‘Essential Psychopathology’ Textbook Affirms: Evidence Shows ‘Homosexual Orientation Can Indeed Be Therapeutically Changed’

For “motivated clients” … “reorientation therapies do not produce emotional harm”

NARTH, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, reports in its April 23, 2009 “NARTH News” e-newsletter:

“The 2009 Edition of Essential Psychotherapy and Its Treatment, a classic text used in most medical schools and psychology programs, has the following important addition to its section on homosexuality (W.W. Norton & Company, p. 488):

‘While many mental health care providers and professional associations have expressed considerable skepticism that sexual orientation could be changed with psychotherapy and also assumed that therapeutic attempts at reorientation would produce harm, recent empirical evidence demonstrates that homosexual orientation can indeed be therapeutically changed in motivated clients, and that reorientation therapies do not produce emotional harm when attempted (e.g., Byrd & Nicolosi, 2002; Byrd et al., 2008; Shaeffer et al., 1999; Spitzer, 2003).’

“This is a very important academic text and the inclusion of this statement and the research it cites is a victory for NARTH and all those who support client self-determination in the treatment of unwanted homosexuality!”