Advocating for an End to Reparative Therapy: Methodological Grounding and Blueprint for Change

The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender

“…Some clients may present with a desire to be 'cured' of their nonheterosexuality (see Panozzo, 2013, for a good overview of the harm caused 456 Intersections by conversion/reparative therapy, methodological flaws of studies claiming the efficacy of conversion therapy, and suggestions for ways of working with individuals with a high level of internalised homophobia; also Consensus Statement, 2014; Shidlo & Schroeder, 2002). Practitioners without training in dealing with clients with unwanted same-sex sexual attraction should refer their client to an experienced clinician.…”

Research on sexual orientation change efforts: A summary.

“…There is also no cogent theory of SOCE, and practitioners use an amalgam of theories-many of which are now rejected-and religious prohibitions (APA Task Force, 2009, p. 11). SOCE theories overlap with stereotypes of human sexuality, do not have a research basis, and cannot be administered because of research ethics and human rights issues (e.g., theories that claim abuse can cause diverse sexual orientations; APA, 2021;APA Task Force, 2009, p. 46;Panozzo, 2013).…”

“…These deficiencies include (a) inconsistent or nonuniform treatment, or multiple treatments so that it is unclear what actually impacted the patient; (b) unreliable assessment and outcome measures, including subjective measures of sexual orientation; (c) inappropriate selection and performance of statistical tests; (d) retrospective recall, where participants recall treatment experiences from long ago, which increase subjective judgments in the reporting of results that vulnerable to reappraisal, omission, social desirability, and distortion; (e) high participant dropout rates; and (f) selective recruitment from SOCE providers or religious self-help groups that advocate for SOCE (APA Task Force, 2009, pp. 26-35;Panozzo, 2013).…”

“…The selection by practitioners or by existing organizations that support change efforts also raised issues of bias in sampling, as in these sample subjects were more likely to endorse sexual orientation change (e.g., Drescher & Zucker, 2006;Jones & Yarhouse, 2011;Karten & Wade, 2010). Claims that SOCE definitively changed sexual orientation in two studies were because of methodological and statistical flaws or unreliable because of methodological limitations (Linacre Quarterly, 2020; Panozzo, 2013;Spitzer, 2012).…”

“…Thus, reducing discrimination and rejection associated with same-sexual orientation would reduce demand for SOCE (APA Task Force, 2009;UNIESOGI, 2020). Continued advocacy and the inclusion of LGBT rights as human rights are essential to provide protections to all individuals (e.g., Bishop, 2019;Clinton, 2011;Panozzo, 2013;UNIESOGI, 2020).…”