boy meets therapy

Why do some gay men “sound gay”? And can people actually tell someone’s sexuality just by hearing their voice?
In this episode, we look at the psychology and science of the “gay voice,” from auditory gaydar and the vocal characteristics researchers have studied to where these speech patterns might come from. We also explore what happens when your voice can reveal something about you before you’re ready to say it yourself, why some gay men learn to monitor the way they speak, why “you don’t sound gay” can feel like a compliment, and what research says about voice and attraction.
We also look at why your voice might sound different around other gay people, and how something you once tried to hide can eventually become a way of expressing identity and belonging.
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Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

NYC therapist and host of boy meets therapy podcast Dustin answers questions from viewers submitted via Instagram.
This week, we look at the romanticization of someone who doesn't feel the same way and what happens when we want to say "I love you" after one week of dating.
Submit a question via email (⁠⁠⁠⁠boymeetstherapy@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠) or Instagram (@boymeetstherapy). 
*Note that these episodes are for entertainment purposes only. Answering a submitted question does not establish a therapist-client relationship.
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Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

Hookup culture is one of the most visible, debated, and misunderstood parts of gay male culture, but what does psychology actually tell us about it?
In this episode, we explore the psychology of gay hookup culture, including how it developed, why gay male hookup culture is unique, and the psychological processes that can shape our experiences with casual sex. We look at sexual motivation, dopamine and novelty, reinforcement learning, attachment, minority stress, and the lasting influence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
We also separate popular assumptions from what the research actually says: Are hookups bad for your mental health? Does casual sex make relationships harder? Are people hooking up because they're afraid of commitment? And is everyone really having as much sex as it seems?
Rather than deciding whether hookup culture is good or bad, this episode takes a research-informed look at why it exists, how it works, and why the same experience can mean something very different from one person to another.
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Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

NYC therapist and host of boy meets therapy podcast Dustin answers questions from viewers submitted via Instagram.
This week, we explore the frustrations of not being able to connect with other gays in a plutonic way. We also explore someone who claims that they want a relationship but can't find time in their busy schedule to accommodate one.
Submit a question via email (⁠⁠⁠boymeetstherapy@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠) or Instagram (@boymeetstherapy). 
Connect with boy meets therapy:
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Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

This episode, we explore the psychology of what I'm calling the "almost" relationship. An almost relationship is a connection that became psychologically significant before it became clearly defined. It had enough reality for your mind to begin organizing around it, but ended before it developed into an established relationship.
Drawing from cognitive psychology, we explain why unfinished relationships can remain mentally active long after they're over, why we replay conversations and search for answers, and why uncertainty can be so difficult for the mind to organize. Rather than focusing on closure, this episode examines what happens when a relationship ends before our minds have finished making sense of it.
Whether you've spent weeks or years wondering what happened with someone you barely dated, this episode offers a different way of understanding why almost relationships can occupy so much mental space.
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Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

NYC therapist and host of boy meets therapy podcast Dustin answers questions from viewers submitted via Instagram.
This week, we answer questions about overcoming internalized homophobia and fear of intimacy, looking for a relationship when you've never been in one, and when your friends aren't making plans with you.
Submit a question via email (⁠⁠boymeetstherapy@gmail.com⁠⁠) or Instagram (@boymeetstherapy). 
Connect with boy meets therapy:
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Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

Have you ever felt like different parts of your life are separate from each other? Like how you are with your friends is wildly different from how you are with others?
In this episode, we explore the psychology of compartmentalization through the lens of gay male development. Why do so many gay men feel like different people around family, at work, on dates, or in relationships? How do concealment, minority stress, and years of adapting to different environments shape the way we organize ourselves? And when does a strategy that once protected us begin to limit us?
Drawing on psychological research and clinical theory, this episode examines why compartmentalization develops, how it shows up in everyday life, and what it looks like to begin bringing those separate parts of ourselves back together.
*Correction: Dr. Donald Winnicott was an English pediatrician not a psychiatrist.
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Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

Nyc therapist and host of boy meets therapy podcast Dustin answers questions from viewers submitted via Instagram.
This week, we answer questions about feeling attractive or prepared enough for a relationship and losing an important friend group.
Submit a question via email (boymeetstherapy@gmail.com) or Instagram (@boymeetstherapy). 
Connect with boy meets therapy:
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Website with Free Resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boymeetstherapy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

Many gay men have experienced this question at some point: Do I actually like him, or do I just feel close to him?
In this episode, we explore why it can be surprisingly difficult to distinguish friendship from romance, and why this confusion may be especially common among gay men. We examine how our early experiences of attraction, friendship, and belonging often become intertwined, how emotional intimacy can be mistaken for romantic attraction, and why some relationships that begin as dating ultimately feel more like friendship.
Along the way, we discuss the role of sexual attraction, community, loneliness, and belonging, offering practical questions to help you better understand what you're actually feeling.
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Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver

Why do so many gay men have “their” pop star?
From Britney and Madonna to Gaga and Beyoncé, pop stars have occupied a unique place in gay culture for decades. This episode goes beyond music, fandom, and stereotypes to explore the psychology behind those attachments.
Why do certain artists become so important to us? Why do we defend them so fiercely? Why do so many gay men connect with female pop stars in particular? And what does it mean when a celebrity becomes attached to some of the most formative moments of our lives?
In this episode, we explore identity development, belonging, self-expression, parasocial relationships, reinvention, and the role pop stars often play in helping gay men imagine who they are allowed to become.
Connect with boy meets therapy:
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Website with Free Resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠boymeetstherapy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Work with Me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.boymeetstherapy.com/work-with-me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver