities include:

==> Internationally syndicated relationship columnist through Knight-Ridder/Tribune Media Services, with a weekly readership of over 10 million worldwide

==> Sought after speaker for organizations, associations, churches, and corporations

==>Twice weekly appearances on The Steve and Sara Show on Magic 107.1

==> Author of "Keep the Changes: 52 Tools for Successful Living" a collection of his best columns, as well as several e-books including "How to Create a Passionate and Loving Relationship.........Forever," "How to Beat the BOZOs: Dealing with difficult people without becoming one," and "Tame Your Teen: THE survival guide for parenting your teenager.

==> Founder and CEO of TheArticleGuy.com

==> Founder and CEO of SecretsofGreatRelationships.com

==> Founder and CEO of ParentingYourTeeanger.com

==> Founder and CEO of ToolsforSuccessfulLiving.com

==> President of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com

==> President of ConsciousDatingTallahassee.com