Gary Brown

How to Relieve Valentine’s Day Pressure

February 7, 2020 by Dr. Gary Brown

I may be dating myself a bit, but raise your hand if you remember the song, Love is a Many Splendored Thing? Anyone? It was from the 1955 movie of the same title and written by Paul Francis Webster, music by Sammy Fain. It’s been covered by tons of people – from Nat King Cole to Frank Sinatra to Jeff Lynne as recently as 2012. It’s a classic. And ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Dating, Individuals Tagged With: couples, couples counseling, dating, Dr. Gary Brown, DrGaryLATherapist, how to get through valentines day, individual therapy, Los Angeles therapist, love, marriage, navigating valentines day, relationship therapy, relationships, sad love quotes, single on valentines day, valentines day, valentines day for singles

5 Reasons to Make Friends a Higher Priority This Year

January 19, 2020 by Dr. Gary Brown

It’s the new year and this is a time that I tend both reflect and look ahead. When thinking about friendships and seeing some people who are close to me struggling in this area, the idea of creating this post came to mind. I hope you find it helpful. This year my resolution is to experience more connection with others. And my intention is to ...read more

Filed Under: General counseling, Individuals Tagged With: depression, friends, friendship, fun, health, lonely, reality check, well-being, wellbeing

How To Fast Track Your Resolutions This Year

January 5, 2020 by Dr. Gary Brown

Many of us make resolutions and set goals at the beginning of the year. Actually, you may or may not have written them down. I recommend that you do. So, what’s next? What do you do with them for the rest of the year? How often do you revisit those goals that you were so excited about in January, but might have faded by the time you get to ...read more

Filed Under: Individuals Tagged With: courage, empowerment, goals, inspiration, motivation, personal development, personal success, resolutions, self help, success, vision, vision board

New Year’s Resolutions and Goals: What’s the Difference & the Secrets to Make Them Actually Work

December 31, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Welcome to 2020! So, I was up last night after everyone else had gone to bed. My thoughts were focusing on what message I wanted the first blog of the year to be. I wanted it to be meaningful for you and not a repetition of the usual New Year’s “resolutions." And that got me to thinking about the different meanings of that word – resolutions – ...read more

Filed Under: Individuals Tagged With: goal setting, goals, life goals, life planning, new year, new years resolutions, personal development, personal goals, resolutions, self improvement, success

Coping with the Holiday Season When You’re Feeling Down

December 8, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Holiday parties every weekend, traveling long distances, decorating your home. Christmas lists from the kids to Santa, Hanukkah presents for eight nights, extra time with extended family. Colder, winter weather (well, as cold as it can get in Southern California!) and endless sweet treats when we’re trying to follow a healthier eating ...read more

Filed Under: Individuals Tagged With: anxiety, break up, Christmas, coping, depression, divorce, grieving, Hanukkah, holidays, loss, sad, seasonal affect disorder, Thanksgiving

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 6: Gratitude

March 19, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

We’ve talked about several of the core foundations of love and intimacy, that I have outlined in this series: vulnerability, trust, courage, self-awareness, and kindness. However, one more remains to complete the solid foundation for the basis upon which we can expand our ability to experience the many benefits of being in a loving ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: couples counseling, intimacy, love, marital therapy, marriage, premarital counseling, relationships

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 5: Kindness

March 16, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Ok. You might be looking at the title and why I am highlighting something that should be obvious – we need to be kind to one another. And you would have a point. It should be obvious but you might be surprised to learn that so many partners have actually lost sight of just how important kindness is. Here’s why. We’ve talked about ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: core foundations, couples, intimacy, kindness, love, marriage, relationships

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 4: Self-Awareness

March 12, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Have you ever been in a relationship, but wanted something more? Your partner may have all the boxes checked when it came to height, looks, education, income, and all the other things that we initially may find important. But then at some point, you may start to get the sinking feeling that you’re settling or you begin to realize that ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: intimacy, love, marriage, relationships, self-awareness, trust

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 3: Living Courageously

March 9, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Do you know that feeling when you are so vulnerable and scared about something, you can barely bring yourself to even look at your partner in the face? This situation can be very painful because we may be locked into feeling shame, guilt, embarrassment, fear, sadness, or anger. And we feel that we have to keep it inside because if we talk about it, ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: core foundations, courage, intimacy, love, marriage, needs met, relationships, strength, tears, vulnerability

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 2: Trust

March 5, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

There are those moments in every relationship when you may be looking into your partner’s eyes and wondering if you can trust them with your inner world. The ability to trust ourselves and our partner is the true cornerstone - and most important pillar - upon which to build a foundation of love and intimacy. The ability to experience trust in ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: counseling, couples counseling, couples therapy, intimacy, love, marriage, marriage counseling, relationships, trust

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – Part 1: Vulnerability

March 2, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

In relationships, we talk about taking them to another level. Maybe it’s the first time you say those three special words, maybe it’s when you take your loved one to meet the parents over the holidays or maybe it’s moving in together. No matter what phase of your relationship you’re in, you can always take it to another level of depth and ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: core foundations, counseling, couples counseling, intimacy, love, move slowly, relationships, tough conversations, trust, vulnerability

The Core Foundations of Real Love and True Intimacy – A Six Part Series: Introduction

February 26, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Having been in private practice for over 25 years, I have met hundreds and hundreds of individuals and couples who are struggling in their relationships…or lack thereof. Their challenges are many and as diverse as the people I work with. Each person and situation is unique. Having said that, I have learned – and, really, my clients ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Foundations of Love, Relationships Tagged With: couples counseling, courage, gratitude, intimacy, kindness, love, marriage, marriage counseling, relationships, self-awareness, therapist, trust, vulnerability

Three Phases of Romantic Love

February 5, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

People often ask in one way or another, “Should love change over time?” My response is always, “I certainly hope so!” Why do I say this? It’s fairly simple. I see far too many couples who settle for so much less in their love life. They may have initially fallen in love but after a while, it doesn’t seem to progress much beyond that. People ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Relationships Tagged With: couples, dating, Dr. Gary Brown, DrGaryLATherapist, individual therapy, Los Angeles therapist, love, marriage, mature love, relationship therapy, relationships, romantic love

Can It Be? Is Love at First Sight Real?

January 29, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

It seems like such a wonderfully romantic notion. And it absolutely can be. An accidental encounter. Seeing someone from across the room and immediately feeling the electric connection. Just reading this sounds like a scene out of the latest romcom or Netflix release. You may have even daydreamed the possibility of it happening to ...read more

Filed Under: Couples Tagged With: attraction, couples counseling, dating, Dr. Gary Brown, DrGaryLATherapist, individual therapy, Los Angeles therapist, love, love at first sight, relationship therapy, relationships

Is It Too Soon to Know If I’m in Love?

January 15, 2019 by Dr. Gary Brown

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to fall in love? I was recently interviewed by Elite Daily on this topic. It’s particularly important if you’re starting to get feels pretty early in a relationship, you’ll definitely want to read up about the right time for you to share those feelings with your partner. I have worked with hundreds of ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Dating Tagged With: dating, Elite Daily, falling in love, love, relationships