Is Conversion Therapy Harmful? Expert Opinions and Evidence-Based Analysis
Conversion therapy, also known as sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) or reparative therapy, remains one of the most controversial practices in mental health and healthcare. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of its ineffectiveness and harm, some practitioners continue to offer these interventions. This comprehensive analysis examines expert opinions, research findings, and the public health stance of major medical organizations regarding conversion therapy’s impact on individuals and communities.
The question of whether conversion therapy is harmful has been definitively answered by the scientific and medical communities. However, understanding the nuances of this evidence, the experiences of survivors, and the policy responses—including those from prominent figures like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on conversion therapy legislation—provides crucial context for anyone seeking to understand this critical issue.
What Is Conversion Therapy and How Did It Emerge?
Conversion therapy encompasses a range of interventions designed to change sexual orientation or gender identity. These practices emerged in the mid-20th century when homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder. Practitioners employed various techniques including aversion therapy, psychoanalysis, hormonal treatments, and religious counseling, all operating under the false premise that sexual orientation or gender identity was pathological and required correction.
The term “conversion therapy” itself is misleading, as it suggests the possibility of converting someone’s fundamental sexual orientation or gender identity. In reality, therapy resources and information from reputable sources consistently demonstrate that sexual orientation and gender identity are not disorders requiring treatment or change.
Modern conversion therapy practices vary widely in their methods and intensity. Some involve talk therapy and cognitive behavioral techniques, while others incorporate religious frameworks or more extreme approaches. Regardless of methodology, the underlying premise remains unchanged: that non-heterosexual orientations or non-cisgender identities are inherently problematic and should be altered.
Major Medical Organization Positions on Conversion Therapy
The scientific consensus on conversion therapy is remarkably clear and unanimous among major health organizations worldwide. This consensus represents decades of research, clinical experience, and ethical analysis. Understanding these positions is essential for recognizing that the debate about conversion therapy’s harmfulness is not a genuine scientific controversy but rather reflects broader societal conflicts.
The American Psychological Association issued a comprehensive resolution stating that conversion therapy efforts are ineffective and potentially harmful. Their position emphasizes that sexual orientation and gender identity are not disorders and therefore do not require treatment aimed at change.
The American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the World Health Organization all maintain similarly strong positions opposing conversion therapy. These organizations recognize that such practices are unethical, ineffective, and harmful to mental health. The American Psychiatric Association specifically notes that attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can lead to depression, anxiety, and increased suicide risk.
The National Association of Social Workers, the American Counseling Association, and numerous international medical bodies have all issued similar statements. This unprecedented alignment across the global medical community underscores the scientific certainty regarding conversion therapy’s harmful nature.
Research Evidence of Harm
Extensive research demonstrates that conversion therapy causes significant psychological harm. A landmark meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Public Health examined studies on sexual orientation change efforts and found consistent evidence of adverse outcomes including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
Research indicates that individuals who undergo conversion therapy experience higher rates of mental health problems compared to peers who do not. These findings persist even when controlling for other variables that might influence mental health outcomes. The harm appears to be directly attributable to the conversion therapy experience itself rather than underlying factors.
A comprehensive review by the American Psychological Association Task Force identified numerous harms associated with conversion therapy attempts. These include increased depression and anxiety, substance abuse, relationship difficulties, and elevated suicide risk. The research demonstrates that these harms are not incidental but rather predictable outcomes of attempting to change fundamental aspects of identity.
Studies examining brain imaging and neurobiological markers show that conversion therapy-related stress activates the same neural pathways associated with trauma. This biological evidence supports clinical observations that conversion therapy functions as a form of psychological trauma rather than legitimate therapeutic intervention.
Psychological and Mental Health Impacts
The psychological consequences of conversion therapy extend far beyond the period of active treatment. Survivors often experience long-term effects including complex trauma, identity disturbance, and persistent mental health challenges. Understanding these impacts requires examining both immediate and delayed effects.
Depression and anxiety represent among the most common outcomes. Individuals undergoing conversion therapy internalize the message that their identity is fundamentally wrong and shameful. This internalized homophobia or transphobia can persist for decades even after the individual intellectually rejects the therapy’s premises.
Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts occur at significantly elevated rates among individuals who have undergone conversion therapy. Research indicates that suicide risk increases substantially during and after these interventions. The combination of identity rejection, shame, and hopelessness creates a dangerous psychological environment.
Many survivors develop complex post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms including hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and interpersonal difficulties. The therapeutic relationship itself becomes traumatic when a trusted authority figure pathologizes core identity. This betrayal of therapeutic trust can damage future help-seeking behaviors and relationships.
Substance abuse frequently emerges as a coping mechanism for the distress caused by conversion therapy. Individuals may use alcohol or drugs to manage the emotional pain of identity rejection and the psychological consequences of the therapeutic process. This secondary harm extends into multiple life domains.
Policy and Legislative Response
Recognition of conversion therapy’s harms has prompted legislative action across multiple jurisdictions. Many states, countries, and regions have implemented bans on conversion therapy, particularly for minors who cannot consent to such interventions. These policy responses reflect the scientific consensus and represent an important protection for vulnerable populations.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on conversion therapy has taken a clear stance supporting protective legislation. Beshear’s position aligns with the overwhelming medical evidence and reflects growing recognition that conversion therapy represents a public health threat requiring legislative intervention. His advocacy demonstrates how political leaders across different contexts are responding to the scientific consensus.
Jurisdictions implementing conversion therapy bans typically include strong protections for minors while often allowing some exceptions for adults. These legislative approaches recognize that minors are particularly vulnerable to coercion and that parental pressure often drives youth into conversion therapy against their will.
The legislative trend toward banning conversion therapy reflects broader societal recognition of LGBTQ+ rights and the importance of protecting vulnerable populations from harmful practices. As more jurisdictions implement bans, the remaining jurisdictions where conversion therapy remains legal face increased pressure to follow suit based on evidence and ethical principles.
Survivor Testimonies and Real-World Effects
While research provides quantitative evidence of harm, survivor testimonies offer crucial qualitative insights into conversion therapy’s impacts. These personal accounts reveal the human dimension of the research findings and provide context for understanding why conversion therapy is so damaging.
Many survivors describe conversion therapy as profoundly traumatic. They recount experiences of shame, fear, and betrayal as trusted figures attempted to change fundamental aspects of their identity. These narratives consistently emphasize the psychological devastation of having one’s identity pathologized and rejected by authority figures.
Survivors often describe years of delayed psychological recovery even after recognizing that conversion therapy was ineffective and harmful. The internalized messages of shame and wrongness persist long after the individual intellectually rejects conversion therapy ideology. This delayed trauma response complicates recovery and underscores the depth of psychological harm.
Many survivors emphasize the importance of affirming therapeutic approaches in their recovery. Therapy for personal challenges that affirms identity rather than pathologizing it proves crucial for healing from conversion therapy trauma. Survivors highlight the importance of working with practitioners who understand both trauma recovery and LGBTQ+ identity affirmation.
Organizations led by conversion therapy survivors have become powerful advocates for protective legislation and public education. These survivor-led movements have been instrumental in raising awareness about conversion therapy’s harms and in advocating for policy changes that protect vulnerable individuals.
Alternative Affirming Approaches
In contrast to conversion therapy’s harmful practices, evidence-based affirming approaches support individuals in developing healthy relationships with their sexual orientation and gender identity. These therapeutic modalities represent the ethical alternative for individuals seeking mental health support around identity-related concerns.
Affirming therapy operates from the fundamental principle that sexual orientation and gender identity are not disorders. Instead, therapists using affirming approaches help clients navigate identity development, manage internalized stigma, address trauma related to discrimination, and build healthy self-concepts that incorporate their full identity.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and psychodynamic approaches all can be delivered in affirming frameworks. These evidence-based modalities address genuine mental health concerns without attempting to change sexual orientation or gender identity.
For individuals experiencing distress related to their identity, affirming therapy helps identify the actual sources of distress—often external stigma, discrimination, or internalized shame—and addresses these root causes rather than the identity itself. This approach produces genuine therapeutic benefit while respecting the client’s fundamental identity.
Mental health professionals increasingly recognize that competent treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals requires specific training in identity-affirming approaches and understanding of minority stress theory. This represents a paradigm shift from the pathologizing frameworks that undergirded conversion therapy toward models that recognize health as encompassing authentic identity expression.
FAQ
Is there any legitimate scientific support for conversion therapy?
No. The scientific and medical consensus is virtually unanimous that conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful. No major medical organization supports conversion therapy, and research consistently demonstrates its adverse effects. Any practitioners claiming scientific support for conversion therapy are misrepresenting the evidence.
Can conversion therapy help people who are distressed about their sexual orientation?
Conversion therapy does not reduce sexual orientation or gender dysphoria while causing significant psychological harm. Individuals experiencing distress about their identity benefit from affirming therapeutic approaches that address internalized stigma and support healthy identity development rather than attempting to change fundamental identity characteristics.
Why is conversion therapy still legal in some places if it’s so harmful?
Conversion therapy persists in some jurisdictions due to a combination of factors including religious opposition to LGBTQ+ equality, lack of public awareness about the practice’s harms, and political resistance to LGBTQ+-protective legislation. However, the number of jurisdictions banning conversion therapy continues to grow as evidence of harm becomes more widely recognized.
What should someone do if they were subjected to conversion therapy?
Individuals who have experienced conversion therapy can benefit from trauma-informed, affirming mental health treatment. Organizations supporting conversion therapy survivors provide resources and connections to qualified therapists. Recovery is possible, and many survivors have found healing through affirming therapeutic relationships that validate their identity.
How does conversion therapy differ from regular therapy addressing sexual orientation concerns?
Affirming therapy addresses genuine psychological concerns while respecting and validating sexual orientation and gender identity. Conversion therapy attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity itself, which is both ineffective and harmful. The fundamental difference lies in the goal: affirming therapy supports authentic identity development while conversion therapy pathologizes identity itself.
