APA Repudiates Gay-to-Straight Therapy

The American Psychological Association might be breaking new ground and this is a welcome development, but, still, questions should be raised about what took them so long. Obviously, a latent social conservatism held back the association from conclusions long considered obvious by other thinking people.

clipped from news.yahoo.com The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments. Instead, the APA urged therapists to consider multiple options — that could range from celibacy to switching churches — for helping clients whose sexual orientation and religious faith conflict. In a resolution adopted on a 125-to-4 vote by the APA's governing council, and in a comprehensive report based on two years of research, the 150,000-member association put itself firmly on record in opposition of so-called "reparative therapy" which seeks to change sexual orientation. No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the report, and some research suggests that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.