by David Bowman, LMFT | Jan 15, 2025 | Featured, General
As children, we have no choice but to emulate our parents and caregivers. That is how we humans learn and grow. As our world view expands, we imbibe the norms and values of the culture around us without even knowing we are doing it. Even when we finally become aware...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Jan 2, 2025 | Family, Father Figutres, Featured, Gay, Men's Issues
Over the years, I have seen many male clients, of all sexualities, and it has become obvious to me that the majority of them had absent fathers (or father figures), that is, absent in one way or another. While many grew up with physically absent fathers, others had...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Aug 31, 2024 | Featured, LGBT, Life Coaching, Men's Issues, Therapy, Women's Issues
Readers of this blog may be surprised by my sudden reappearance in this space. The truth is that over the past three years I have focused my writing and spare time on finishing a project that has been in the works for me for over 10 years. My online course and e-book...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Feb 3, 2021 | Couples, COVID, Dating, Relationships, Singles
For both singles and couples, long periods of isolation or cocooning with just one or two others has taken an unexpected emotional toll. This two-part article examines a few of the ways, some healthy and some questionable—though understandable—that we cope with our...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Feb 3, 2021 | Couples, COVID, Dating, Relationships, Singles
For both singles and couples, long periods of isolation or cocooning with just one or two others have taken an unexpected emotional toll. This two-part article examines a few of the ways, some healthy and some questionable—though understandable—that we cope with our...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Jun 4, 2019 | Couples, Featured, Gay, LGBT, Relationships, Sex
Heterosexuality and monogamy are so privileged by Western society that when homosexual or gender-fluid relationships are allowed—or even sanctioned—their validity and functionality are still judged against a heteronormative, monogamy-normative standard...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Mar 18, 2019 | Addiction, Featured, Gay, LGBT, Men's Issues, Recovery
Any Los Angeles therapist working with the gay community cannot fail to be saddened by the prevalence of crystal meth and the abundance of users and addicts of all races, all socio-economic classes, and every intelligence level imaginable. From the rooms of...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Nov 16, 2018 | Featured, LGBT, Life Coaching, Men's Issues, Therapy, Women's Issues
Stop Yourself from Stopping Yourself After spending some time doing psychotherapy, many of my clients have identified changes they would like to make in themselves and their lives, and we have worked together to map out goals, objectives, and even detailed plans and...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Oct 9, 2018 | Family, Featured, LGBT, Men's Issues
In an earlier article, I introduced the subject of “daddy issues,” that is, problems faced by sons who either have troubled relationships with their fathers or whose fathers were largely absent during their childhood, either physically or emotionally. In Absent...
by David Bowman, LMFT | Sep 11, 2018 | Featured, LGBT, Men's Issues
When I was a child, my parents gave me a framed copy of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If,” which ends (after an endless litany of requirements) with the punch line: “You’ll be a Man, my son!” The truth is, if you can follow all the dictates outlined in that poem, you’ll be...
