—Garrard Conley
Conversion therapy is a discredited form of therapy in which the goal is to change or alter one’s sexuality or gender identity. It can also be called “reparative therapy” and “sexual orientation change effort”. Conversion therapy has recently become a topic of conversation in part due to Garrard Conley’s memoir Boy Erased and its subsequent film adaptation. Conversations have led to new legislation banning the practice being used on minors.
A conversion therapy practitioner may attempt to change sexuality by:
Another archaic strategy includes aversion therapy, in which a client is induced to vomit at the sight of images they might find erotic.
Conversion therapy has been deemed unethical and harmful by several major psychological organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Counseling Association (ACA), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), to name a few. However, conversion therapy is still being forced on children by concerned parents or sought out by adults desperately looking for a way to “fix” themselves. Conversion therapists, or in some cases “life coaches”, may manipulate clients or parents by claiming that they can change someone’s sexuality or gender identity. However, the research surrounding these types of therapies paint a very different picture.
A study conducted by Beckstead and Morrow examined the experience of individuals who had participated in conversion therapy. Initially, most of the participants reported a willingness to give up their sexual identities in return for religious and social acceptance. They believed their sexual identities actively opposed their religious identities. This viewpoint caused them to pursue harmful efforts toward change.
In a 2002 study by Shidlo and Schroeder, participants reported many harms from engaging in conversion therapy. The harms mentioned by participants included:
The list doesn’t stop there. In a 2004 study, one individual who had undergone conversion therapy said, “conversion therapy damages each aspect of an individual.” Another individual stated that conversion therapy did not change their sexual identity but instead made their life more confusing and hopeless.
All these voices paint a picture that says conversion therapy is not a tool to help LGBTQ+ individuals. Instead it is used to oppress them, perpetuate internalized homophobia and transphobia, create more psychological distress, and give people a sense of false hope that they can be “cured”.
Clinicians who practice conversion therapy can misuse their power to enact social discrimination onto clients with little to no regard for their well-being. They are often less concerned with the person sitting in front of them than with perpetuating a heterosexist ideology. Therapists can more effectively support LGBTQ+ individuals by engaging in affirmative therapy.
LGBTQ+ affirmative counselors are mindful of the discrimination and oppression that marginalized individuals often face. They use their power as clinicians to advocate for clients with marginalized identities. They may also work with clients to overcome internalized negative attitudes. LGBTQ+ affirmative therapists can offer a supportive and accepting space for their clients by:
The work doesn’t stop there. It is important that therapists continue to educate themselves so they can provide competent care for LGBTQ+ clients. Competent care involves paying close attention to the complex intersectionality of clients and how this informs their experiences. This way, therapists can make a space where individuals can feel safe enough to bring their entire selves.
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