Optimal Intimacy™
A Science-Based Couples Workshop to Rebuild Emotional and Sexual Intimacy
If your connection feels distant, this one-day experience will help you reconnect, communicate better, and reignite desire—with no public sharing required.
Optimal Intimacy™ is a one-day couples workshop rooted in attachment science, sex therapy, and emotional connection.
Ready to strengthen your relationship?
Reserve your spot for the Optimal Intimacy™ Couples Workshop and invest in a day that brings you closer—emotionally, relationally, and sexually.
Date: Friday, January 23, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (EDT)
Break: 1-hour lunch (walkable restaurants nearby)
Cost: $575 per couple
Facilitator: Karen Naegel, Ph.D (Clinical Sexology), LMFT, EFCT, CST
Location: 4726 Park Rd. Ste. C, Charlotte, NC 28209
Cancellation policy: Your space is reserved exclusively for you and your partner. Cancellations made 7 days in advance receive a 50% refund. Cancellations made within 7 days receive a 25% refund.
What to expect from the workshop
The Optimal Intimacy™ workshop blends engaging teaching, research-based frameworks, and private guided couples conversations—helping you and your partner connect more deeply and confidently.
Workshop format
- Small group, private setting
- Teaching and couples-only exercises
- Safe, respectful space designed for growth
- No public sharing—conversations are only between you and your partner
- Psychoeducational experience grounded in attachment science, sexual science, and motivational psychology
What you’ll walk away with
By the end of this one-day experience, you and your partner will have:
- Tools to reconnect emotionally when things feel tense, distant, or misaligned
- A shared language for intimacy that helps you talk about sex without shame or pressure
- A clearer understanding of desire, trust, and meaning in your relationship
- A roadmap for continued growth—emotionally, relationally, and sexually
- More confidence navigating vulnerable conversations that once felt difficult or avoided
This is not therapy—it’s a structured, research-based experience designed to build skills, deepen connection, and help your relationship thrive.
Ready to experience clarity, connection, and confidence together?
Register now for the next Optimal Intimacy™ workshop.
Why this approach works
The Optimal Intimacy™ workshop is grounded in science—and shaped by real couples’ lived experiences.
During the workshop, you’ll build core skills drawn from research on emotion, desire, and lifelong intimacy:
- Relationship flow: Cultivate presence, shared attention, and emotional engagement with each other (Csikszentmihalyi, 2020)
- Positive sexual communication: Develop language for pleasure, meaning, and curiosity—not performance (Kleinplatz, 2020)
- A lasting emotional + sexual bond: Learn how to co-create security and connection that evolves over time (McCarthy, 2015)
This workshop helps you reconnect as partners—not just in daily life, but in the deeper spaces of intimacy, trust, and desire.
“These conversations brought up areas that needed improvement. There were misconceptions, and this workshop has been a great motivator for seeking/longevity in a relationship. Absolutely would recommend it to anyone in a committed relationship.”
–Female workshop participant
Core conversations of Optimal Intimacy™
The workshop is built around 5 guided conversations—each grounded in science and designed to deepen emotional and sexual connection.
1. Meaning & Motivation
Activate your attachment and meaning systems to increase motivation, engagement, and openness.
2. The Science of Desire
Understand your individual desire pathways—emotional, cognitive, and physiological—and how to support each other.
3. Trust in Touch & Sexual Scripts
Learn how trust, safety, and communication shape erotic connection. Explore ways to adapt or expand your sexual scripts.
4. Pleasure, Touch & Connection
Understand how attachment patterns shape pleasure. Learn “touch gears” that support comfort, connection, and erotic confidence.
5. Couple Expansion & Future Roadmap
Explore how growth, novelty, and shared meaning fuel long-term desire. Create a personalized roadmap for your relationship’s future.
“The couple’s conversations were very helpful. It provided the opportunity to apply and discuss what had been shared. The workshop did help us identify focus areas and discuss topics previously avoided.”
–Male workshop participant
Who this workshop is (and isn’t) for
The Optimal Intimacy™ Couples Workshop is designed for couples who want to strengthen their relationship—emotionally, relationally, and sexually.
It's a great fit for couples...
- Wanting a deeper emotional connection
- Hoping to improve communication around sensitive or avoided topics
- Seeking to enhance sexual intimacy, comfort, and confidence
- In a good place but seeking growth, expansion, or renewed passion
- Feeling stuck or disconnected and ready to rebuild trust
- Entering a new life stage (parenthood, empty nesting, career transitions)
- Committed to strengthening their relationship through science-backed tools
This workshop is ideal for committed couples at any stage—newly married, long married, or later-in-life couples.
This workshop may not be a fit if there's...
- A lack of commitment from one or both partners
- High relationship distress, including threats to leave the relationship
- A partner unwilling to engage in strengthening emotional or sexual connection
In these cases, individual or couples therapy may be more appropriate before joining a growth-oriented workshop. Referrals are available.
Unsure if this workshop is a good fit for you?
Contact us, and we’ll help you decide if this is the right next step.
About your facilitator, Dr. Karen Naegel
PhD (Clinical Sexology), LMFT, EFCT, CST
Dr. Karen Naegel created the Optimal Intimacy™ Workshop based on her specialized training in couples therapy, attachment science, and sex therapy.
Her doctoral work integrated two evidence-based approaches—Hold Me Tight® and Optimal Intimacy™ —into a unified model for strengthening emotional and sexual connection.
Her dissertation, Hold Me Tight and Enhancing Sexual Intimacy: An Integrated Workshop for Couples Pilot Study, led to a peer-reviewed manuscript, Integrating Attachment and Sexuality, accepted for publication in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy and forthcoming in print.
She has facilitated more than 25 couples workshops, refining the Optimal Intimacy™ model to help partners deepen closeness, improve communication, and cultivate lasting desire.
When she’s not working with couples, Dr. Naegel enjoys spending time with her husband of over 24 years and their two young adult children. She also loves weightlifting and outdoor activities.
Reviews from past workshop participants
Ready to reconnect emotionally, sexually, and relationally?
Let’s help you grow closer in ways that last. Spots are limited for privacy and personal attention.
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Get on our waitlist by completing the form below.