VA Board of Counseling Proposed Regulations PUNISH and SILENCE Faith-Based Counselors!!!

Do not punish or restrict the free-speech rights of licensed counselors for helping patients overcome their unwanted sexual feelings by affirming biological realities concerning male and female.

The Board’s highly biased and extreme definition of “conversion therapy” is in its draft Guidance Document is indicative of a blatant double standard it sets up: 

“For the purposes of this guidance ‘conversion therapy’ … is defined as any practice or treatment that seeks to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of any gender.” 

However, the Board continues… 

“’Conversion therapy’ does not include counseling that provides assistance to a person undergoing gender transition or counseling that provides acceptance, support, and understanding of a person or facilitates a person's coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including sexual-orientation-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices, as long as such counseling does not seek to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity in any direction.” 

In other words, counselors are ALLOWED to help a minor client to explore and facilitate same-sex feelings, attractions and behaviors, or even to “change” their sex altogether, but they are strictly PROHIBITED from helping a minor client struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions from developing a natural and Biblical sexual ethic, or aiding a child dealing with gender dysphoria in learning to embrace his or her biological status as either male or female. So, children can change in one direction, but not the other.

The Board’s “guidance” to counselors is clear and simple: If you hold to the natural, biological, historical and/or Biblical understanding of human sexuality, be prepared to lose your professional license. This ideologically-driven action is wrong, dangerous, and unconstitional. The proposed Guidance violates free speech, religious liberty, and endangers children who should be able to receive helpful and godly counsel to avoid dangerous behaviors and to address the underlying issues likely contributing to certain feelings.

As Fredericksburg, Virginia constituents, my family and I strongly oppose VA Board of Counseling Proposed Regulations that PUNISH and SILENCE Faith-Based Counselors!!!