I have just left a comment on a LinkedIn discussion regarding gay conversion therapy. You can read more about the exposé
of conversion therapy by journalist Patrick Strudwick here. There were some comments being left on the discussion that concerned me. Some therapists (a minority I might add) believe that if a client has unwanted gay feelings then we have a duty to help convert them to heterosexuality. This jars with my way of being and I wanted to share my contribution here:
I have had the honour of working with gay clients who have come out through our work together, although that is not what brought them to therapy per se. I suppose one could say that this is the opposite of conversion therapy.
I have no agenda other than facilitating somebody's quest for personal authenticity. It makes no difference to me personally, or to my religious and/or political agenda if they want to be upfront about their sexuality or not, but the difference I have seen in their personal growth when they have allowed their authenticity to shine through is joyous and a privilege to witness. If a client came to me with unwanted gay feelings I would look at why they are wanting to deny their natural feelings rather than colluding with them to constrict their sexuality. I think most therapists worth their salt wouldn't be up for collusion.
Conversion therapy feels wrong on an intuitive, gut level. Thankfully it is generally not accepted by the majority. My hunch is that it's a power game for the therapist. Having been on the receiving end of unethical therapy with a religious therapist, it sickens me to think that people can use their twisted interpretation of a higher authority to justify their behaviour. Regulation, or at the very least accountability, is needed in my opinion because of this shadow side of our profession.
Kudos to Patrick Strudwick for exposing this topic.
Finally, there's a Facebook meme going round which I think is appropriate here:
"I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You are not scared. You are an asshole"
I have no agenda other than facilitating somebody's quest for personal authenticity. It makes no difference to me personally, or to my religious and/or political agenda if they want to be upfront about their sexuality or not, but the difference I have seen in their personal growth when they have allowed their authenticity to shine through is joyous and a privilege to witness. If a client came to me with unwanted gay feelings I would look at why they are wanting to deny their natural feelings rather than colluding with them to constrict their sexuality. I think most therapists worth their salt wouldn't be up for collusion.
Conversion therapy feels wrong on an intuitive, gut level. Thankfully it is generally not accepted by the majority. My hunch is that it's a power game for the therapist. Having been on the receiving end of unethical therapy with a religious therapist, it sickens me to think that people can use their twisted interpretation of a higher authority to justify their behaviour. Regulation, or at the very least accountability, is needed in my opinion because of this shadow side of our profession.
Kudos to Patrick Strudwick for exposing this topic.
Finally, there's a Facebook meme going round which I think is appropriate here:
"I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You are not scared. You are an asshole"