Life Coaching
for Gay Men

Transform your self-doubt, overthinking and fearful avoidance by learning and applying actionable tools that get real results. Become your most self-loving and effective self – without years of therapy.

Everything about you is welcome here

Book your consult with Ed

Why Coaching?

You want action and results, not just talk.
You’re ready and willing to share, explore, learn, adapt and change.
You understand that only you can make change in your life, and a little
help can go a long way.
You want quick access to powerful self improvement techniques.
You’re healthy and functional – but not your best self yet.
Personal and professional life success is important to you.

What do you Get?

You are seen and heard. You are welcomed in, it is confidential, you’re safe.
Concepts, techniques and activities that are uniquely for you and your situation.
Insight into yourself – conscious and unconscious.
The chance to address everything you’ve been avoiding all this time.
Overcome self-defeating behaviour.
Support and encouragement as you walk your path forward, one step at a time, to make your lasting change a reality.

Client’s Coaching Journeys

Dominic Boland

I first heard from Ed and Brown Bear Coaching on instagram and the content was really relevant to me. I reached out to Ed a few months later as I was going through a big life transformation. He put me in the right direction, and have me tips and homework to do in between sessions - I took it really seriously and a few months later I'm in such a better place. Ed doesn't find the solutions for you but he helps you find them yourself in a really compassionate and human way. Also, our sessions were quite fun and we had a few laughs along the way.

David Leaper

I recently finished a course of group coaching with Ed. I didn’t know what I was seeking from it if I’m honest - but I’d left a 16 year relationship and needed to find me again. Ed had a great formula and skill with engaging with his clients. I got so much from the group coaching and have learnt to be comfortable in my own mind and body. I’ve learnt things that will stay with me from now and help me realise being me is cool!! Cheers Ed x

Bradford

Brown Bear Group coaching has been great for me. Especially in the last few sessions. I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting, as I'd never done group coaching previously, but I do feel like I've arrived at where I wanted to go all along. After our meet ups, readings, exercises, meditations (i.e., the work), by the end of our time together things began to land and it finally clicked for me. I was finally getting out of my own way. I could see how I was overthinking things in a way I just didn't need to. Through witnessing myself, seeing how many assumptions were happening under the surface for me, I realized just how much I got into overthinking instead of just letting something be and feeling it. I'm now aware of my analytical mind spinning out, taking me away from where I am and what I'm doing. The work has helped me see when that's happening. Now, I can stop and come down out of it and focus on the present moment which is such a refreshing departure from the mental frenzy and immediately lowers my anxiety. From here I'm going to continue doing all this of this great work and get on with my personal artistic creative journey. Now that I've finished and see the effectiveness of the tools Ed provided me, I feel like I can stop just waiting for something to happen and get on with the actual action of moving toward my goals. I don't need all the answers in advance to try and alleviate the anxiety of an unknown future. I can be present in the moment knowing I'll find out where I'm going along the way without needing to know where it leads or how it will go in advance. Absolutely liberating!

Mikey Robledo

When I first started with this group I was a little apprehensive. A friend had recommended Ed and Brown Bear to me. They had great feedback, I like the videos, it seemed like something that was up my alley, I wanted to better my care for myself. In the beginning it was a little rough. I didn't know what to expect or what the share. I ended up sharing a lot of me on this journey. In the final few sessions it really landed for me, how I could be handling my day to day life. It has helped me tremendously. Worrying about the past, or even the future, has always been something I've had troubling me for as long as I can remember. Especially the past... I frequently focussed on negative events, they never go away. In the past few weeks being able to focus on the present has tremendously helped me escape the negative impacts of those old patterns. I don't need to know the future, and I can find 'perfection' in the present, and in my life right now. So I get to ride it, and I don't need to know the future. I'm going to get back into improv comedy, something I've always loved. I'm very excited for that, my creative life, thanks to these coaching sessions I'm now very excited for me. I recently went on a date, we both felt really comfortable and shared myself, quite a lot, more than maybe you're supposed to on a first date. We both opened up and shared about our lives and our families and coming out. This is really new, and extremely rewarding for me. I'm looking forward to going on a lot more dates and having a lot more fun, in a new way I didn't feel I could do before.

Ian Mowbray

I recently completed a round of group coaching with Ed. When I started group coaching, I was unsure of what I wanted to achieve, but I was eager to embrace the journey. Trusting my intuition led me to this opportunity, and during the initial sessions, I questioned whether I would gain anything, as much of the content felt familiar through past experiences and books I’ve read. However, about halfway through, I began to see the transformative effect it had on refining the small details in my daily life, which added up significantly. Despite occasional irritations like those from driving or challenging neighbors, I learned to adjust my mindset to acknowledge emotions, feel them fully, and then gently remind myself: “It’s okay, let it go. They don’t know you’re here and aren’t doing it on purpose. Don’t assume the worst and get upset over it.” Practicing this made it increasingly automatic and seamless. The coaching has played a role in bringing back my fitness routine and significantly enhanced my mindfulness practice, which has been incredibly rewarding. It has enabled me to pursue activities that bring me genuine joy and made it easier to discard excuses and overcome feelings that may have previously held me back. Coaching truly helped me embrace my authentic self and revel in the joy that comes with it.

Ben Collier

Before meeting with Ed at Brown Bear Coaching, I spent a significant portion of my time worrying, stressing and feeling like there was something inherently wrong with me... that I wasn't enough and that I needed to be a certain way to be liked and accepted. Throughout the sessions, Ed guided and supported me, with suggested readings, meditations and real conversation. This allowed me to discover that these thoughts and feelings were in fact not true. By the time I had finished my sessions with Ed, I had achieved the skills to support myself and it allowed me to understand these thoughts and I discovered more about myself. I highly recommend Ed as a coach, he is professional, ethical and has real understanding. Coaching with Brown Bear was an incredible and invaluable experience, which has made an enormously positive impact across all areas of my life.

Steve Handyside

When I found Edward, I was at my lowest point. I felt like my spirit was breaking and I was completely lost. From our very first session, I knew it would be a tough journey—not because of the topics we discussed, but because I had to let someone in to help me. The process was intense at times, but Edward was there with me every step of the way. He provides the time and tools I needed to keep moving forward. His approach isn’t clinical; it's based on real knowledge, experience, and genuine compassion. However, he also pushes you to work hard and holds you accountable. Thanks to Edward, I feel like I've gotten my life back. I highly recommend him—10 out of 10!

Jeff Gingrich

Ed's videos popped up on my Instagram feed and his messages really hit home. I had been to traditional therapy and found it less helpful than I had hoped. Coaching is more about the now and future than about the past, and Ed' approach really emphasizes that concept. Ed is very down to earth and the sessions are fun, hard, relaxed, and eye opening. It's easy to be honest with him and that's half the battle. His book is beautifully done and easy to read, yet poignant. I highly recommend working with Ed because it will change you.

Brenton Butterfield

Ed's reels popped up in my Instagram feed and I found his content really resonated with me. I was going through some major life transitions at the time, including a new relationship, a move to new city, and a new job. I was really struggling to adjust to my new surroundings in a big city and was looking for some guidance on how to move forward, whether that was exploring different strategies to make this place feel more like home or whether I should accept this place wasn't for me and look for a place that was more in alignment. After a few months of following Ed's content and an increased sense of desperation that I needed to make a decision on whether or not to stay in this city, I decided to reach out to him for a consultation to see if he would be able to offer some guidance on how to navigate this decision. I'm very glad I did. Ed helped me realize that my struggle to adjust to this new chapter in my life went deeper than I realized. Ed helped me bring awareness to the fact I have been in a state of resistance for most of my life, beginning in adolescence when I realized I was gay. Growing up Catholic in a more socially conservative area, I was led to believe that I was a perversion, that I was fundamentally flawed for having the feelings I had. Out of this, resistance was born. Resistance against who I really was and resistance to my life situation at school and sports with bullies. My childhood was spent fantasizing about being anybody else but me and being anywhere else but where I was. I had to resist and suppress my truest self for fear of discovery and humiliation. Ed helped me to realize that even after I came to terms with my sexuality and came out at 17, I've carried that state of resistance to life ever since. Even when everything in life seemed to be going well, healthy relationships, fulfilling career, etc., there was always a sense that there was some problem with me or a problem with my life situation that needed solving. While I had seemingly moved past the shame of being gay, I still carried that state of resistance, and I was still struggling to love, accept, and trust myself. I constantly worried decisions I was making were the 'right' decisions, and was often making decisions out of fear. Ed helped me understand that the path I am on is neither right nor wrong, it's just a path. He helped me see that most of my suffering was self-generated, stemming from my own thoughts about myself and my situation. He helped me understand who I am may not align with my current living situation, but that I can work on cultivating acceptance around it - that I can let go of the repeating narrative of "I don't like this place" that's causing undue suffering. And from this place of acceptance, I'll be able to make a more informed decision on how to move forward. He also helped me realize that it's okay to sit in the space of 'I don't know', that I will know when it's the right time to make a decision. Ed also helped me work through feelings of guilt and shame I had been carrying about some past romantic and close friend relationships that had been lost. The loss of these relationships had me feeling that something was 'wrong with me' and I was carrying fear and reservations around pursuing new friendships. He helped me work through these feelings and the grief I was still carrying with these relationships, and allowed be to gain greater acceptance and a sense of closure to these areas of my life. If you're struggling with self-acceptance, shame, guilt, or feel stuck in your life and don't know how to move forward, I would recommend talking with Ed. He understands the underlying wounds most gay men accumulate and carry with them into adulthood and how they prevent us being our most authentic selves. He helped me to discern making decisions based on fear versus making decisions from your heart. He helped me peel back the years of accumulated junk, and I feel my authentic self shining through more than ever. Thanks Ed, and keep up the great work!

Space Man

Soon after working with Ed I realised that this would be something different and I was a little sceptical but also excited. After our first conversation it was clear Ed was insightful and ‘got’ where I was at. He allowed me to open up and look at how I was living my life, but not in a way of just looking at my past – it was specific and helped me to dream about how I wanted to be. It has helped me to reduce my endless comparisons with others and an unrealistic definition of what a happy gay man or person would look like. I don’t compare myself to others as much as I once did and this stops my head from spinning and spinning. I have a greater sense of balance. Much of the work we did was very simple – just looking at my way of thinking and Ed posing an alternative way to try. I lived 40 years of my life trying to make meaning about everything and I’ve realised I didn’t need to. I can let things be and allow myself to enjoy what I enjoy. Dale

Embracing your authentic self leads to lasting self-transformation

It might feel scary at first, but there’s no better path for you. Back yourself. You’re worth it. I’ll be there to be your sounding board and support your sincere efforts.

Creating your ideal life starts with finding the truth of what you love

A strong connection to self, first, is the gateway to the answers to your big ticket questions. What work is right for you, what you need in a partner, what cause you want to devote your precious time and effort to.

Book a free consult with Ed today.