Building trust, connection, and understanding
Intimacy is the mutual closeness we feel with someone we deeply trust. It encompasses intellectual, emotional, social, and physical aspects, and is present when two people care for each other and share a strong bond. Intimate relationships are built on acceptance, trust, and commitment, and can take many forms, including romantic relationships that involve physical affection and sexuality, but physical closeness is only part of intimacy.
Each person decides what intimacy means to them, how much they need and what type of intimacy they want to experience. It’s important that we support people to safely explore their intimacy needs, and provide them with the tools to make informed decisions about their relationships. This includes respecting the choices people make about their own bodies, desires and relationships.
We support people to access knowledge and education about relationships, sexuality, and intimacy so they can explore, develop, and express their own sexuality in ways that feels right to them. Everyone has the right to form and pursue intimate relationships, and to be supported as they evaluate their experiences and feelings.
Intimacy isn’t just about romantic relationships. We all have different types of intimate connections in our lives—whether with close friends, family members, or even trusted coworkers. These relationships provide us with a sense of emotional closeness, trust, and acceptance. They are built on shared experiences, mutual understanding, and a deep sense of safety and support. These non-romantic intimate connections play a crucial role in our overall well-being, helping us feel understood, valued, and emotionally secure.
It’s important to provide opportunities and support for people to deepen and nurture the relationships in their lives they wish were more intimate.
Strengthening a close friendship, improving communication with a partner, or building trust with a family member, fostering intimacy requires time, openness, and mutual respect.
In this section, you’ll find resources on sexuality education, dating etiquette, healthy boundaries, how to nurture intimate relationships, and rights and responsibilities.
Rights and Responsibilities
Everyone has the right to form and pursue intimate relationships based on mutual respect, trust, and consent. It’s important that people understand their rights to make decisions about their own bodies, desires, and relationships, while also respecting the rights of others. People have a responsibility to communicate openly, set healthy boundaries, and ensure that their relationships are based on equality and mutual respect. When we support people to learn and understand these responsibilities, they can build healthier, more fulfilling intimate connections while respecting their own and others’ rights.
Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights – Fact Sheet, SERC
Starting Conversations
PEERS Role Play Videos – UCLE PEERS Clinic offers role play videos with suggested discussion points on a wide variety of topics like flirting, giving compliments, and asking someone on a date.
Let’s Talk About Intimacy – Conversation Guide, CQL The Council on Quality and Leadership
Guides
How to Build Intimacy Without Romance in a Platonic Relationship – A guide to strengthening platonic bonds and building emotional intimacy and trust.
Tell It Like It Is – Sexual Health + Wellness Education – A comprehensive, adaptable education curriculum for people living with intellectual disabilities. There are nine modules ranging from relationships, gender and sexual identity, personal hygiene, safe sex practices and more.
LGBTQ2S+ Toolkit, Celebrating Neurodiversity, Gender Diversity and the Community – AIDE Canada – “All people have the right to self-determination meaning, in this case, the right to engage in mutual relationships that are consensual and respectful and, importantly, the right to be informed about our bodies” A guide to LGBTQ2S+ awareness, visibility and dialogue.
Helpful Extras
Disability After Dark – with Andrew Gurza, Podcast
Dating Relationships, and Disability – with Kathy O’Connell
Sexual Health – Leading Practice Guidelines, Abilities Manitoba
Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education – Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights
Respect Ability – Sexual Education Resources, Disability Belongs
Disability, Sexuality, and Intimacy – Study, Sexuality Education Resource Centre MB (SERC)
SERC – Sexuality Education Resource Centre MB has an abundance of resources and education and training opportunities worth exploring.