Advice

Dear Dr. Brian,

I’m an experienced dater who is dating someone quite shy. Things have  been going well over the last several months, and I’ve been well-behaved and considerate. I’ve also been sure to live my own life while getting caught up in all the feelings associated a budding  “interest.” While things are going well, I’ve vocalized my “like” for him, when in fact, I’ve got some pretty strong feelings for him. He’s so shy and  quiet, I’m scared to turn him off. And, he’s never been in a  relationship before.  So, do you have any advice? I feel as though there is a communication deficit and I’d like to bridge the gap, encouraging him  to express what it is he might feel for me, while respecting his gentler nature. read more >>

Dear Dr. Brian:

I’ve recently started seeing a guy and things are going really well so far. He is open, genuine, and I’m very attracted to him and he seems to reciprocate my feelings of interest. My problem is that I have low self-esteem and I’m concerned about various things, such as my liking to view pornography and my fear that I’ll cheat on him as a form of self-sabotage. I’m working with a therapist, but I’m still struggling with feelings of insecurity and fear. Would it be best to kill the relationship until I can work these things out? read more >>

Dear Dr. Brian:

My boyfriend recently broke up with me and reconciled with his ex-boyfriend. This came as a complete shock and completely tore my heart apart. It’s something neither of us expected he could ever do. We were together for over 7 months and blissfully happy, even having committed to moving in together a couple months ago at his suggestion. It’s almost been a month since our breakup and I don’t know what to do. read more >>

Dear Dr. Brian:

I’ve been dating a man for well over a year now and while we’ve had a tremendously difficult relationship, the “ups” have far outweighed the “downs”. I’ve learned that a lot of our issues come from my insecurities. I can’t seem to build trust him and when I do, my own paranoia tears it down. The only reason I’ve ever had to be cautious of him is because of the fact that his prior relationships were non-monogamous and I’m the first guy that he’s chosen to be exclusive with. He’s always been up front with me about his past and has never tried to hide it. read more >>

Dear Dr. Brian:

I am somewhat embarrassed to ask you this question, but I figured you would be a great person to ask. I have a HUGE foot fetish and get turned on by men’s feet. Where does a foot fetish come from? I believe we are born with our sexual orientation–so is this something that we are just born with or something that may develop over time? I remember liking men’s feet since I was like 4 years old.

Mr. Foot Guy read more >>

Dear Dr. Brian:

I have met a guy that I really like, but I don’t know what to do because I’ve never really dated before. He is great and is someone I can see myself being with for a long time. I don’t want to mess this up…what should I do?

Dating Virgin read more >>

Dear Coach:

My mom called me today to tell me that my brother had told her and my father that he was gay; she had assumed that I’d known. My brother has not told me yet, but I’ve had my suspicions for quite some time now. I love and support my brother and would stand beside him as an openly gay man. How should I talk to him about something he may be too afraid to tell me? read more >>

Dear Coach:
 
I am writing because I’ve lost my faith in the dating scene here in Michigan.  I’ve
become so used to being hurt and ignored by men for whom I’ve had genuine
feelings. It makes me feel utterly lousy about myself and it’s even worse when I see everyone around me (both gay and straight friends) falling in love.  I’m tired of feeling lonely, and with the summer upon us and being single again, I’ve about given up hope.
 
Jaded  read more >>

Dear Coach:

I have been in a relationship with my partner for going on 4 years now and up until the past year it has been great. About six months ago, we moved to a different state across country; I protested the move, but my partner is originally from there and all his family is there and I decided to give in because I thought I owed it to the relationship. A few months into the move, my partner’s ill father started visiting for weeks at a time until it reached a point to where he never went back to his own home. It’s extremely difficult, particularly since we live in a small one bedroom apartment and our bedroom has been relegated to sleeping in the living room since my father-in-law’s move-in. read more >>

Dear Coach:

I’m 23 and met a guy about two months ago. I tried to kiss him on the second date, but he refused. Since then, I keep getting mixed signals from him. He calls me and we talk for hours on the phone. But when I am alone with him, he treats me as if I was nothing more than a friend. Why does he do this to me when he knows how I feel about him?  I want to talk to him about this, but how?

Perplexed read more >>