Conversion Therapies for Same-Sex Attracted Clients in Religious Conflict

Abstract

Despite a long history of viewing homosexuality as pathological and in need of change, the majority of mental health professions have, during the past 30 years, adopted statements that have depathologized lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. However, concurrent with these advances has been a rise in religious and therapeutic approaches to sexual reorientation (conversion or “reparative”) therapies. Recent scholarship highlights these controversies and the benefits and harms experienced by clients who have sought such interventions. This major contribution extends extant scholarship to include predisposing environmental and personality variables that lead same-sex attracted individuals in religious conflict to conversion therapies, an understanding of the journey to and through such therapies, and clinical implications and recommendations for working with these clients in a manner that does not contribute to further conflict.

A systematic review of the efficacy, harmful effects, and ethical issues related to sexual orientation change efforts.

“…Various theoretical approaches to SOCE have been practiced, including psychoanalytic (e.g., MacIntosh, 1994; Socarides, 1997), psychodynamic (e.g., Nicolosi, 1991), cognitive-behavioral (Morrow & Beckstead, 2004), Christian or pastoral (e.g., Consiglio, 1991), and integrationist approaches (Byrd, 1993). Regardless of the theoretical orientation, SOCE are based on the inaccurate belief that sexual attraction and homosexuality are not inborn, but rather that they develop in response to pathological, relational, or environmental experiences, and therefore can, or should be, altered (Drescher, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2015).…”

“…Regardless of the theoretical orientation, SOCE are based on the inaccurate belief that sexual attraction and homosexuality are not inborn, but rather that they develop in response to pathological, relational, or environmental experiences, and therefore can, or should be, altered (Drescher, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2015). Even the moniker “reparative therapy” suggests that its practitioners believe that same-sex attraction is something that ought to be repaired (Morrow & Beckstead, 2004).…”

“…The goal of such approaches is often to uncover unconscious conflict and aid in progressing through this development. Therapy often consists of hypnosis and psychoanalytic techniques (Morgan & Nerison, 1993; Morrow & Beckstead, 2004). However, the idea that same-sex attraction results from familial dysfunction or childhood trauma has been discredited, as there is a lack of evidence supporting this theory (APA, 2009; Bell, Weinberg, & Hammersmith, 1981; Freund & Blanchard, 1983; Green, 1987; Peters & Cantrell, 1991).…”

Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Women's Spirituality in Feminist Multicultural Counseling

“…Within counseling and psychology, conservative Christian values and beliefs have fueled arguments in favor of reparative and conversion therapies, which are intended to train or "convert" sexual minority individuals to live heterosexual lifestyles that are consistent with traditional, conservative Christian values (Drescher, 2001). Although conversion therapies have been repeatedly proven ineffective at retraining sexual minority individuals to be heterosexual (Haldeman, 1994(Haldeman, , 2001, they continue to be encouraged by conservative, religiously oriented counselors and have been demonstrated to be harmful to many clients (Beckstead & Israel, 2007; S. L. Morrow & Beckstead, 2004).…”

Sickness, “sin” and discrimination: Examining a challenge for UK mental health nursing practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual people

“…We assert that a type of discrimination in mental health services is appearing that has its origins in certain practitioner religious beliefs where same-sex attraction is interpreted as sinful. This has led to the re-emergence of the idea that LGB people can be cured of their same-sex attraction, but with religious rather than psychiatric conceptual underpinnings, both in the UK and in the USA (Drescher, 2015;Morrow & Beckstead, 2004). We argue that this may have particular implications for mental health nursing practice generally and particularly in the UK context, where nurses express religious beliefs that bring them into conflict with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Conduct (NMC, 2015) and their legal obligation to work within the UK Equality Act 2010 (Legislation.gov.uk, 2010).…”