3 reasons why “Conversion therapy” is not supported here.

Conversion, or reparative therapy has been in the news a lot over the past couple of weeks. Due to the recent supreme court ruling related to freedom of speech, it is important to highlight that a therapist’s personal views are not part of their therapeutic relationship with their clients. This post will discuss the three reasons why conversion therapy is not a supported practice at Foundation 4 Growth Counseling, as well as why it is not an accepted practice in general.

1.       All major medical associations have asserted that conversion therapy is a dangerous practice and that it is not endorsed. The American Counseling Association, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and many others have specifically said the harmful nature of the practice and do not endorse its use.

2.       The ethical guidelines that I follow as a counselor highlight core principles to the counseling profession. The use of conversion therapy is in direct opposition to 3 of these principles. One is honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts. Another is promoting social justice. Lastly, we have practicing in a competent and ethical manner. The next point highlights why this practice is not ethical.

3.       Participation in conversion therapy often has had lasting negative impacts on the lives of those participants, especially if they are youths. An increase in suicidal ideation and self-harm activities is a direct result. In fact, conversion therapy in itself is a self-harm activity.

These are not the only reasons why I do not endorse the use of this practice, but they are three of the major reasons. If you are interested in learning more about the harmful effects of conversion therapy, please follow this link to the research page on the Trevor projects website. You can also look at the stance of trusted medical organizations (linked in point number 1 above) related to its use.