Ken Howard, LCSW

Gay Men’s Careers: The Importance of Focus and Hope in Your Work

July 19, 2019October 5, 2011 by Ken

In psychotherapy and coaching sessions with my gay male clients every day, I’ve noticed lately that a frequent focus is about work issues. This makes sense, given that the news and current events atmosphere has focused on a volatile political and economic climate: we get bombarded with news daily, from everything from Facebook to newspaper … Read more

Gay Men’s Mental Health in the Current Political Climate: A Lesson in Hope and Resilience

August 20, 2011 by Ken

As the first activities in the 2012 election season begin with events like the recent Republican Iowa Straw Poll, I have noticed an increase in reported stress in my daily practice of therapy with gay men. It seems that the rhetoric in the news daily is an irritant to the men I work with in … Read more

Memory: Blessing or Curse?

April 21, 2021July 16, 2011 by Ken

the thinker statue deposit photo 11 12 20

I thought about this recently, after a particularly busy day of sessions of clients in my practice. Is having memory a blessing, or a curse? I was moved by stories of clients who are abuse survivors, with their ability to recall the traumatically abusive incidents that happened to them in detail from various self-indulgent and … Read more

Tolerations: Coping with Everyday Stressors in Gay Men’s Lives

May 10, 2018April 9, 2011 by Ken

Gay men need support for coping with everyday stressors.

Tolerations: Coping with Everyday Stressors in Gay Men’s Lives:

I recently asked my Facebook fans to suggest a topic for a blog article. The first response I got was, “Traffic and MFSAD (MuthaFuckinStupidAssDrivers)” by my handsome and charming friend Michael Smith. So, Michael, this is for you:

I decided to expand on this topic and address what we therapist/coaches often call “tolerations”. Tolerations are Life’s little annoyances that subtly but insidiously chip away at our daily quality of life. While manageable individually, taken collectively, they can make us feel tired, stressed, worn down, despondent, and contribute to a general ennui (listlessness or dissatisfaction, boredom, tedium).

Gay Men and Alcohol: The Relationship with the Bottle

April 28, 2020March 7, 2011 by Ken

Today I wanted to write about gay men and alcohol, and what I call their “relationship” with the bottle. Over my many years as a psychotherapist, one of the most frequent issues my clients bring to me is a concern about their drinking, or perhaps their drug use. There is a wide range; some people … Read more

Valentine’s Day for Single Gay Men: Coping with Hope

February 14, 2023February 14, 2011 by Ken

Valentine’s Day, for all its lovely sentiment, is perhaps one of the most divisive holidays of the year. Everyone can enjoy New Year’s; every American can enjoy President’s Day (thankfully coming up very soon) and Independence Day; we each have a birthday. But Valentine’s Day is a “holiday for lovers”, and many single people can end … Read more

Gay Men Conquering Anxiety with… Probability??

March 24, 2020February 11, 2011 by Ken

Gay Men Conquering Anxiety: Think about how you’ve been feeling lately. Felt any anxiety? If no, perhaps get another cup of coffee, read another blog, or go back to work. 🙂 But my guess is, yes, you have felt at least some anxiety about something in relatively recent times. Like maybe this morning. I … Read more

Conquering Self-Doubt as “The Gay Male Creative Solo Entrepreneur”

July 19, 2019February 4, 2011 by Ken

Conquering Self-Doubt as “The Gay Male Creative Solo Entrepreneur” Someone asked me recently what I did for a living. Fair question, common question, but I gave an uncommon answer: “I’m a licensed psychotherapist and life/business coach who focuses on helping the gay male creative solo entrepreneur close the gap between how life is, and how … Read more

January 22, 2011: My Xtranormal Adventure: ‘Selecting a Gym in West Hollywood’

May 10, 2018January 22, 2011 by Ken

By now, many people have seen the Xtranormal.com video, “Selecting a Gym in West Hollywood”. In fact, as of today, 8,699 people have seen it on YouTube, and on the original Xtranormal.com site, 13,753. What many people don’t know is, I wrote it — along with my husband, Michael Ryan. We were just kind of … Read more

January 8, 2011: New Year, New Hip, New Movies (“Black Swan”/”The King’s Speech”)

January 22, 2011 by Ken

Happy New Year! In the January issue of my e-newsletter, “Self-Empowerment: Have the Life You Want!”, I’ll be discussing how to set your goals for 2011 to feel empowered to make the positive changes in your life that you want to see over the next 12 months. Sign up now on my home page to … Read more