Self-reports of sexual attraction change in a sample of male psychotherapy consumers in a private practice setting

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to see if clients in a private practice therapy setting reported any changes in how they rated their sexual attraction, their stated goal. The therapy was conducted weekly, lasting at least one year. The sample was comprised of 30 men whose desired goal was toward a shift from same-sex attraction to opposite-sex attraction. A convenience sample from the author's private practice, over a 5-year span, was used. Clients were invited to complete surveys at intake, between 12-18 months into therapy, and one year afterwards. Following the format of the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, clients were asked about sexual attraction on a measurable continuum. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the differences between the pre, mid, and post responses. In this sample, at 1 year post-discharge, 10% reported their sexual attraction as "for the other sex somewhat" vs. 0 % at baseline; 17% reported their sexual attraction as "for the other sex mostly" vs. 0 % at baseline; and 23% reported their sexual attraction was "for the other sex only" vs. 0 % at baseline. These outcomes proved statistically significant changes from baseline compared to follow up. Despite the study's limitations, significant sexual attraction shifts from same-sex to opposite-sex were self-reported in a highly motivated clinical sample of men.