Counseling Blog | Relationships, Individuals | Los Angeles, CA

Those Other Three Words

April 21, 2021 by Dr. Gary Brown

There’s a lot of talk about when to say those special three words – “I love you” – in a relationship. Some say a relationship can be doomed if they are shared too soon or not at all, and experts often weigh-in on the best timing. However, that’s actually not the subject of this article. I’m talking about the other three words that can be ...read more

Filed Under: Relationships Tagged With: child, children, communication, connection, family, friends, intimacy, loved one, parents, relationships, support, trust

50 Conversation Starters to Help Grow Your Relationship

March 29, 2021 by Dr. Gary Brown

Life can be so busy that we don’t always sit and talk, really talk, to the one we love the most. There’s so much happening with work, family, friends and household errands that all too often we forget to take the time to connect with our partner and really tune into them and to provide an opportunity for them to tune in to us. Everyone likes to ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Relationships Tagged With: communication, connection, intimacy, love, trust, vulnerability

Does Valentine’s Day Stress You Out?

February 1, 2021 by Dr. Gary Brown

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that people seem to either love (no pun intended) or hate. Children tend to love it because it typically involves candy of some sort. Grown-ups can go either way. If you are in a relationship, dating or otherwise, and if things are in good standing, it’s generally something you look forward ...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

New Year’s Resolutions and Goals: A Simple and Proven Three-Step Plan to Make Them Actually Work

January 1, 2021 by Dr. Gary Brown

Welcome to 2021! So many of us are looking to quickly turn the page on 2020. It’s done. It’s over, although there are some lingering effects. There is so much to look forward to and now that multiple vaccines and therapeutics are coming online, some things will begin to get back to our former normal…and maybe better. Like almost all of us, I ...read more

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

Tips For Dealing With Covid During the Holidays

December 11, 2020 by Dr. Gary Brown

In almost any ordinary year, we would normally see multi-generational families, hopefully enjoying a traditional get-together for the holidays. The very luckiest of families may still be able to do that this year. But for most of us, this is no ordinary year. Being separated from our loved ones over the holidays this year may be harder and ...read more

Filed Under: Family, Relationships Tagged With: anxiety, COVID-19, Dr. Gary Brown, DrGaryLATherapist, family, holidays, individual therapy, Los Angeles therapist, relationship therapy, stress

7 Relationship Conversations for the Next COVID Challenges

June 7, 2020 by Dr. Gary Brown

So far, you’ve made it through quarantining together. Congratulations. Hopefully you both have taken the time to acknowledge that you faced adversity together and you’re coming out on the other side. Being together at home for that amount of time and sharing your space is no easy feat and you should be proud of your relationship ...read more

Filed Under: Couples, Relationships Tagged With: communication, community, conversations, coping, coronavirus, couples communication, COVID, fears, freedom, gratitude, kindness, living together, quarantine, relationship conversations, relationships, self care, stress

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

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