Valuing and seeking intimacy in one’s life is not a trivial or superficial thing.  Rather, it is a life-orientation that encompasses personal preparation, active pursuit and nurturing of deep emotional connections, and a willingness to evolve along with one’s relationships.In this episode, we’ll review the “life-cycle that all relationships undergo, and then we’ll examine what it takes to create a life in which intimate relationships play a central role.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Sexual trauma is a grim reality for far too many people in our society.  Sexual abuse or trauma can occur at any point in life, and it can affect both females and males.  Its effects are both long-lasting and extensive.In this episode, we’ll consider how such trauma can occur, as well as how it can affect one’s life.  We’ll focus on some of those effects which manifest in the sex-positive community, and we’ll consider how to maximize the chances for trauma-healing for participants in that community.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

As human beings, we all have a deep need to be loved and accepted.  We long to be fully seen, understood and valued. Why, then, does it seem so hard for most people to slake this thirst for love?In this episode, we’ll consider some of the societal factors that work against deep connection.  We’ll also take a look at some of the possible personal factors that can drive individuals to reach out to others with love, and to open themselves to receive love from others.  Our observations may suggest ways in which we can improve our chances for creating deep and satisfying connections with those we love.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Relationship is a dance in which two partners constantly interact with each other.  The health and satisfaction of a relationship depends on how each partner treats and perceives the other.  In that dance, neither partner is passive; each powerfully influences the other, and shapes the course of their co-created relationship.In this episode, we’ll identify and examine several behaviors and attitudes that can damage or even destroy an intimate relationship.  By promoting awareness of these damaging factors, we can hopefully reduce the risk of our falling into these traps.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

In our popular social dialog, and in particular within the sex-positive community, there are frequent and sometimes-heated discussions about “the patriarchy”.  What is that “hot-button” topic about?In this episode, we’ll explore what the patriarchy is, as well as how patriarchal beliefs can affect those who live in our society.  We’ll also touch on a possible alternative worldview to the patriarchy.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

One of the central factors in achieving intimate connection is a sense of presence between the two partners.  When that prevails, each member of the couple knows that they are foremost in the consciousness of their partner.  That mutual focus constitutes a sense of attunement.In this episode, we’ll consider the nature of attunement, and we’ll see why that is so important to deep human connection.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Our society worships youth, even as it fears and tries to defy death.  In this environment, entering mid-life or beyond is seen as a harbinger of doom, and a sure path for people to become increasingly irrelevant and undesirable.In this episode, we’ll reconsider this prevalent perspective on aging, to show how myopic it is.  As we’ll see, far from being a bad thing, becoming older can welcome us into a richer and deeper life.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Every relationship involves two people who establish some sort of connection between them, be it physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or some combination of those.  At the root, relationships within larger groups are still comprised of multiple dyadic connections.When one is in a relationship, the “me” that they represent is complemented by the “you” of one’s partner.  In addition, though, the relationship includes a third entity: “us”.  In this episode, we’ll explore the nature of “us”.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

As humans, we all want to have love in our lives.  That may mean somewhat different things to different people.  Still, the need to feel seen, accepted and supported probably comes as close to being a universal human desire as any that we’re likely to find.In this episode, we’ll explore how a person can invite love into their life.  As we’ve noted in prior episodes, “love is a verb”: it’s something active, not passive.  Love comes to those who have prepared themselves to both receive and give love.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

In the late 1990s, a new word came into the popular lexicon:  “incel”, which is a contraction of the phrase “involuntary celibate”.  The incel phenomenon seems to have continued to expand since then.In this episode, we’ll examine the meaning of this term, with a focus on the underlying feelings and attitudes that accompany it.  We’ll see why it’s a trend that’s noxious and damaging to society, especially by undermining social respect for women.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

One of our sources of satisfaction in being in a loving relationship is the knowledge that we are special in the eyes of our lover.  The resulting feelings of elation and contentment remind us of the preciousness of our relationship.In this episode, we’ll consider why feeling special matters, and how it contributes to strengthening an intimate connection.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

What happens when the initial rush of excitement and allure fades in a relationship?  How do those usually-inevitable changes affect the course and evolution of the relationship?  As we all know, all too often the fabric of the relationship starts to fray, perhaps causing the partners to move in different directions.In this episode, we’ll focus on some attitudes and behaviors that can help preserve the health of an intimate relationship.  While change is the norm in the course of a relationship, we’re not powerless in creating fertile soil for nurturing a relationship.  If we so desire, there’s a lot that we can do to strengthen and “fire-proof” the bonds of intimacy between partners.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Nowadays, people who inhabit even moderately-advanced countries live in an “always-connected” world.  Our mobile phones, tablets and Internet access provide essentially instant access to people scattered across the globe.  This pervasive connectivity affects how we establish deep connections with others.  Internet-based apps enable us to find and communicate with potential kindred spirits, both locally and across large areas.  We can now “fish” for prospective intimate partners in a “pool” that’s much larger than what was available to prior generations.In this episode, we’ll explore how this global, always-available connectivity affects how we date and find intimate partners. We’ll see how our communication “power tools” offer both benefits and shortcomings.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Most intimate relationships are created by partners who share a similar age, socioeconomic standing, and lifestyle.  There are, however, examples of deep connections that exist between partners who are quite different from one another, at least as seen by an outside observer.In this episode, we’ll consider one such possible atypical combination:  that between partners who differ significantly in age.  We’ll consider what such relationships might offer, what challenges they present, and how they tend to be viewed by society.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

In many previous episodes, we’ve noted that self-knowledge is a central pillar for the ability to form healthy relationships.  Self-knowledge enables a person to set relationship goals that are appropriate for them, and it also encompasses a clear understanding of one’s boundaries and desires.In this episode, we’ll take a look at a related concept, specifically that of authenticity.  As we’ll see, authenticity is the result of living one’s life in accord with a self-knowledge-based understanding of one’s true nature.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

The sense of touch is one of the richest channels through which we humans connect with our world and with other people.  It’s what underlies so-called “haptic” (or touch-based) communication.  Beyond conveying a wealth of information, touch is also a powerful vehicle for validating and providing support between people.In this episode, we’ll explore the nature of touch, to understand why it plays such a central role in our lives as embodied creatures.  We’ll also delineate several rather different kinds of touch, which are differentiated by the function or purpose that each serves.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Ours is a very youth-focused society.  In America, perhaps more so than in other Western societies, I see a tendency to focus on the diminishment that comes with age--- while ignoring or downplaying the possible benefits and satisfactions that can accompany a long life well-lived.In this episode, we’ll consider how this focus affects social perspectives on sex and intimacy.  We’ll see how making negative assumptions about our enjoyment of sex in our later years can reduce our quality of life, at a time when our deepened understanding of how relationships work offers us the potential of deep human connections that are unusual, if not impossible, prior to our accumulating life-experience.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Polyamory is a form of ethical non-monogamy that is slowly making its way into our societal mainstream.  (As we’ve noted in previous episodes, monogamy or serial monogamy comprise the vast majority of socially-sanctioned long-term committed relationships in our society--- but perhaps 5% of adult intimate relationships in the US are polyamorous.)As someone with years of immersion in the polyamorous community, I’ve noted a number of relationships that their participants label as polyamorous, but which  seem to lack one or more of the fundamental traits of polyamory.  To coin a new term, I think of those as examples of PINO: Polyamory In Name Only.  In this episode, we’ll explore why that may be an apt label in at least some of these cases.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

Lifestyles that fall outside our society’s mainstream often come with associated terminology that is unfamiliar and potentially confusing to many.  While labels can be misleading or artificially confining, they can also clarify important concepts.In this episode, we’ll explore three terms that describe non-traditional relationships: open relationships, swinging, and polyamory.  We’ll see how these are related, and how they each describe potentially rewarding alternatives to mainstream monogamous relationships.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/

One of the guiding principles for physicians is captured in Hippocrates’ admonition to “first, do no harm” in the process of trying to help a patient.  The Hippocratic Oath includes a similar commitment.  These statements remind physicians of their commitment to try to improve the well-being of their patients.The spirit of “first, do no harm” applies to the conduct of healthy relationships, as well.  If we care for someone, we will focus our efforts on bringing them good (as best we understand it), and on avoiding intentionally harming them.  In this episode, we’ll consider how this orientation shapes the behavior of partners in a mutually-beneficial intimate relationship.Dr. Claude Cruz is a relationship and intimacy coach based in the Portland, OR area. He holds a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (IASHS), as well as a Professional Sex Coach certification from Sex Coach U. Dr. Claude is passionate about promoting and supporting deep human connection. He develops and delivers workshops and other events regarding that topic, as well as being available for individual and couples intimacy coaching. He can be contacted at claude@twoopendoors.com.This weekly podcast is distributed through multiple podcast directories, including:* Apple podcasts: 1588173033 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-open-doors/id1588173033* Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/two%20open%20doors* Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/two-open-doors* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ib3hb9vsNoNvWM3HWpEXL* iHeart Radio: · https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-two-open-doors-86831925/