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What "Conversion Therapy" Providers Don't Tell You at the First Appointment: A Plain-English Guide for Christian Parents
"Conversion therapy" providers rarely disclose that every major U.S. medical organization has concluded these practices don't work and cause harm.
Quick Takeaways
"Conversion therapy" providers rarely disclose that every major U.S. medical organization has concluded these practices don't work and cause harm.
A New Jersey jury unanimously ruled that promising to change same-sex attraction is consumer fraud, ordering the provider to pay $72,400 to victims.
Minors who experience high levels of family rejection -- which is how children describe being sent to "conversion therapy" -- are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, per research published in Pediatrics.
These programs routinely rebrand under softer names. The name changes. The harm doesn't.
Christian parents don't have to choose between faith and their child. But they deserve the full truth first.
When your child comes to you with questions about who they are -- whether they describe same-sex attraction or something different about how they see themselves -- you want to do right by them and by God. And someone who sounds credible tells you there's a program that can help.
Here is what that person is probably not telling you.
They Won't Tell You There Is No Success Rate
In 2015, a New Jersey courtroom became the first in the country to put "conversion therapy" on trial. Before the jury even deliberated, the judge ruled that claiming same-sex attraction is a curable condition was illegal under state consumer fraud law. He also found that offering "success statistics" was fraudulent because "there is no factual basis for calculating such statistics" (Ferguson v. JONAH, N.J. Superior Court, 2015).
The jury agreed. Unanimously. The organization paid $72,400 in damages to victims and permanently shut down.
One mother whose son had gone through the program paid roughly $4,000 for sessions. "He was just a really good salesman," she told the court.
They Won't Tell You the Real Cost
A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics calculated the total economic burden of these practices at $9.23 billion annually, once downstream harms like depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts are factored in.
But the deeper cost is what happens to your family. Research published in Pediatrics found that minors who experience high levels of family rejection, which is exactly how children describe "conversion therapy,” are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report severe depression, and 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs.
"I spent years trying to change my child instead of loving him as he was," said Brandon Boulware, a Christian father from Missouri. "When I finally let go of my fear and let him be who God made him to be, I got my son back."
They Won't Tell You It Has Been Repackaged
If you've seen "exploratory therapy" or "therapy first" in recent months, that is not a new approach. It is a new label. Paulette Trimmer, a Pentecostal mother whose son Adam went through one of these programs, described it directly: the sessions weren't called "conversion therapy." They used softer language like "Healing from Homosexuality." After years of rebuilding her relationship with Adam, Paulette put it plainly:
"We thought we were choosing faith. But faith would have chosen love."
If any program's goal is to change or suppress a child's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves, it is "conversion therapy," regardless of what the intake paperwork calls it.
What to Walk Away From
Walk away from any provider who claims the ability to change who a child is attracted to, uses shame or blame as tools, or cannot offer a safety plan for the elevated suicide risk that research documents consistently.
Your family deserves honest help, not a sales pitch dressed as ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I tell if a program is "conversion therapy" if it doesn't use that name? Look at the stated goal. If the program promises to change a child's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves, it is "conversion therapy" regardless of what it calls itself. Legitimate therapy focuses on well-being and family connection, not on delivering a predetermined result.
Q: Isn't choosing a child's therapy a parental right? Absolutely -- which is exactly why providers owe parents the full truth. A New Jersey jury found that claiming to change same-sex attraction without disclosing the absence of any supporting evidence is consumer fraud. Parental authority depends on accurate information, not false promises.
Q: Are there therapy options that are both faith-compatible and effective? Yes. Look for licensed therapists who prioritize family bonding and age-appropriate mental health support without promising to change who a child is. Many Christian families navigating these questions have walked this path while staying rooted in both faith and family.
Q: What do major medical organizations say about these practices? The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, SAMHSA, and every other major U.S. medical and mental health body have concluded that "conversion therapy" is both ineffective and harmful… a position grounded in peer-reviewed research.
Q: My pastor recommended a program. Does that make it safe? Not necessarily. Well-meaning religious leaders sometimes recommend these programs without knowing what the research shows. The Trimmer and Boulware families were both guided in that direction by people they trusted. Pastoral intent does not change what the evidence documents.
Recent posts
What "Conversion Therapy" Providers Don't Tell You at the First Appointment: A Plain-English Guide for Christian Parents
"Conversion therapy" providers rarely disclose that every major U.S. medical organization has concluded these practices don't work and cause harm.
Quick Takeaways
"Conversion therapy" providers rarely disclose that every major U.S. medical organization has concluded these practices don't work and cause harm.
A New Jersey jury unanimously ruled that promising to change same-sex attraction is consumer fraud, ordering the provider to pay $72,400 to victims.
Minors who experience high levels of family rejection -- which is how children describe being sent to "conversion therapy" -- are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, per research published in Pediatrics.
These programs routinely rebrand under softer names. The name changes. The harm doesn't.
Christian parents don't have to choose between faith and their child. But they deserve the full truth first.
When your child comes to you with questions about who they are -- whether they describe same-sex attraction or something different about how they see themselves -- you want to do right by them and by God. And someone who sounds credible tells you there's a program that can help.
Here is what that person is probably not telling you.
They Won't Tell You There Is No Success Rate
In 2015, a New Jersey courtroom became the first in the country to put "conversion therapy" on trial. Before the jury even deliberated, the judge ruled that claiming same-sex attraction is a curable condition was illegal under state consumer fraud law. He also found that offering "success statistics" was fraudulent because "there is no factual basis for calculating such statistics" (Ferguson v. JONAH, N.J. Superior Court, 2015).
The jury agreed. Unanimously. The organization paid $72,400 in damages to victims and permanently shut down.
One mother whose son had gone through the program paid roughly $4,000 for sessions. "He was just a really good salesman," she told the court.
They Won't Tell You the Real Cost
A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics calculated the total economic burden of these practices at $9.23 billion annually, once downstream harms like depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts are factored in.
But the deeper cost is what happens to your family. Research published in Pediatrics found that minors who experience high levels of family rejection, which is exactly how children describe "conversion therapy,” are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report severe depression, and 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs.
"I spent years trying to change my child instead of loving him as he was," said Brandon Boulware, a Christian father from Missouri. "When I finally let go of my fear and let him be who God made him to be, I got my son back."
They Won't Tell You It Has Been Repackaged
If you've seen "exploratory therapy" or "therapy first" in recent months, that is not a new approach. It is a new label. Paulette Trimmer, a Pentecostal mother whose son Adam went through one of these programs, described it directly: the sessions weren't called "conversion therapy." They used softer language like "Healing from Homosexuality." After years of rebuilding her relationship with Adam, Paulette put it plainly:
"We thought we were choosing faith. But faith would have chosen love."
If any program's goal is to change or suppress a child's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves, it is "conversion therapy," regardless of what the intake paperwork calls it.
What to Walk Away From
Walk away from any provider who claims the ability to change who a child is attracted to, uses shame or blame as tools, or cannot offer a safety plan for the elevated suicide risk that research documents consistently.
Your family deserves honest help, not a sales pitch dressed as ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I tell if a program is "conversion therapy" if it doesn't use that name? Look at the stated goal. If the program promises to change a child's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves, it is "conversion therapy" regardless of what it calls itself. Legitimate therapy focuses on well-being and family connection, not on delivering a predetermined result.
Q: Isn't choosing a child's therapy a parental right? Absolutely -- which is exactly why providers owe parents the full truth. A New Jersey jury found that claiming to change same-sex attraction without disclosing the absence of any supporting evidence is consumer fraud. Parental authority depends on accurate information, not false promises.
Q: Are there therapy options that are both faith-compatible and effective? Yes. Look for licensed therapists who prioritize family bonding and age-appropriate mental health support without promising to change who a child is. Many Christian families navigating these questions have walked this path while staying rooted in both faith and family.
Q: What do major medical organizations say about these practices? The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, SAMHSA, and every other major U.S. medical and mental health body have concluded that "conversion therapy" is both ineffective and harmful… a position grounded in peer-reviewed research.
Q: My pastor recommended a program. Does that make it safe? Not necessarily. Well-meaning religious leaders sometimes recommend these programs without knowing what the research shows. The Trimmer and Boulware families were both guided in that direction by people they trusted. Pastoral intent does not change what the evidence documents.
Recent posts
What "Conversion Therapy" Providers Don't Tell You at the First Appointment: A Plain-English Guide for Christian Parents
"Conversion therapy" providers rarely disclose that every major U.S. medical organization has concluded these practices don't work and cause harm.
Quick Takeaways
"Conversion therapy" providers rarely disclose that every major U.S. medical organization has concluded these practices don't work and cause harm.
A New Jersey jury unanimously ruled that promising to change same-sex attraction is consumer fraud, ordering the provider to pay $72,400 to victims.
Minors who experience high levels of family rejection -- which is how children describe being sent to "conversion therapy" -- are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, per research published in Pediatrics.
These programs routinely rebrand under softer names. The name changes. The harm doesn't.
Christian parents don't have to choose between faith and their child. But they deserve the full truth first.
When your child comes to you with questions about who they are -- whether they describe same-sex attraction or something different about how they see themselves -- you want to do right by them and by God. And someone who sounds credible tells you there's a program that can help.
Here is what that person is probably not telling you.
They Won't Tell You There Is No Success Rate
In 2015, a New Jersey courtroom became the first in the country to put "conversion therapy" on trial. Before the jury even deliberated, the judge ruled that claiming same-sex attraction is a curable condition was illegal under state consumer fraud law. He also found that offering "success statistics" was fraudulent because "there is no factual basis for calculating such statistics" (Ferguson v. JONAH, N.J. Superior Court, 2015).
The jury agreed. Unanimously. The organization paid $72,400 in damages to victims and permanently shut down.
One mother whose son had gone through the program paid roughly $4,000 for sessions. "He was just a really good salesman," she told the court.
They Won't Tell You the Real Cost
A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics calculated the total economic burden of these practices at $9.23 billion annually, once downstream harms like depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts are factored in.
But the deeper cost is what happens to your family. Research published in Pediatrics found that minors who experience high levels of family rejection, which is exactly how children describe "conversion therapy,” are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report severe depression, and 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs.
"I spent years trying to change my child instead of loving him as he was," said Brandon Boulware, a Christian father from Missouri. "When I finally let go of my fear and let him be who God made him to be, I got my son back."
They Won't Tell You It Has Been Repackaged
If you've seen "exploratory therapy" or "therapy first" in recent months, that is not a new approach. It is a new label. Paulette Trimmer, a Pentecostal mother whose son Adam went through one of these programs, described it directly: the sessions weren't called "conversion therapy." They used softer language like "Healing from Homosexuality." After years of rebuilding her relationship with Adam, Paulette put it plainly:
"We thought we were choosing faith. But faith would have chosen love."
If any program's goal is to change or suppress a child's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves, it is "conversion therapy," regardless of what the intake paperwork calls it.
What to Walk Away From
Walk away from any provider who claims the ability to change who a child is attracted to, uses shame or blame as tools, or cannot offer a safety plan for the elevated suicide risk that research documents consistently.
Your family deserves honest help, not a sales pitch dressed as ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I tell if a program is "conversion therapy" if it doesn't use that name? Look at the stated goal. If the program promises to change a child's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves, it is "conversion therapy" regardless of what it calls itself. Legitimate therapy focuses on well-being and family connection, not on delivering a predetermined result.
Q: Isn't choosing a child's therapy a parental right? Absolutely -- which is exactly why providers owe parents the full truth. A New Jersey jury found that claiming to change same-sex attraction without disclosing the absence of any supporting evidence is consumer fraud. Parental authority depends on accurate information, not false promises.
Q: Are there therapy options that are both faith-compatible and effective? Yes. Look for licensed therapists who prioritize family bonding and age-appropriate mental health support without promising to change who a child is. Many Christian families navigating these questions have walked this path while staying rooted in both faith and family.
Q: What do major medical organizations say about these practices? The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, SAMHSA, and every other major U.S. medical and mental health body have concluded that "conversion therapy" is both ineffective and harmful… a position grounded in peer-reviewed research.
Q: My pastor recommended a program. Does that make it safe? Not necessarily. Well-meaning religious leaders sometimes recommend these programs without knowing what the research shows. The Trimmer and Boulware families were both guided in that direction by people they trusted. Pastoral intent does not change what the evidence documents.