Oppose Guidance Document 85-7.
Harms of Censoring Change-Allowing Therapy

Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Medicine:                                      

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CONCERNS: Right to Happiness

(1) SCOTUS says professional speech has the same 1st Amendment rights as other speech. It abrogated 9th and 3rd Circuit Ct decisions on which bans have relied. New York City repealed its own ban rather than lose at SCOTUS.

(2) The robust Kaiser-Permanente study found psychiatric disorders and hospitalizations led up to onset of gender non congruence in 66% of adolescent cases. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said, when psychiatric disorders cause gender dysphoria, it does not recommend gender affirming treatment. Forbidding talk therapy leaves few options for help.

(3) A gene study of nearly half a million people said LGB behaviors are influenced somewhat by genes but largely by early experiences, and research and professional consensus agree that non congruent gender identity also is also caused by a mixture of biological and environmental influences—like other traits therapists help people diminish or change every day.

(4) The APA Handbook of Sexuality and Psychology, which the American Psychological Association declared authoritative, and research, say family factors and childhood sexual abuse may be causal factors in having same-sex partners for some, and family pathology may be a causal factor for transgender identity. Affirmative therapy requires affirming LGBTQ feelings or behaviors caused by trauma. It denies harmful underlying causes for some. Treating underlying causes may shift/change LGBTQ feelings. Failure to treat can lead to ongoing mental health disorders and suicide. Contemporary, ethical therapists who are open to change use evidence based trauma interventions and well established practices used by therapists worldwide. There is no reason why this therapy should be more harmful or less effective than any other therapy. Some clients report their depression or suicidality subsides from this therapy. A therapy ban will deprive patients of much needed therapy.

(5) The APA Handbook of Sexuality and Psychology and robust research internationally have established that same-sex attraction, romantic partnerships, behavior, and identity all commonly shift or change for adolescents and adults, women and children. They can change.
(6) Childhood gender dysphoria overwhelmingly resolves by adulthood if minors go through puberty. Living as the opposite sex and puberty blockers stop this natural resolution.
(7) Sex hormones and surgeries lead to 2-2.5 times higher rates of deaths from cancers and heart disease, 19 times higher rate of completed suicides.
(8) Sterilizing or castrating minors with hormones or surgery should be illegal.

(9) One of the most comprehensive reviews ever conducted on over a century of research, including studies published by APA members in APA peer-reviewed journals, shows some people change their sexual attraction and behavior through a variety of safe and effective, non-aversive, mainstream therapy methods.

(10) The APA Task Force: (i) Said no research meeting scientific standards shows today’s change-allowing talk therapy to be harmful or ineffective or gay-affirmative therapy to be better. It’s still true. (ii) Did not declare SOCE unethical. (iii) Said aversive methods have not been used for 40-50 years. (iv) Said it based its recommendations on anecdotal evidence, not on research that met its standards.

(11) A number of professional organizations oppose gender affirming treatment and/or support therapy that is open to change in unwanted sexual attraction or behavior or unwanted gender identity or expression. A consensus of professional organizations does not exist. The scientific process, not legislative fiat or activist lobbies in professional guilds, should resolve these scientific questions.

Everyone has the right to walk away from sexual practices and experiences that don’t work for them. Everyone should have the right to live the way that brings them happiness.

Laura Haynes, Ph.D., Psychologist, Chair of Research and Legislative Policy,
National Task Force for Therapy Equality, laurahaynesphd3333@gmail.com 

MORE INFO & REFERENCES at TherapyEquality.org/HarmsOfTherapyBans