08/11/2026
3 Common Blocks to Pleasure and Intimacy
By Jamie Azar, Intimacy Coach
One of the first diagnostic tools I use with my clients is a Blocks to Intimacy Questionnaire. It has 20 questions that assess where there may be barriers to intimacy and đ€«, whether that falls in the realm of emotional intimacy, physiological or hormonal changes, relational breakdowns like communication, or personal barriers to pleasure like guilt or shame, to name a few.
Surprisingly, most of us want to jump right into hitting the accelerators, or those đ€« exciters Iâve talked about in previous articles. But thatâs kind of like trying to hit the gas pedal and the brakes at the same time, which, to continue the car analogy, will essentially stall you out.
This doesnât mean youâre broken, or that thereâs anything wrong with you. Pleasure and đ€«, should you choose to be having it, much like anything, are an art, skill, and practice. Thatâs not to imply thereâs some magical tool, trick, or technique that will make you a master of đ€«. Itâs more about the approach and the relationship you curate with your own pleasure and your partnerâs pleasure.
The more intention, attunement, creativity, and presence we can bring to honoring pleasure, both đ€« and non-đ€«, the more we signal to our brains and bodies that pleasure is not a luxury. Itâs not indulgent or superfluous.
It deserves to be a priority.
Read More at our Substack ~> Pleasure For The Masses