Dear Listener, welcome to the third episode of our Dating Skills Series! In this installment, we dive deep into the art of building intimacy, a crucial aspect of creating chemistry and emotional connections on your dates. This episode is for you if you are frequently “friend-zoned” or struggle to get past first or second dates. Join us as we explore five key skills for building intimacy on a date: Self-Affirm: Learn how to shift from self-criticism to self-compassion, allowing you to show up confidently and authentically.Play: Discover how to bring lightness and joy into your interactions, making your dates more fun and engaging.Assert: Master the art of clearly and respectfully communicating your desires while giving your date space to express theirs.Reveal: Enhance emotional closeness by sharing your feelings and encouraging your date to do the same.Touch: Understand how to move from friendly to flirty touch, using your intuition and your date’s cues to gauge comfort and interest. “Paul” and “Petunia” return, so don’t miss their silly, touching examples of how to get playful, flirtatious, and deep.  Tune in to learn how to emotionally connect with your date, create intimate moments, and understand the role of physical touch in building chemistry. By the end of this episode, you’ll have practical strategies to help you build connections that might blossom into joyful, lifelong love. Key Takeaways 00:00 - Intro 03:84 - #1: Self-Affirm 06:26 - #2: Play 16:28 - #3: Assert 22:25 - #4: Reveal 27:43 - #5: Touch 34:04 - Recap Resources and links For full show notes with links, visit relationshipcenter.com/podcast Free Dating Skills Infographics Ep. 3 - How to flirt like a feminist Non-Creepy Flirting: Signs, Confidence, & Respectful Tactics Have a question or comment? Email us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you! If you’d like to work with one of the talented clinicians on our team, go to relationshipcenter.com/apply-now to apply for a free 30-minute consultation. To get a monthly email with our best content, go to relationshipcenter.com/newsletter. If something in this episode touched you, will you share it with a friend? That helps us reach more sweet humans like you. Lastly, we’d love it if you would leave us a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. And be sure to hit subscribe while you’re there so you never miss an episode!