Can you spot the differences between these two news stories?
Associated Press (Aug 6): “Psychologists Reject Gay ‘Therapy’”
The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments.
In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.
Wall Street Journal (Aug 11): “A New Therapy on Faith and Sexual Identity”
[I]n a striking departure, the American Psychological Association said Wednesday that it is ethical — and can be beneficial — for counselors to help some clients reject gay or lesbian attractions.
The APA is the largest association of psychologists world-wide, with 150,000 members. The association plans to promote the new approach to sexuality with YouTube videos, speeches to schools and churches, and presentations to Christian counselors.
According to new APA guidelines, the therapist must make clear that homosexuality doesn’t signal a mental or emotional disorder. The counselor must advise clients that gay men and women can lead happy and healthy lives, and emphasize that there is no evidence therapy can change sexual orientation.
But if the client still believes that affirming his same-sex attractions would be sinful or destructive to his faith, psychologists can help him construct an identity that rejects the power of those attractions, the APA says. That might require living celibately, learning to deflect sexual impulses or framing a life of struggle as an opportunity to grow closer to God.
August 11th, 2009 | 5:33 pm
I believe this to be the actual document issued by the APA, containing its guidelines, for comparison: http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/guidelines.html
August 12th, 2009 | 2:12 pm
I am not surprised at the difference in the AP article and the Wall St. Journal one. I used to teach high school psychology, and I always told my students that the APA used to list homosexuality as a mental disorder prior to 1973 when I believed it was removed for political purposes. In 1997 I attended a conference at Georgetown Univ. on homosexuality and someone who had undergone “reparative” therapy gave a talk. He was very impressive and I met him. I had registered for the conference after seeing the advertisement in “First Things”. An unusual thing happened to me, Andrew Sullivan, the infamous homosexual journalist sat by me and was very friendly. I did not know who he was at that time. He is a conservative on some issues. Then later, I wanted to meet Fr. Neuhaus and he autographed the June 1997 issue of my “First Things” I used to love his column, so I asked for his autograph. I was fired from teaching high school in 1997, and I never got to have a hearing, was denied due process, but I think the real reason was that I attended that conference (and perhaps I was politically incorrect). I later became caretaker of my parents and their estate until their deaths, when I retired and now I write e-mails mostly.
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