What do Christian Clergy Say?: Advice from Christian Pastors to Family Therapists about Working with LGB Clients

Coburn, Katelyn O.; McGeorge, Christi R.

doi:10.1007/s10591-019-09490-0

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…Most importantly, the participants provide an important reminder about the need for therapists to engage in self‐of‐the‐therapist work. This recommendation is reflected in the existing literature as scholars have invited therapists to explore both their unconscious and conscious beliefs, with a particular emphasis on religious and spiritual beliefs, that impact their ability to provide inclusive and affirmative services to LGB clients (Borgman, 2009; Coburn & McGeorge, 2019; Minnix, 2018; Whitman & Bidell, 2014). In particular, Borgman (2009) suggests therapists explore what they have been taught about sexual orientation within the context of their Christian beliefs and examine their understanding of the Bible within a sociohistorical context.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Christian Mainline Protestant Pastors’ Beliefs About the Practice of Conversion Therapy: Reflections for Family Therapists

McGeorge

Coburn

Walsdorf

2020

J Marital Family Therapy

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Efforts to change the sexual orientation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals to heterosexual are referred to as conversion therapy. Given the religious groundings that support the practice of conversion therapy, we sought to explore the beliefs of Christian religious leaders about this practice and what they want family therapists to know about the practice of conversion therapy. Twenty-one pastors from diverse Mainline Christian Protestant traditions were interviewed. Queer theory-informed thematic analysis revealed four themes that reflect the participants' perspectives on conversion therapy: (a) Conversion Therapy Is an Abomination, (b) Conversion Therapy Is Similar to Other Abusive Practices, (c) Conversion Therapy Represents A Misuse of Religion, and (d) Ethical Concerns About Therapists Who Practice Conversion Therapy. Implications of this study include a need for self-of-thetherapist work to address religious biases and heteronormative assumptions in order to examine beliefs that support practicing conversion therapy.Although clinical research has consistently found that therapeutic attempts to alter the sexual orientation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are both ineffective and harmful (Brad-

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