Seeing a significant other "as if for the first time"

pp. 15-39

in: Steen Halling, Intimacy, transcendence, and psychology, Berlin, Springer, 2008

Abstract

The experience of genuinely being seen by another person is one that we deeply long for. What could be more wonderful than being recognized for who one really is by a lover, parent, or friend? And yet we are also keenly aware that becoming visible to another is risky. Think of a time when you were feeling vulnerable, ashamed, or even terrified at the prospect of being seen—even by someone who deeply cares about you, let alone someone who would judge you.