Gay Men and the Cinderella Syndrome: From Outcast to Adonis—And What Comes After

glass slipper

In the timeless tale of Cinderella, a neglected girl is transformed—through magic, resilience, and the help of a mentor—into someone who is seen, valued, and desired. While this fairy tale has enchanted generations, its deeper themes resonate powerfully with many gay men: those whose early lives were marked by invisibility, shame, or bullying, and a … Read more

Gay Men as Adult Children of Alcoholics: How the Past Still Talks in the Present

alcoholic man

By Ken Howard, LCSW, CST GayTherapyLA.com | GayCoachingLA.com Ken@GayTherapyLA.com | 310-339-5778 “If It’s Hysterical, It’s Historical” There’s a phrase that gets thrown around in recovery circles: “If it’s hysterical, it’s historical.” Meaning, if your emotional reaction feels out of proportion to the moment, you might be reacting to something much older, deeper, and unresolved. For … Read more

Radical Erotic Aging: Gay Men, Desire, and the Audacity to Stay Sexy

Handsome man relaxing in sofa at home

Radical Erotic Aging: Gay Men, Desire, and the Audacity to Stay Sexy By Ken Howard, LCSW, CST GayTherapyLA.com | GayCoachingLA.com Ken@GayTherapyLA.com | 310-339-5778 Let me tell you something I know in my bones: aging as a gay man in this culture is not for the faint of heart. After 33 years of working with thousands … Read more

Positive Masculinity: Redefining Strength for Gay Men

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Positive Masculinity: Redefining Strength for Gay Men By Ken Howard, LCSW, CST Founder, GayTherapyLA.com It feels like everyone’s talking about masculinity right now—what it is, what it isn’t, and who gets to define it. For gay men, this isn’t just a cultural conversation. It’s personal. Too often, we’ve been told we’re not “real men.” But … Read more

Gay Men as Workplace Supervisors: Survival Tips for When You’re the New Boss

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For over 24 years, my specialty as a therapist and life/business coach has been working with gay men.  For many topics, treating or coaching a gay man is very similar to how a woman (straight or gay) or a straight man would be.  However, “cultural competency” in working with gay men demands that the provider … Read more

The Six Principles of Sexual Health as Applied to Gay Men: A Guide

gay couple in underwear in embrace deposit photo April 2021

I’ve been enjoying my recent completion of the Certified Sex Therapist credential from AASECT, the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.  I achieved this not only from my long experience as a gay men’s specialist therapist (29 years in 2021), but also through completing an 18-month continuing education program for therapists provided by … Read more

How to Avoid a Gay Relationship Breakup – The Four Risks

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How to Avoid a Gay Relationship Breakup – The Four Risks As a psychotherapist specializing in gay men and gay male couples therapy for over 28 years, I’ve worked with so many different kinds of ages, nationalities, ethnicities, and backgrounds. You could say I’ve made a study of it, and I teach a course on couples … Read more

Gay Men Coping with Single Life: Tips and Tricks

single gay man on beach with sunglasses deposit photo May 2020

Gay Men Coping with Single Life: Tips and Tricks At the time of this writing in April, 2020, we are in the midst of the global COVID-19/coronavirus crisis and there are “lockdown”/quarantine conditions all over the world.  I am continuing to provide both therapy or coaching services to my clients who live locally to the … Read more

Gay Men and The Serenity of Acceptance, Courage, Wisdom

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One of the most rewarding parts of my long (28 years!) career as a gay men’s specialist therapist and coach is the variety of guys that I’ve had the pleasure to work with.  There is so much variety to their initial issues or challenges that they are presenting to treatment with, and yet often I … Read more

A Career Coach’s 9 Tips for How to Make More Money

One of the biggest questions that guys have about their careers is how to make more money.  Women wonder this, too, but my psychotherapy and coaching practice focuses on men (gay and straight) and I know more about those dynamics.  Even though there is certainly a social injustice about men, in general, getting paid more … Read more