--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Intimacy is healing." description: "\"Intimacy is healing.\" — Dean Ornish" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/dean-ornish-2921_healing_intimacy-is-healing-1000081_1000081.png" --- # Intimacy is healing. ![“Intimacy is healing.” quote by Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/dean-ornish-2921_healing_intimacy-is-healing-1000081_1000081.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/dean-ornish-2921_healing_intimacy-is-healing-1000081_1000081.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/dean-ornish-2921_healing_intimacy-is-healing-1000081_1000081.png) > “Intimacy is healing.” [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intimacy provides healing benefits. **In simple terms:** Close relationships help heal. Key Takeaway Cultivate deep connections. Themes health relationships healing well‑being Mood hopeful warm Type health relationship When to use this quote - marriage counseling - friendship building - support groups - therapy Key Concepts Psychosocial health attachment theory Questions to Reflect On - How does intimacy affect physical health? - What boundaries protect healthy intimacy? A Different Perspective Intimacy alone cannot replace medical treatment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) [Intimacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimacy/) [Intimacy Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimacy-healing-2105197/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) ## Related quotes > [There's a tendency to dismiss anything having to do with love and intimacy in medicine because it's hard to measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/there-s-a-tendency-to-dismiss-anything-having-to-do-with-love-and/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Anything that takes you out of the context of being separate is healing. Anything that takes you out of the context of separateness is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/anything-that-takes-you-out-of-the-context-of-being-separate-is/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The healing power of love and relationships has been documented in an increasing number of well-designed scientific studies involving hundreds of thousands of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/the-healing-power-of-love-and-relationships-has-been-documented-in-an/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [“Lack of intimacy among friends is a mistake that cannot be censured without becoming irreparable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche-friedrich-wilhelm/lack-of-intimacy-among-friends-is-a-mistake-that-cannot-be-censured/) [NIETZSCHE FRIEDRICH WILHELM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche-friedrich-wilhelm/) > [True intimacy is the experience of real acceptance and authentic vulnerability without feeling the need to apologize or fear rejection. The freedom to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-blake-michiels/true-intimacy-is-the-experience-of-real-acceptance-and-authentic/) [Jordan Blake Michiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-blake-michiels/) > [Physical love is total intimacy. It is the sign that the lovers have nothing to refuse each other, that they belong wholly to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-leclercq/physical-love-is-total-intimacy-it-is-the-sign-that-the-lovers-have/) [Jacques Leclercq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-leclercq/) > [Communication is a continual balancing act, juggling the conflicting needs for intimacy and independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/communication-is-a-continual-balancing-act-juggling-the-conflicting/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [I want to engage people in an honest, enlightened, and provocative conversation about the nature of erotic desire and the intricacies of intimacy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/i-want-to-engage-people-in-an-honest-enlightened-and-provocative/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Awe combined with intimacy is the essence of Christian worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/awe-combined-with-intimacy-is-the-essence-of-christian-worship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You thought I was answering "As you wish" but that's only because you were hearing wrong. "I love you" was what it was, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-thought-i-was-answering-as-you-wish-but-that-s-only-because-you/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [Is it any wonder that for millions of men the only intimacy is physical, silent, and predictable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/is-it-any-wonder-that-for-millions-of-men-the-only-intimacy-is/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [“Intercourse is one thing, Intimacy is everything. Be encouraged”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-e-wagner/intercourse-is-one-thing-intimacy-is-everything-be-encouraged/) [Kerry E. Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-e-wagner/) > [Intimacy requires an ability to both merge and be separate, to come together and be apart, like oscillating on a giant swing from oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-sophia-kasl/intimacy-requires-an-ability-to-both-merge-and-be-separate-to-come/) [Charlotte Sophia Kasl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-sophia-kasl/) > [“One single syllable of intimacy and the world is put to rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/one-single-syllable-of-intimacy-and-the-world-is-put-to-rights/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“It's morning now, and I miss the soft rasp of her voice already. Ugh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-shand/it-s-morning-now-and-i-miss-the-soft-rasp-of-her-voice-already-ugh-i/) [Pat Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-shand/) ## More by Dean Ornish > [People don't dislike change, they dislike being changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/people-don-t-dislike-change-they-dislike-being-changed/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Think about it: Heart disease and diabetes, which account for more deaths in the U.S. and worldwide than everything else combined, are completely preventable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/think-about-it-heart-disease-and-diabetes-which-account-for-more/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [There's a tendency to dismiss anything having to do with love and intimacy in medicine because it's hard to measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/there-s-a-tendency-to-dismiss-anything-having-to-do-with-love-and/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [No one has all the answers, so whatever a woman who has the BRCA mutation chooses to do requires courage and an element of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/no-one-has-all-the-answers-so-whatever-a-woman-who-has-the-brca/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The power of the Internet is also its limitation - it provides access to large amounts of information without providing guidance on how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/the-power-of-the-internet-is-also-its-limitation-it-provides-access/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Anything that takes you out of the context of being separate is healing. Anything that takes you out of the context of separateness is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/anything-that-takes-you-out-of-the-context-of-being-separate-is/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Nobody wants to feel controlled or treated like a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/nobody-wants-to-feel-controlled-or-treated-like-a-child/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [An Asian way of eating and living may help prevent and even reverse the progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, prostate cancer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/an-asian-way-of-eating-and-living-may-help-prevent-and-even-reverse/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The healing power of love and relationships has been documented in an increasing number of well-designed scientific studies involving hundreds of thousands of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/the-healing-power-of-love-and-relationships-has-been-documented-in-an/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [When I use the word spirituality, I don't necessarily mean religion; I mean whatever it is that helps you feel connected to something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/when-i-use-the-word-spirituality-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-religion-i/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Eating a vegetarian diet, walking (exercising) everyday, and meditating is considered radical. Allowing someone to slice your chest open and graft your leg veins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/eating-a-vegetarian-diet-walking-exercising-everyday-and-meditating/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [An educated patient is empowered; thus, more likely to become healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/an-educated-patient-is-empowered-thus-more-likely-to-become-healthy/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Real power is not given to us or even created; real power is realized. It comes from realizing an inner sense of peace, self-worth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/real-power-is-not-given-to-us-or-even-created-real-power-is-realized/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [In a global economy, the Bush doctrine of unilateralism - going it alone - has been disastrous. It's becoming increasingly clear that we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/in-a-global-economy-the-bush-doctrine-of-unilateralism-going-it-alone/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Getting through the day becomes more important than living a long life when you have no one else to live for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/getting-through-the-day-becomes-more-important-than-living-a-long/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) [Explore all 145 Dean Ornish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) ## More Healing quotes > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [We're on the road 300 days a year. There's no recovery time. It's a test of your physical and mental endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-phoenix/we-re-on-the-road-300-days-a-year-there-s-no-recovery-time-it-s-a/) [Beth Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-phoenix/) > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“One of the most outstanding aspects of Ayurveda is its teaching that nothing is absolute. The utility, value and effect of anything is relative.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/one-of-the-most-outstanding-aspects-of-ayurveda-is-its-teaching-that/) [Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/) > [“Good morning,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m Captain Joseph Walker and this is Sergeant James Vanetten. 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