SHOULD WE CONSULT A PSYCHIATRIST
OR PSYCHOLOGIST?
Consulting a therapist in the hopes of changing your child's sexual orientation
is pointless and actually harmful. Homosexuality is not a disease to be 'cured'. In the early
70s, the American
Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of abnormalities.
Homosexuality is a natural way of being for people who are homosexual.
Because homosexuality is not 'chosen', you cannot 'change your child's mind'. The American
Psychological Association and the American Medical Association have taken the official position
that it would be unethical to even try to change the sexual orientation of a gay person.
But there are situations in which consulting a therapist can be helpful. you may want to talk
to someone about your own feelings and how to work through them. You may feel that you and your
child need help communicating clearly through this period. Or you may recognize that your child
is unhappy and needs help with self-acceptance. Once again, gay people often have trouble
accepting themselves and their sexual identity. In this circumstance, self-rejection could be a
dangerous emotional state.
In all of these cases, you actually have a number of options and resources. A therapist will
provide the confidentiality and, to a degree, the anonymity that you may feel you need at first.
PFLAG members may be able to suggest a therapist that has helped their families.
There are also many more options for help, information and advice in addition to, or instead
of, therapy. We encourage you to explore your options and to use the resources best suited for
you and your family.
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Last updated: 01/13/2001
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