Authenticity Matters

How Gay Men Explore Their Sexual Role: Moving Beyond “Top vs Bottom”
sex therapy, relationships and intimacy Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST sex therapy, relationships and intimacy Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST

How Gay Men Explore Their Sexual Role: Moving Beyond “Top vs Bottom”

From a clinical perspective, it’s more useful to understand sexual roles not as identities you must define early, but as experiences you come to understand through exploration. Sexuality is not just behavior—it’s tied to identity, emotion, and the meaning we make of our experiences.

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Why Silence Was Adaptive Then (and Harmful Now)
Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST

Why Silence Was Adaptive Then (and Harmful Now)

Silence helped many gay men survive early rejection and invisibility. But what once protected us can quietly limit intimacy, connection, and emotional regulation in adulthood.

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Never Stop Coming Out
Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST

Never Stop Coming Out

In a just world, either no one would have to come out or everyone would have to come out. In the world we live in now, finding the insight, strength, and courage to come out remains  a queer superpower.

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Some Like It Hot: Hiding to Find Yourself
Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST

Some Like It Hot: Hiding to Find Yourself

In the perfect blend of escapism and representation, the show portrays contemporary queer love and transgender experience in a period musical bursting with big dance numbers, toe-tapping tunes, door-slamming farce, and stellar performances. I saw myself onstage and lost myself in the experience at the same time.

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“Authenticity Matters”
Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST Matthew Phillips, PhD, MEd, LCSW, CST

“Authenticity Matters”

This blog is a place for me to amplify my voice and give a wider audience a chance to hear my thoughts about the intersections of identity, values, sex, relationships, therapy, and theater.

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