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Task Force on Conversion Therapy
Statement
from ALGBTIC Division
on Conversion Therapy
The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC)
supports the American Counseling Association’s
statement on “conversion” therapy
(also called “reparative therapy”),
which deems this therapy unethical because it
has no sound scientific basis and does harm to
people who identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer). We believe it is of
the utmost importance that the existing ACA Ethics
Committee statement opposing conversion therapy
NOT be overturned.
The purpose of ALGBTIC’s current statement
is to remind all counselors of the importance
of therapeutic interventions that affirm an individual’s
LGBTQ identity when she or he seeks treatment.
Recently, there has been a renewed effort to
overturn ACA’s position that conversion
therapy is unethical by the American Association
of Christian Counselors. We reject this organization’s
views as they are scientifically unfounded and
have no evidence that conversion therapy does
no harm to clients.
What You Can Do To Ensure LGBTQ Clients Receive
Ethical Treatment in Therapy Regarding Their
Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity:
- Write Brian Canfield (canfield@sandiego.edu)
to express your disagreement with the efforts
to legitimize reparative therapy.
- Contact your Governing Council representative
to ask that she or he does not support any
motions that would overturn the Ethics Committee
2006 Statement on Ethical Issues Regarding
Conversion Therapy. You can get the email of
your Governing Council representatives at the
link below: http://www.counseling.org/AboutUs
/GoverningCouncil/TP/Home/CT2.aspx
- Recommit to providing ethical, affirmative
treatment for LGBTQ clients.
- Read the ALGBTIC Competencies on working
with LGBTQ Clients at the link below: http://www.algbtic.org/
resources/competencies.html
- Forward this statement to your colleagues,
friends, and family who support ethical treatment
of LGBTQ people.
For More Information:
ACA Ethics Committee – 2006 Statement:
Ethical Issues Regarding Conversion Therapy:
http://www.counseling.org/PressRoom
/NewsReleases.aspx?AGuid=
b68aba97-2f08-40c2-a400-0630765f72f4
Read an article by Warren Besen (LGBTQ activist/author)
about the “ex-gay” movement:
http://www.waynebesen.com/2008/
02/ex-gay-quack-therapists-declare-war.html
Book Resource: What the Bible Really Says
about Homosexuality
http://www.visionsofdaniel.net/bookWBRS.htm
Read about the petition effort to legitimize
reparative therapy by the American Association
of Christian Counselors
http://aacc.net/2008/02/13/letter-to
-the-american-counseling-association/
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