REPORTS
- The Lies and Dangers of Conversion Therapy (Human Rights Campaign)
- The Acts about Conversion Therapy(National Center for Lesbian Rights)
- Policy and Position Statements on Conversion Therapy (Human Rights Campaign)
- Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Conversion Therapy
The Conversion Therapy refers to efforts that are undertaken to change the sexual orientation of a person from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. It is based on the (incorrect) assumption that a non-heterosexual orientation per se is a mental disorder and that people with these orientations should change to heterosexual. Some of the therapies used include aversion treatments (such as electrical shocks to hands or genitals or nausea inducing drugs), masturbatory reconditioning, visualization, social skills training, therapy and spiritual interventions.
These types of therapies are not supported and in fact are considered harmful by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Acadeny of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, The American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American School Counselor Association and the National Association of Social Workers.
Organizations that support this kind of therapy tend to be conservative Christian groups.