Three’s Company: The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Have a Gay Men’s Three-Way

three gay men remote dollar photo 1

A therapist’s office (similar to a physician’s or lawyer’s office) is a place to talk about things that would be difficult to talk about almost anywhere else except behind closed doors at home.  This is why psychotherapy has a long tradition of strict confidentiality:  what’s said in therapy, stays in therapy, with the exception of … Read more

The Tools for a Successful Gay Male Relationship: The ‘Three C’s’ of Commitment, Communication, and Compromise

gay couple with laptop deposit photo 11 30 19

[This is from 2014, so some of the references are outdated like the evolution of marriage equality laws.  We’ve come a long way!] What an amazing turn of events for marriage equality in a relatively short time this year!  For a terribly long time, gay couples have pleaded, waited, marched, lobbied, and battled for the … Read more

Hotter Monogamy for Gay Men

kh pp gay couple in bed dollar photo

In my psychotherapy practice as a gay men’s specialty therapist for over 25 years, no topic among couples therapy is more frequent than that of the “monogamy vs. non-monogamy” debate.  This is not an easy topic, and trying to over-simplify it just gets you into trouble.  It IS, indeed, complex, and it takes time and … Read more

Gay Men’s Domiciles: Is Your House a Home?

house with coins adobe photo

  One of the positive stereotypes that are assigned to gay men (as welcome respite to so many negative ones) is that we have good taste.  Our sense of our clothes, grooming, cars, and homes are respected to be stylish, up-to-date, and of good design and quality.  But is this so for everyone?  Recently I … Read more

Gay Men’s Relationships: Ten Ways They Differ from Straight Relationships

gay couple with laptop deposit photo 11 30 19

As I think back on the past 24 years (by 2014) of providing couples counseling for gay male relationships, I sometimes get asked what the differences are that I see (in general) in gay male relationships that are (in general) different from straight relationships.  In no particular order, below, are some of my thoughts.  I … Read more

Gay Men’s Relationships: How to Make It Work on Four Levels

older gay male couple adobe photo

In my psychotherapy practice recently, I have worked with a number of clients on issues of how to strengthen their relationships with a partner.  In my experience and observation over 20 years of doing couples therapy, and individual therapy with clients who are working on relationship issues, I think managing a relationship comes down to … Read more

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

valentine couple deposit photo Feb 2020

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

Three Keys for a Successful Gay Life: Something to Do, Love, and Hope For

There is a quote from philosopher Emmanuel Kant that says that we need three things to succeed in life:  “Something to Do, Someone to Love, and Something to Hope For.”  In my psychotherapy practice specializing in therapy and coaching for gay men, when I see truly thriving people, I think these three things are key … Read more

No More ‘Cheating’ Part II: How Gay Men Can Have an Open Relationship Without Hurt Feelings

smiling gay male couple on a beach

gay male couple on beach
Gay men in open relationships need lots of communication.

Part II: Identifying and Implementing Your Options

In my previous article, Part I of this topic, I described how in my work as a psychotherapist specializing in gay men and their relationships, very often I see couples expressing a desire to eliminate “cheating” in a relationship by bravely, candidly, and sensitively discussing their options about how and why either or both partners might desire occasional sex outside the relationship, and how this does not have to be unhealthy or damaging to the relationship. Studies of gay male relationships over the years have explained how it is culturally relatively more acceptable in gay male relationships (more so than in any other kind of human relationship) to have a primary partner but allow sexual play with others.

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