“…While physical intimacy includes sexual behaviors such as intercourse and genital touching, it can also include non-sexual behaviors (e.g., cuddling, hand-holding), both of which were IE intervention targets. The IE intervention was telephone-based to reduce participant burden and consisted of four sessions (Session 1: goal-setting; Session 2: intimacy-related communication; Session 3: cognitive restructuring and behavioral engagement in intimacy-building activities; Session 4: planning ahead); home practice exercises strengthened skill acquisition (for detailed information on the IE protocol, see Barsky Reese et al, 2014; Reese et al, 2012). Overall, the intervention was found to have positive effects on patient and partner sexual outcomes (e.g., sexual function, sexual distress) and intimacy outcomes (e.g., emotional intimacy, communication) across these studies, with particularly strong effects on sexual function and distress.…”