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Why the APA, AMA, and AAP All Reached the Same Conclusion, and What That Agreement Means for Your Family
It helps to know that the country's major medical bodies settled this question through independent review, not a shared talking point.
Quick Takeaways
The APA, AMA, and AAP each independently concluded that conversion therapy lacks credible evidence and carries a real risk of harm.
The APA's 2009 task force found it unlikely that these efforts would change who a child is attracted to.
The AMA has opposed conversion therapy since 2000 and voted in 2019 to back bans covering minors and adults.
The AAP has stated the practice is never indicated for minors and can increase distress and depression.
When authorities with no coordination between them reach the same conclusion, that agreement deserves real weight in a parent's decision.
Christian parents researching options for a child who says they are gay or who has begun seeing themselves differently often hear conflicting claims. One provider insists change is possible. Another says it never works. It helps to know that the country's major medical bodies settled this question through independent review, not a shared talking point.
Three Organizations, One Conclusion
The American Psychological Association convened a task force in 2007 to review decades of research on efforts to change who a person is attracted to. In 2009, it concluded that such change is unlikely and that evidence to support these efforts was insufficient. Read our full explainer on what conversion therapy actually involves.
The AMA and AAP Reached the Same Place, Separately
The American Medical Association first adopted a policy against conversion therapy in 2000. In 2019, it strengthened that position, backing bans for minors and adults and stating that the lack of regulation "opens the door to fraud, harm and trauma."
The American Academy of Pediatrics reached a similar conclusion through its own process, stating in formal comments to Congress that the practice is never indicated for minors, is not effective, and may increase stigma, distress, and depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reached a nearly identical finding in 2018, concluding the practice is contraindicated.
Why Independent Agreement Matters
A psychology group, a physician group, and a pediatric group rarely move in lockstep. Three bodies reaching the same conclusion without coordinating carries more weight than any single statement alone.
The financial picture reinforces the point. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics estimated that conversion therapy and its downstream harms, including depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, cost the country more than $9 billion a year. Providers who keep marketing a service that every major medical body has rejected are charging families for a promise the evidence does not support.
What This Means for Your Family
None of this requires choosing between faith and love for your child. Scripture calls parents to wisdom and discernment, and consensus this broad belongs in that discernment. You know your child better than any provider does, and that knowledge does not conflict with the research.
This agreement matters for the courts. In Chiles v. Salazar, decided in March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that some talk-based counseling is protected speech and sent Colorado's protections for minors back for review under a stricter standard. The Alliance Defending Freedom brought the case on behalf of the counselor who challenged the law. Read how that ruling affects existing protections. Legal protections now vary by state, but the medical consensus above does not depend on where a family lives.
A provider who says the APA, AMA, and AAP are simply wrong is asking you to trust one person's judgment over three independent reviews. Rejecting medical consensus is not the trustworthy path, nor the only way to stay faithful to both your beliefs and your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the APA, AMA, and AAP actually agree on conversion therapy?
Yes. The APA's 2009 task force, the AMA's policy since 2000, and the AAP's own statements all conclude that conversion therapy lacks credible evidence and carries real risk of harm.
What did the APA's 2009 task force find?
It is unlikely these interventions change who a child is attracted to, and the evidence to support their use as treatment was insufficient.
Why does it matter that these organizations agree independently?
The APA, AMA, and AAP represent different specialties and did not coordinate their reviews. Independent bodies reaching the same conclusion are stronger evidence than one organization's position alone.
Does this medical consensus mean I have to choose between my faith and my child?
No. Consensus is information, not a replacement for discernment or scripture. Christian parents can weigh this evidence alongside their faith and their own knowledge of their child.
What does it mean if a provider says these organizations are wrong?
That provider is asking your family to trust their judgment over three independent, credentialed reviews, and families deserve to ask why.
Sources and Further Reading
The Medical Consensus
American Psychological Association: Insufficient evidence that these change efforts work
American Medical Association issue brief on conversion therapy and change efforts
American Academy of Pediatrics letter to Congress supporting the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry policy statement on conversion therapy
Research on Harm
The Law After Chiles v. Salazar
CT4F Resources for Families
Publicaciones recientes
Why the APA, AMA, and AAP All Reached the Same Conclusion, and What That Agreement Means for Your Family
It helps to know that the country's major medical bodies settled this question through independent review, not a shared talking point.
Quick Takeaways
The APA, AMA, and AAP each independently concluded that conversion therapy lacks credible evidence and carries a real risk of harm.
The APA's 2009 task force found it unlikely that these efforts would change who a child is attracted to.
The AMA has opposed conversion therapy since 2000 and voted in 2019 to back bans covering minors and adults.
The AAP has stated the practice is never indicated for minors and can increase distress and depression.
When authorities with no coordination between them reach the same conclusion, that agreement deserves real weight in a parent's decision.
Christian parents researching options for a child who says they are gay or who has begun seeing themselves differently often hear conflicting claims. One provider insists change is possible. Another says it never works. It helps to know that the country's major medical bodies settled this question through independent review, not a shared talking point.
Three Organizations, One Conclusion
The American Psychological Association convened a task force in 2007 to review decades of research on efforts to change who a person is attracted to. In 2009, it concluded that such change is unlikely and that evidence to support these efforts was insufficient. Read our full explainer on what conversion therapy actually involves.
The AMA and AAP Reached the Same Place, Separately
The American Medical Association first adopted a policy against conversion therapy in 2000. In 2019, it strengthened that position, backing bans for minors and adults and stating that the lack of regulation "opens the door to fraud, harm and trauma."
The American Academy of Pediatrics reached a similar conclusion through its own process, stating in formal comments to Congress that the practice is never indicated for minors, is not effective, and may increase stigma, distress, and depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reached a nearly identical finding in 2018, concluding the practice is contraindicated.
Why Independent Agreement Matters
A psychology group, a physician group, and a pediatric group rarely move in lockstep. Three bodies reaching the same conclusion without coordinating carries more weight than any single statement alone.
The financial picture reinforces the point. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics estimated that conversion therapy and its downstream harms, including depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, cost the country more than $9 billion a year. Providers who keep marketing a service that every major medical body has rejected are charging families for a promise the evidence does not support.
What This Means for Your Family
None of this requires choosing between faith and love for your child. Scripture calls parents to wisdom and discernment, and consensus this broad belongs in that discernment. You know your child better than any provider does, and that knowledge does not conflict with the research.
This agreement matters for the courts. In Chiles v. Salazar, decided in March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that some talk-based counseling is protected speech and sent Colorado's protections for minors back for review under a stricter standard. The Alliance Defending Freedom brought the case on behalf of the counselor who challenged the law. Read how that ruling affects existing protections. Legal protections now vary by state, but the medical consensus above does not depend on where a family lives.
A provider who says the APA, AMA, and AAP are simply wrong is asking you to trust one person's judgment over three independent reviews. Rejecting medical consensus is not the trustworthy path, nor the only way to stay faithful to both your beliefs and your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the APA, AMA, and AAP actually agree on conversion therapy?
Yes. The APA's 2009 task force, the AMA's policy since 2000, and the AAP's own statements all conclude that conversion therapy lacks credible evidence and carries real risk of harm.
What did the APA's 2009 task force find?
It is unlikely these interventions change who a child is attracted to, and the evidence to support their use as treatment was insufficient.
Why does it matter that these organizations agree independently?
The APA, AMA, and AAP represent different specialties and did not coordinate their reviews. Independent bodies reaching the same conclusion are stronger evidence than one organization's position alone.
Does this medical consensus mean I have to choose between my faith and my child?
No. Consensus is information, not a replacement for discernment or scripture. Christian parents can weigh this evidence alongside their faith and their own knowledge of their child.
What does it mean if a provider says these organizations are wrong?
That provider is asking your family to trust their judgment over three independent, credentialed reviews, and families deserve to ask why.
Sources and Further Reading
The Medical Consensus
American Psychological Association: Insufficient evidence that these change efforts work
American Medical Association issue brief on conversion therapy and change efforts
American Academy of Pediatrics letter to Congress supporting the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry policy statement on conversion therapy
Research on Harm
The Law After Chiles v. Salazar
CT4F Resources for Families
Publicaciones recientes
Why the APA, AMA, and AAP All Reached the Same Conclusion, and What That Agreement Means for Your Family
It helps to know that the country's major medical bodies settled this question through independent review, not a shared talking point.
Quick Takeaways
The APA, AMA, and AAP each independently concluded that conversion therapy lacks credible evidence and carries a real risk of harm.
The APA's 2009 task force found it unlikely that these efforts would change who a child is attracted to.
The AMA has opposed conversion therapy since 2000 and voted in 2019 to back bans covering minors and adults.
The AAP has stated the practice is never indicated for minors and can increase distress and depression.
When authorities with no coordination between them reach the same conclusion, that agreement deserves real weight in a parent's decision.
Christian parents researching options for a child who says they are gay or who has begun seeing themselves differently often hear conflicting claims. One provider insists change is possible. Another says it never works. It helps to know that the country's major medical bodies settled this question through independent review, not a shared talking point.
Three Organizations, One Conclusion
The American Psychological Association convened a task force in 2007 to review decades of research on efforts to change who a person is attracted to. In 2009, it concluded that such change is unlikely and that evidence to support these efforts was insufficient. Read our full explainer on what conversion therapy actually involves.
The AMA and AAP Reached the Same Place, Separately
The American Medical Association first adopted a policy against conversion therapy in 2000. In 2019, it strengthened that position, backing bans for minors and adults and stating that the lack of regulation "opens the door to fraud, harm and trauma."
The American Academy of Pediatrics reached a similar conclusion through its own process, stating in formal comments to Congress that the practice is never indicated for minors, is not effective, and may increase stigma, distress, and depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reached a nearly identical finding in 2018, concluding the practice is contraindicated.
Why Independent Agreement Matters
A psychology group, a physician group, and a pediatric group rarely move in lockstep. Three bodies reaching the same conclusion without coordinating carries more weight than any single statement alone.
The financial picture reinforces the point. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics estimated that conversion therapy and its downstream harms, including depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, cost the country more than $9 billion a year. Providers who keep marketing a service that every major medical body has rejected are charging families for a promise the evidence does not support.
What This Means for Your Family
None of this requires choosing between faith and love for your child. Scripture calls parents to wisdom and discernment, and consensus this broad belongs in that discernment. You know your child better than any provider does, and that knowledge does not conflict with the research.
This agreement matters for the courts. In Chiles v. Salazar, decided in March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that some talk-based counseling is protected speech and sent Colorado's protections for minors back for review under a stricter standard. The Alliance Defending Freedom brought the case on behalf of the counselor who challenged the law. Read how that ruling affects existing protections. Legal protections now vary by state, but the medical consensus above does not depend on where a family lives.
A provider who says the APA, AMA, and AAP are simply wrong is asking you to trust one person's judgment over three independent reviews. Rejecting medical consensus is not the trustworthy path, nor the only way to stay faithful to both your beliefs and your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the APA, AMA, and AAP actually agree on conversion therapy?
Yes. The APA's 2009 task force, the AMA's policy since 2000, and the AAP's own statements all conclude that conversion therapy lacks credible evidence and carries real risk of harm.
What did the APA's 2009 task force find?
It is unlikely these interventions change who a child is attracted to, and the evidence to support their use as treatment was insufficient.
Why does it matter that these organizations agree independently?
The APA, AMA, and AAP represent different specialties and did not coordinate their reviews. Independent bodies reaching the same conclusion are stronger evidence than one organization's position alone.
Does this medical consensus mean I have to choose between my faith and my child?
No. Consensus is information, not a replacement for discernment or scripture. Christian parents can weigh this evidence alongside their faith and their own knowledge of their child.
What does it mean if a provider says these organizations are wrong?
That provider is asking your family to trust their judgment over three independent, credentialed reviews, and families deserve to ask why.
Sources and Further Reading
The Medical Consensus
American Psychological Association: Insufficient evidence that these change efforts work
American Medical Association issue brief on conversion therapy and change efforts
American Academy of Pediatrics letter to Congress supporting the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry policy statement on conversion therapy
Research on Harm
The Law After Chiles v. Salazar
CT4F Resources for Families