What You Need to Know About Conversion Therapy

Conversion therapy — sometimes also called reparative or reorientation therapy — is the practice of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. These practices stem from the belief that being LGBTQ+ is a mental illness or medical disorder that should be cured and can be fixed.

However, there is no scientific evidence that conversion therapy works. Attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity are ineffective and harmful and can lead to depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, substance use and eating disorders.

Conversion therapy sends the message that a person must suppress, erase or change fundamental parts of their identity because something is wrong with them. This identity suppression can lead to internalized shame and other types of negative psychological consequences.

Over 600,000 LGBT adults have received conversion therapy in the U.S., 350,000 of whom received it while they were minors, according to the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles.

National mental health organizations strongly condemn conversion therapy, including the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, American Association of Pediatrics and the National Association of Social Workers. They firmly reject the idea that LGBTQ+ identities are mental health or medical disorders that need to be cured.

Counseling Ethics and Laws Banning Conversion Therapy

Counseling professionals are guided by the ACA Code of Ethics that require them to do no harm to their clients and to respect human dignity. Furthermore, these ethical standards require counselors to only follow practices that are supported by evidence-based science. Conversion therapy is therefore not considered ethical practice because it violates the ethical standards professional counselors must follow. As such, counselors do not aim to fix or cure a person who does not have a mental disorder.  

Many state laws ban conversion therapy to restrict harmful counseling practices and protect clients. These bans are not meant to prohibit religious beliefs, undermine personal values or censure professional counselors.   

If you are seeking care, it is important to work with a mental health professional who is well-versed in sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, find a counselor with experience working with children, adolescents and families who offer affirming therapy that focuses on dignity, respect and acknowledgement of their clients’ identities.

Special thanks to Michael P. Chaney, PhD, LPC, and Stacy Pinto, PhD, LPCC, from the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities — a division of the American Counseling Association — for their contributions to this article.