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What Counts as Conversion Therapy Under Colorado's New Definition
Colorado's new definition turns on one idea: a licensed counselor may not steer a child toward a predetermined outcome about who they are.
Quick Takeaways
Colorado's new definition turns on one idea: a licensed counselor may not steer a child toward a predetermined outcome about who they are.
It runs both directions. A therapist cannot push a child toward any fixed answer, which is what makes the rule symmetrical rather than one-sided.
The law names what it leaves alone: counseling that offers acceptance and support, therapy that stays neutral, and ordinary work on relationships.
It reaches licensed mental health professionals. A pastor counseling as a pastor is not who this statute is about.
Signed June 1, 2026, and effective July 1. Families can now sue with no filing deadline.
Direct Answer: Under Colorado's rewritten definition, conversion therapy is any practice by a licensed mental health professional that tries to direct a patient toward a predetermined outcome about how they see themselves or who they are attracted to, or to eliminate or reduce those attractions. The test is the predetermined outcome. If a counselor decides in advance who your child is supposed to become and works toward it, that is the conduct the law names.
Why the Definition Was Rewritten
The old version described the practice based on its viewpoint, and that is what sank it. In March 2026, the Supreme Court held that Colorado's ban, applied to a counselor's talk therapy, regulated speech and had to meet the strictest constitutional test. Lawmakers moved the target from what a therapist believes to what a therapist does. The legal group that defended Colorado's law describes the result as regulating substandard professional conduct rather than a viewpoint. For background, see the ruling that forced the rewrite.
What Counts
Three things put a session inside the definition. A predetermined outcome, meaning the counselor has already decided what your child should conclude. An effort to eliminate or reduce attractions. And a licensed professional doing it.
In practice, that covers weekly talk sessions aimed at producing a particular answer, homework assignments built around a fixed conclusion, and any program that measures success by whether your child changed. The label on the door does not matter. The bill itself describes conduct, not branding, which is why renaming a program "exploratory" does not move it outside the definition.
What Does Not Count
This is the part most coverage skips, and it is the part parents actually need. When the bill was signed, the sponsors listed what it leaves alone: counseling that offers a young person acceptance and support without steering toward a fixed result, therapy that stays neutral about how a child sees themselves, and therapy touching a young person's relationships or behavior that is not aimed at a predetermined outcome.
Read that carefully, because it answers the fear most families bring. A counselor can still talk with your child about faith, family, doubt, and what they are going through. What a counselor cannot do is arrive with the ending already written.
Who the Law Reaches
The statute applies to licensed mental health professionals. That is the whole scope. A pastor offering pastoral care as a pastor is not a licensed mental health professional, and this law was not written about him. The distinction cuts both ways: your church is not in legal jeopardy, and a licensed counselor cannot borrow the language of ministry to do what his license forbids.
If one has, the remedy changed. Colorado removed the two-year filing deadline entirely, so a family can bring a claim years later, and representatives can file within five years of a person's death. You can report the provider, and it is worth knowing how the rules differ from state to state before assuming your own protections match Colorado's.
Why the Line Sits Where It Does
Bobbie Glass, a Louisville educator who went through these practices, put it plainly: she was not fighting God; she was trying to untangle fear from faith. A predetermined outcome makes that untangling impossible, which is what that pressure does to a child. If you are still working out where your family stands, part two of the free guide and the questions families ask most are places to start. A solution that divides your family is not a solution at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as conversion therapy under Colorado's new definition?
Any practice by a licensed mental health professional that seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined outcome about how they see themselves or who they are attracted to, or to eliminate or reduce those attractions. The predetermined outcome is the test.
Does the new law apply to pastors or church counseling?
No. The statute reaches licensed mental health professionals. Pastoral care offered by clergy acting as clergy falls outside it.
What kinds of therapy are still allowed?
Counseling that offers acceptance and support without steering toward a fixed result, therapy that stays neutral, and therapy about a young person's relationships or behavior that is not aimed at a predetermined conclusion.
When did Colorado's new law take effect?
It was signed June 1, 2026, and took effect July 1, 2026.
What can a family do if a licensed counselor tried to change their child?
Colorado removed the filing deadline, so a civil claim can be brought without a time limit, with damages available. Licensing complaints remain an option, and other states allow malpractice and fraud claims.
Sources and Further Reading
The Law Itself
HB26-1322, Colorado General Assembly -- Bill text, sponsors, votes, and dates. Signed June 1, 2026, effective July 1.
Joint release from the bill's sponsors -- Includes the list of practices the definition excludes.
Why It Was Rewritten
NCLR on Colorado's response to the ruling -- How a viewpoint-neutral definition answers the Court's objection.
Colorado lawmakers approve a new definition -- Contemporaneous reporting on the legislative vote.
CT4F Resources for Families
Recent posts
What Counts as Conversion Therapy Under Colorado's New Definition
Colorado's new definition turns on one idea: a licensed counselor may not steer a child toward a predetermined outcome about who they are.
Quick Takeaways
Colorado's new definition turns on one idea: a licensed counselor may not steer a child toward a predetermined outcome about who they are.
It runs both directions. A therapist cannot push a child toward any fixed answer, which is what makes the rule symmetrical rather than one-sided.
The law names what it leaves alone: counseling that offers acceptance and support, therapy that stays neutral, and ordinary work on relationships.
It reaches licensed mental health professionals. A pastor counseling as a pastor is not who this statute is about.
Signed June 1, 2026, and effective July 1. Families can now sue with no filing deadline.
Direct Answer: Under Colorado's rewritten definition, conversion therapy is any practice by a licensed mental health professional that tries to direct a patient toward a predetermined outcome about how they see themselves or who they are attracted to, or to eliminate or reduce those attractions. The test is the predetermined outcome. If a counselor decides in advance who your child is supposed to become and works toward it, that is the conduct the law names.
Why the Definition Was Rewritten
The old version described the practice based on its viewpoint, and that is what sank it. In March 2026, the Supreme Court held that Colorado's ban, applied to a counselor's talk therapy, regulated speech and had to meet the strictest constitutional test. Lawmakers moved the target from what a therapist believes to what a therapist does. The legal group that defended Colorado's law describes the result as regulating substandard professional conduct rather than a viewpoint. For background, see the ruling that forced the rewrite.
What Counts
Three things put a session inside the definition. A predetermined outcome, meaning the counselor has already decided what your child should conclude. An effort to eliminate or reduce attractions. And a licensed professional doing it.
In practice, that covers weekly talk sessions aimed at producing a particular answer, homework assignments built around a fixed conclusion, and any program that measures success by whether your child changed. The label on the door does not matter. The bill itself describes conduct, not branding, which is why renaming a program "exploratory" does not move it outside the definition.
What Does Not Count
This is the part most coverage skips, and it is the part parents actually need. When the bill was signed, the sponsors listed what it leaves alone: counseling that offers a young person acceptance and support without steering toward a fixed result, therapy that stays neutral about how a child sees themselves, and therapy touching a young person's relationships or behavior that is not aimed at a predetermined outcome.
Read that carefully, because it answers the fear most families bring. A counselor can still talk with your child about faith, family, doubt, and what they are going through. What a counselor cannot do is arrive with the ending already written.
Who the Law Reaches
The statute applies to licensed mental health professionals. That is the whole scope. A pastor offering pastoral care as a pastor is not a licensed mental health professional, and this law was not written about him. The distinction cuts both ways: your church is not in legal jeopardy, and a licensed counselor cannot borrow the language of ministry to do what his license forbids.
If one has, the remedy changed. Colorado removed the two-year filing deadline entirely, so a family can bring a claim years later, and representatives can file within five years of a person's death. You can report the provider, and it is worth knowing how the rules differ from state to state before assuming your own protections match Colorado's.
Why the Line Sits Where It Does
Bobbie Glass, a Louisville educator who went through these practices, put it plainly: she was not fighting God; she was trying to untangle fear from faith. A predetermined outcome makes that untangling impossible, which is what that pressure does to a child. If you are still working out where your family stands, part two of the free guide and the questions families ask most are places to start. A solution that divides your family is not a solution at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as conversion therapy under Colorado's new definition?
Any practice by a licensed mental health professional that seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined outcome about how they see themselves or who they are attracted to, or to eliminate or reduce those attractions. The predetermined outcome is the test.
Does the new law apply to pastors or church counseling?
No. The statute reaches licensed mental health professionals. Pastoral care offered by clergy acting as clergy falls outside it.
What kinds of therapy are still allowed?
Counseling that offers acceptance and support without steering toward a fixed result, therapy that stays neutral, and therapy about a young person's relationships or behavior that is not aimed at a predetermined conclusion.
When did Colorado's new law take effect?
It was signed June 1, 2026, and took effect July 1, 2026.
What can a family do if a licensed counselor tried to change their child?
Colorado removed the filing deadline, so a civil claim can be brought without a time limit, with damages available. Licensing complaints remain an option, and other states allow malpractice and fraud claims.
Sources and Further Reading
The Law Itself
HB26-1322, Colorado General Assembly -- Bill text, sponsors, votes, and dates. Signed June 1, 2026, effective July 1.
Joint release from the bill's sponsors -- Includes the list of practices the definition excludes.
Why It Was Rewritten
NCLR on Colorado's response to the ruling -- How a viewpoint-neutral definition answers the Court's objection.
Colorado lawmakers approve a new definition -- Contemporaneous reporting on the legislative vote.
CT4F Resources for Families
Recent posts
What Counts as Conversion Therapy Under Colorado's New Definition
Colorado's new definition turns on one idea: a licensed counselor may not steer a child toward a predetermined outcome about who they are.
Quick Takeaways
Colorado's new definition turns on one idea: a licensed counselor may not steer a child toward a predetermined outcome about who they are.
It runs both directions. A therapist cannot push a child toward any fixed answer, which is what makes the rule symmetrical rather than one-sided.
The law names what it leaves alone: counseling that offers acceptance and support, therapy that stays neutral, and ordinary work on relationships.
It reaches licensed mental health professionals. A pastor counseling as a pastor is not who this statute is about.
Signed June 1, 2026, and effective July 1. Families can now sue with no filing deadline.
Direct Answer: Under Colorado's rewritten definition, conversion therapy is any practice by a licensed mental health professional that tries to direct a patient toward a predetermined outcome about how they see themselves or who they are attracted to, or to eliminate or reduce those attractions. The test is the predetermined outcome. If a counselor decides in advance who your child is supposed to become and works toward it, that is the conduct the law names.
Why the Definition Was Rewritten
The old version described the practice based on its viewpoint, and that is what sank it. In March 2026, the Supreme Court held that Colorado's ban, applied to a counselor's talk therapy, regulated speech and had to meet the strictest constitutional test. Lawmakers moved the target from what a therapist believes to what a therapist does. The legal group that defended Colorado's law describes the result as regulating substandard professional conduct rather than a viewpoint. For background, see the ruling that forced the rewrite.
What Counts
Three things put a session inside the definition. A predetermined outcome, meaning the counselor has already decided what your child should conclude. An effort to eliminate or reduce attractions. And a licensed professional doing it.
In practice, that covers weekly talk sessions aimed at producing a particular answer, homework assignments built around a fixed conclusion, and any program that measures success by whether your child changed. The label on the door does not matter. The bill itself describes conduct, not branding, which is why renaming a program "exploratory" does not move it outside the definition.
What Does Not Count
This is the part most coverage skips, and it is the part parents actually need. When the bill was signed, the sponsors listed what it leaves alone: counseling that offers a young person acceptance and support without steering toward a fixed result, therapy that stays neutral about how a child sees themselves, and therapy touching a young person's relationships or behavior that is not aimed at a predetermined outcome.
Read that carefully, because it answers the fear most families bring. A counselor can still talk with your child about faith, family, doubt, and what they are going through. What a counselor cannot do is arrive with the ending already written.
Who the Law Reaches
The statute applies to licensed mental health professionals. That is the whole scope. A pastor offering pastoral care as a pastor is not a licensed mental health professional, and this law was not written about him. The distinction cuts both ways: your church is not in legal jeopardy, and a licensed counselor cannot borrow the language of ministry to do what his license forbids.
If one has, the remedy changed. Colorado removed the two-year filing deadline entirely, so a family can bring a claim years later, and representatives can file within five years of a person's death. You can report the provider, and it is worth knowing how the rules differ from state to state before assuming your own protections match Colorado's.
Why the Line Sits Where It Does
Bobbie Glass, a Louisville educator who went through these practices, put it plainly: she was not fighting God; she was trying to untangle fear from faith. A predetermined outcome makes that untangling impossible, which is what that pressure does to a child. If you are still working out where your family stands, part two of the free guide and the questions families ask most are places to start. A solution that divides your family is not a solution at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as conversion therapy under Colorado's new definition?
Any practice by a licensed mental health professional that seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined outcome about how they see themselves or who they are attracted to, or to eliminate or reduce those attractions. The predetermined outcome is the test.
Does the new law apply to pastors or church counseling?
No. The statute reaches licensed mental health professionals. Pastoral care offered by clergy acting as clergy falls outside it.
What kinds of therapy are still allowed?
Counseling that offers acceptance and support without steering toward a fixed result, therapy that stays neutral, and therapy about a young person's relationships or behavior that is not aimed at a predetermined conclusion.
When did Colorado's new law take effect?
It was signed June 1, 2026, and took effect July 1, 2026.
What can a family do if a licensed counselor tried to change their child?
Colorado removed the filing deadline, so a civil claim can be brought without a time limit, with damages available. Licensing complaints remain an option, and other states allow malpractice and fraud claims.
Sources and Further Reading
The Law Itself
HB26-1322, Colorado General Assembly -- Bill text, sponsors, votes, and dates. Signed June 1, 2026, effective July 1.
Joint release from the bill's sponsors -- Includes the list of practices the definition excludes.
Why It Was Rewritten
NCLR on Colorado's response to the ruling -- How a viewpoint-neutral definition answers the Court's objection.
Colorado lawmakers approve a new definition -- Contemporaneous reporting on the legislative vote.
CT4F Resources for Families