<p>A gay therapist, Ken Howard, LCSW, CST, examines the Heated Rivalry phenomenon—exploring why gay romance has gone mainstream, where visibility becomes fetishization, and what this cultural moment really means for gay men's identity, safety, and mental health.</p>

A gay therapist, Ken Howard, LCSW, CST, examines the Heated Rivalry phenomenon—exploring why gay romance has gone mainstream, where visibility becomes fetishization, and what this cultural moment really means for gay men's identity, safety, and mental health.

Heated Rivalry: A Gay Therapist's Take on Romance, Fetishization & Visibility

Gay Therapy LA with Ken Howard, LCSW, CST
A gay men's mental health, sex, and relationships podcast

If you've ever wished there were a therapy-informed podcast just for gay men, you're in the right place.

I'm Ken Howard, LCSW, CST – a gay men's specialist psychotherapist, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Psychiatric Social Worker, longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, and gay men's life/career/relationship coach with over 32 years' experience working almost exclusively with gay male individuals, couples, and polycules.

On Gay Therapy LA, you'll get more than clichés or recycled pop psychology. This is a deep-dive podcast for gay men's mental health, sex, and relationships—rooted in real clinical experience with thousands of clients over three decades.

We talk about what actually shows up in gay men's lives:

Mental health for gay men: anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, internalized homophobia

Gay men's relationships: monogamy, open relationships, consensual non-monogamy, polycules, jealousy, trust, communication

Sex therapy for gay men: desire, performance, erections, ejaculation, kink, porn, HIV, PrEP, sexual confidence

Gay men and aging: body image, muscles, appearance pressure, midlife, older gay men, long-term HIV survivorship

Dating and intimacy: hookup culture, apps, ghosting, rejection, attachment, finding and keeping a partner

Gay men and success: career transitions, burnout, money, retirement, purpose, and building a life that actually feels good

Episodes are mostly just me—so you get unfiltered, no-nonsense, therapist-level insight without fluff, plus occasional guests whose expertise or lived experience can help you grow. Every episode is designed to give you practical tools, perspectives, and strategies you can use immediately in your life, not just "interesting conversations."

If you're a gay man who wants better mental health, stronger relationships, more satisfying sex, and a more successful, meaningful life, this podcast is for you—whether you're in your 20s, 40s, 60s, or beyond.

About the practice behind the podcast

Gay Therapy LA with Ken Howard, LCSW, CST is the podcast of my private practice:

Psychotherapy for gay men in California (online)

Coaching for gay men worldwide (online)

I'm the founder of GayTherapyLA.com and GayCoachingLA.com, based in West Hollywood, California, serving gay men all over the world via webcam and phone. My credentials include:

California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Certified Psychiatric Social Worker

AASECT Certified Sex Therapist

Certified in Consensual Non-Monogamy and Polyamorous Families

Retired Adjunct Associate Professor in Social Work (USC)

Through both psychotherapy (California) and coaching (worldwide), I help gay men improve their mental health, strengthen their relationships, upgrade their sex lives, and maximize their quality of life and career, leveraging their past to enhance their future.

While this podcast cannot substitute for personal therapy and is provided for educational purposes only, the episodes reflect the kinds of themes and strategies I work on with clients every day.

Your questions, comments, ratings, and reviews are very welcome, as are suggestions for future episodes.

© 2025 Ken Howard, LCSW, CST. All rights reserved.

Society & Culture

Health & Fitness

Mental Health

Relationships

Gay Therapy LA with Ken Howard, LCSW, CST A gay men's mental health, sex, and relationships podcast If you've ever wished there were a therapy-informed podcast just for gay men, you're in the right place. I'm Ken Howard, LCSW, CST – a gay men's specialist psychotherapist, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Psychiatric Social Worker, longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, and gay men's life/career/relationship coach with over 32 years' experience working almost exclusively with gay male individuals, couples, and polycules. On Gay Therapy LA, you'll get more than clichés or recycled pop psychology. This is a deep-dive podcast for gay men's mental health, sex, and relationships—rooted in real clinical experience with thousands of clients over three decades. We talk about what actually shows up in gay men's lives: Mental health for gay men: anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, internalized homophobia Gay men's relationships: monogamy, open relationships, consensual non-monogamy, polycules, jealousy, trust, communication Sex therapy for gay men: desire, performance, erections, ejaculation, kink, porn, HIV, PrEP, sexual confidence Gay men and aging: body image, muscles, appearance pressure, midlife, older gay men, long-term HIV survivorship Dating and intimacy: hookup culture, apps, ghosting, rejection, attachment, finding and keeping a partner Gay men and success: career transitions, burnout, money, retirement, purpose, and building a life that actually feels good Episodes are mostly just me—so you get unfiltered, no-nonsense, therapist-level insight without fluff, plus occasional guests whose expertise or lived experience can help you grow. Every episode is designed to give you practical tools, perspectives, and strategies you can use immediately in your life, not just "interesting conversations." If you're a gay man who wants better mental health, stronger relationships, more satisfying sex, and a more successful, meaningful life, this podcast is for you—whether you're in your 20s, 40s, 60s, or beyond. About the practice behind the podcast Gay Therapy LA with Ken Howard, LCSW, CST is the podcast of my private practice: Psychotherapy for gay men in California (online) Coaching for gay men worldwide (online) I'm the founder of GayTherapyLA.com and GayCoachingLA.com, based in West Hollywood, California, serving gay men all over the world via webcam and phone. My credentials include: California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Certified Psychiatric Social Worker AASECT Certified Sex Therapist Certified in Consensual Non-Monogamy and Polyamorous Families Retired Adjunct Associate Professor in Social Work (USC) Through both psychotherapy (California) and coaching (worldwide), I help gay men improve their mental health, strengthen their relationships, upgrade their sex lives, and maximize their quality of life and career, leveraging their past to enhance their future. While this podcast cannot substitute for personal therapy and is provided for educational purposes only, the episodes reflect the kinds of themes and strategies I work on with clients every day. Your questions, comments, ratings, and reviews are very welcome, as are suggestions for future episodes. © 2025 Ken Howard, LCSW, CST. All rights reserved.

Share Heated Rivalry: A Gay Therapist's Take on Romance, Fetishization & Visibility

Sign up to save your podcasts

Heated Rivalry: A Gay Therapist's Take on Romance, Fetishization & Visibility

Heated Rivalry: A Gay Therapist's Take on Romance, Fetishization & Visibility

More shows like Gay Therapy LA with Ken Howard, LCSW, CST

This American Life

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Savage Lovecast

Science Vs

Code Switch

Pod Save America

The Daily

Up First from NPR

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Gay Men Going Deeper

Offline with Jon Favreau

I've Had It

Sniffies' Cruising Confessions

Our Ancestors Were Messy

Dads And Daddies