Quick Takeaways

• More than 20 states and D.C. have enacted laws protecting minors from conversion therapy by licensed practitioners; many more cities and counties have local protections in place.

• Every state, including those with no restrictions, still has zero scientific evidence that conversion therapy works.

• These laws do not touch pastoral counseling, church support, or family conversations rooted in faith. They govern licensed professionals only.

• California was the first state to act, in 2012. Federal courts have largely upheld these protections.

• The outcome of Chiles v. Salazar at the Supreme Court could affect how states are permitted to regulate licensed practitioners going forward.

Why the Legal Map Matters for Christian Families

Many Christian parents first encounter conversion therapy laws when they are already in the middle of a hard season with a child. They hear that certain practices are banned, and fear follows quickly: Does this mean I have no options? Does this take away my rights as a parent?

The answer to both questions is no. But the confusion is understandable, because the debate around these laws is often loud and rarely precise.

Understanding what conversion therapy actually is, and what these laws do and do not cover, gives parents the accurate information they need to make wise decisions for their families.

States Where Conversion Therapy on Minors Is Restricted

As of 2025, the following states prohibit licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Several of these states also have broad consumer protection statutes that could expose any provider making fraudulent promises to civil liability, regardless of licensure.

Beyond statewide laws, approximately 90 municipalities across the country have enacted local ordinances, meaning protections may exist even in states without a statewide ban.

States Where Conversion Therapy Remains Legal for Licensed Practitioners

In states without restrictions, licensed professionals can still offer conversion therapy to minors. Some of these states have seen legislative attempts that did not advance. Others have not seen bills introduced at all.

But here is what parents in those states need to know: legality and safety are not the same thing. A practice being legal in your state does not make it effective, honest, or in your child's best interest. Courts have ruled the core promises of conversion therapy to be consumer fraud. Medical consensus on the harm has not changed based on where a provider is located.

In states without bans, the burden falls more heavily on parents to ask hard questions before trusting any practitioner. If someone is promising to change who your child is attracted to or how they see themselves, that promise is not supported by evidence anywhere in the country.

What These Laws Do Not Touch

This is the part that gets lost in the noise. Conversion therapy laws across all states, written consistently, apply to licensed mental health professionals operating in a clinical capacity. They do not apply to:

• Pastors or clergy providing spiritual guidance

• Parents having faith-grounded conversations with their children at home

• Youth ministers, mentors, or church-based discipleship programs

• Prayer, scripture study, or any form of religious practice

Christian families navigating hard questions about a child's personal identity retain full access to the pastoral and community support their faith tradition offers. The law is not in that space.

The Evidence Behind the Laws

These protections did not come from nowhere. Researchers at the Williams Institute at UCLA found that an estimated 350,000 adults were subjected to conversion therapy as minors, with studies consistently linking that exposure to significantly elevated rates of depression and suicide attempts. Teens who undergo these practices are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to peers who do not.

The documented harm data makes the case plainly: these are not neutral interventions with uncertain outcomes. They are practices with a documented record of harm and no credible record of benefit.

Courts have agreed. A 2015 New Jersey jury unanimously found that a major conversion therapy organization committed consumer fraud, permanently shutting it down and awarding damages to the families it misled.

The Case That Could Change Everything

The current legal landscape is not settled. In Chiles v. Salazar, a Colorado therapist represented by Alliance Defending Freedom is challenging Colorado's conversion therapy law on First Amendment grounds, arguing that licensed therapists should be free to practice these techniques as an exercise of professional speech.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in October 2025 and a decision is pending. Read how Chiles v. Salazar could reshape these protections and what each possible outcome would mean for families in states with and without existing laws.

What Stays True Regardless of Your State

Whether you live in a state with strong protections or none at all, the most important facts for Christian families do not change. No credible science supports the claim that conversion therapy reliably changes who a child is attracted to or how they see themselves. Every major medical organization opposes it. Courts have called the promises fraudulent. And families who have gone through it consistently describe the same outcome: a relationship with their child that took years to repair, if it was repaired at all.

The goal of these laws is not to take decisions away from parents. It is to ensure that professionals who claim authority over your child's wellbeing are held to the same honest standards that govern every other area of licensed medical and mental health care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my state's conversion therapy ban prevent me from taking my child to a Christian counselor?
No. These laws apply to licensed mental health professionals practicing a specific clinical technique. A counselor focused on family relationships, emotional health, and faith-grounded conversation is practicing within accepted standards and is not restricted by these laws in any state.

What should I ask a counselor to make sure they are not practicing conversion therapy?
Ask directly whether they attempt to change who a child is attracted to or how they see themselves. Ask about their methods and what outcomes they consider realistic. A trustworthy counselor will answer those questions plainly, without promising to change your child's fundamental nature.

Are conversion therapy bans permanent?
The legal landscape is actively shifting. Chiles v. Salazar is before the Supreme Court and could limit or expand states' ability to regulate licensed practitioners in this area. Parents should follow that case closely.

If conversion therapy is legal in my state, does that mean it works?
No. Legality and effectiveness are entirely separate questions. Courts have ruled the core promises of conversion therapy to be fraudulent in states where the practice remains legal. No state's laws determine whether something works.

Can my child's school counselor practice conversion therapy?
School counselors are licensed professionals and would be covered by state law wherever such laws exist. Parents who have concerns about what any licensed professional is practicing with their child should ask directly and contact their state licensing board if necessary.

Sources and Further Reading

What Is Conversion Therapy? A Plain-Language Definition for Christian Families -- Conversion Truth for Families -- CT4F's foundational explainer covering how conversion therapy is defined, what practices it encompasses, and how it is distinguished from pastoral counseling and evidence-based family support.

Chiles v. Salazar: The Ruling Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A plain-language breakdown of the Supreme Court case challenging Colorado's conversion therapy law, what arguments are at stake, and what each possible outcome would mean for state-level protections.

Conversion Therapy by the Numbers -- Conversion Truth for Families -- CT4F's research hub presents the documented harm data, including suicide risk, depression rates, and the economic cost these practices impose on families and society.

Conversion Therapy and LGBTQ Youth -- Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law -- The peer-reviewed research estimates that 350,000 U.S. adults were subjected to conversion therapy as minors, with findings linking exposure to significantly elevated rates of suicide attempts and depression.