2 mar 2026
The Conversion Therapy Controversy Nobody's Talking About: How the Practice Keeps Getting Rebranded
Conversion therapy has been repackaged under dozens of names, but the goal and the harm remain the same.
Quick Takeaways
Conversion therapy has been repackaged under dozens of names, but the goal and the harm remain the same.
A New Jersey jury found conversion therapy to be consumer fraud in Ferguson v. JONAH, and the provider tried to dodge the ruling by simply changing its name.
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study estimated the total economic burden of these practices at $9.23 billion annually.
Knowing the alternate names is one of the most practical ways parents can protect their families.
When a product gets pulled from shelves for being unsafe, most companies do not just slap a new label on it and put it back. But that is exactly what has been happening with conversion therapy for decades.
As more states pass laws protecting children, the people who profit from "conversion therapy" have gotten creative. They renamed it. They rebrand it. And they market it right back to families who are desperately searching for help.
A Practice With Dozens of Names
According to SAMHSA, "conversion therapy" providers frequently change their terminology to avoid detection. Some of the names sound clinical. Others sound gentle. Here are a few things parents should know: change efforts (sometimes abbreviated SOCE), sexual attraction fluidity exploration in therapy (SAFE-T), reparative therapy, "promoting healthy sexuality," "healing sexual brokenness," and "exploratory psychotherapy."
That last one matters right now. "Exploratory therapy" is increasingly promoted as a responsible first step when a child says they are gay or transgender. But it is just another name for "conversion therapy," repackaged to mislead parents during a moment of fear or confusion.
No matter what it is called, the goal is the same: pressure a child into changing something about themselves that cannot be changed.
When Rebranding Becomes a Legal Strategy
The Ferguson v. JONAH case in New Jersey showed how far practitioners will go. In 2015, a jury unanimously ruled that JONAH had committed consumer fraud by promising to change clients' same-sex attraction. The court ordered the group to shut down, pay damages, and dissolve entirely.
Eleven days later, JONAH reincorporated under a new name: JIFGA. Same leadership. Same address. Same phone number. A judge eventually ordered JIFGA shut down, too, imposing a $3.5 million fine.
If a practice has to keep changing what it calls itself, that alone tells you something.
The Real Cost to Families
The harm is not just emotional. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics found the total annual cost of these practices among young people in the U.S. is roughly $650 million. Factor in harms like depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, and the total economic burden reaches an estimated $9.23 billion. Young people subjected to change efforts reported serious psychological distress at far higher rates than their peers (47% vs. 34%), along with higher rates of depression (65% vs. 27%) and suicide attempts (58% vs. 39%).
These are not abstract numbers. They represent real children and real families paying the price for practices every major medical organization has rejected.
What Parents Can Do
Paulette Trimmer, a Pentecostal Christian mother whose son went through these practices under the name "Healing from Homosexuality," said it plainly: the programs used softer language, but the damage was the same. Today's rebranding as "exploratory therapy" or "therapy first" is the same deception in new packaging.
Here is a straightforward guide for parents: If any program, counselor, or ministry promises to change who your child is attracted to or how they see themselves, that is "conversion therapy," regardless of the name. Your child needs your love and protection, not unproven methods sold under a friendly label. Any ethical therapist can and should refuse to practice these methods on your child.
Laws like Colorado's, the one challenged in Chiles v. Salazar, protect children from licensed professionals who would abuse their position of trust. These laws vary by state, but they do not restrict what families discuss at home or what pastors offer in spiritual care.
A solution that keeps having to change its name is not a solution. It is a warning sign.
FAQs
What is "exploratory therapy," and is it the same as conversion therapy?
"Exploratory therapy" is a term used to describe practices aimed at changing a young person's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves. According to SAMHSA, it is a rebrand of "conversion therapy" with the same goals and documented harms.
How many names does conversion therapy go by?
Dozens, including SOCE, reparative therapy, SAFE-T, "promoting healthy sexuality," "healing sexual brokenness," and "exploratory psychotherapy."
Was conversion therapy found to be consumer fraud in court?
Yes. In Ferguson v. JONAH (2015), a New Jersey jury unanimously ruled that a "conversion therapy" provider committed consumer fraud. The provider was ordered to shut down and pay damages.
How much does conversion therapy cost families?
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study estimated the annual direct cost at roughly $650 million, with the broader economic burden totaling $9.23 billion.
What should Christian parents look for when evaluating a therapist? Be wary of any provider promising to change your child's attractions or personal identity. Trustworthy, faith-focused support prioritizes your relationship with your child, not unproven change efforts.
Publicaciones recientes
2 mar 2026
2 mar 2026
The Conversion Therapy Controversy Nobody's Talking About: How the Practice Keeps Getting Rebranded
Conversion therapy has been repackaged under dozens of names, but the goal and the harm remain the same.
Quick Takeaways
Conversion therapy has been repackaged under dozens of names, but the goal and the harm remain the same.
A New Jersey jury found conversion therapy to be consumer fraud in Ferguson v. JONAH, and the provider tried to dodge the ruling by simply changing its name.
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study estimated the total economic burden of these practices at $9.23 billion annually.
Knowing the alternate names is one of the most practical ways parents can protect their families.
When a product gets pulled from shelves for being unsafe, most companies do not just slap a new label on it and put it back. But that is exactly what has been happening with conversion therapy for decades.
As more states pass laws protecting children, the people who profit from "conversion therapy" have gotten creative. They renamed it. They rebrand it. And they market it right back to families who are desperately searching for help.
A Practice With Dozens of Names
According to SAMHSA, "conversion therapy" providers frequently change their terminology to avoid detection. Some of the names sound clinical. Others sound gentle. Here are a few things parents should know: change efforts (sometimes abbreviated SOCE), sexual attraction fluidity exploration in therapy (SAFE-T), reparative therapy, "promoting healthy sexuality," "healing sexual brokenness," and "exploratory psychotherapy."
That last one matters right now. "Exploratory therapy" is increasingly promoted as a responsible first step when a child says they are gay or transgender. But it is just another name for "conversion therapy," repackaged to mislead parents during a moment of fear or confusion.
No matter what it is called, the goal is the same: pressure a child into changing something about themselves that cannot be changed.
When Rebranding Becomes a Legal Strategy
The Ferguson v. JONAH case in New Jersey showed how far practitioners will go. In 2015, a jury unanimously ruled that JONAH had committed consumer fraud by promising to change clients' same-sex attraction. The court ordered the group to shut down, pay damages, and dissolve entirely.
Eleven days later, JONAH reincorporated under a new name: JIFGA. Same leadership. Same address. Same phone number. A judge eventually ordered JIFGA shut down, too, imposing a $3.5 million fine.
If a practice has to keep changing what it calls itself, that alone tells you something.
The Real Cost to Families
The harm is not just emotional. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics found the total annual cost of these practices among young people in the U.S. is roughly $650 million. Factor in harms like depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, and the total economic burden reaches an estimated $9.23 billion. Young people subjected to change efforts reported serious psychological distress at far higher rates than their peers (47% vs. 34%), along with higher rates of depression (65% vs. 27%) and suicide attempts (58% vs. 39%).
These are not abstract numbers. They represent real children and real families paying the price for practices every major medical organization has rejected.
What Parents Can Do
Paulette Trimmer, a Pentecostal Christian mother whose son went through these practices under the name "Healing from Homosexuality," said it plainly: the programs used softer language, but the damage was the same. Today's rebranding as "exploratory therapy" or "therapy first" is the same deception in new packaging.
Here is a straightforward guide for parents: If any program, counselor, or ministry promises to change who your child is attracted to or how they see themselves, that is "conversion therapy," regardless of the name. Your child needs your love and protection, not unproven methods sold under a friendly label. Any ethical therapist can and should refuse to practice these methods on your child.
Laws like Colorado's, the one challenged in Chiles v. Salazar, protect children from licensed professionals who would abuse their position of trust. These laws vary by state, but they do not restrict what families discuss at home or what pastors offer in spiritual care.
A solution that keeps having to change its name is not a solution. It is a warning sign.
FAQs
What is "exploratory therapy," and is it the same as conversion therapy?
"Exploratory therapy" is a term used to describe practices aimed at changing a young person's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves. According to SAMHSA, it is a rebrand of "conversion therapy" with the same goals and documented harms.
How many names does conversion therapy go by?
Dozens, including SOCE, reparative therapy, SAFE-T, "promoting healthy sexuality," "healing sexual brokenness," and "exploratory psychotherapy."
Was conversion therapy found to be consumer fraud in court?
Yes. In Ferguson v. JONAH (2015), a New Jersey jury unanimously ruled that a "conversion therapy" provider committed consumer fraud. The provider was ordered to shut down and pay damages.
How much does conversion therapy cost families?
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study estimated the annual direct cost at roughly $650 million, with the broader economic burden totaling $9.23 billion.
What should Christian parents look for when evaluating a therapist? Be wary of any provider promising to change your child's attractions or personal identity. Trustworthy, faith-focused support prioritizes your relationship with your child, not unproven change efforts.
Publicaciones recientes
2 mar 2026
2 mar 2026
The Conversion Therapy Controversy Nobody's Talking About: How the Practice Keeps Getting Rebranded
Conversion therapy has been repackaged under dozens of names, but the goal and the harm remain the same.
Quick Takeaways
Conversion therapy has been repackaged under dozens of names, but the goal and the harm remain the same.
A New Jersey jury found conversion therapy to be consumer fraud in Ferguson v. JONAH, and the provider tried to dodge the ruling by simply changing its name.
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study estimated the total economic burden of these practices at $9.23 billion annually.
Knowing the alternate names is one of the most practical ways parents can protect their families.
When a product gets pulled from shelves for being unsafe, most companies do not just slap a new label on it and put it back. But that is exactly what has been happening with conversion therapy for decades.
As more states pass laws protecting children, the people who profit from "conversion therapy" have gotten creative. They renamed it. They rebrand it. And they market it right back to families who are desperately searching for help.
A Practice With Dozens of Names
According to SAMHSA, "conversion therapy" providers frequently change their terminology to avoid detection. Some of the names sound clinical. Others sound gentle. Here are a few things parents should know: change efforts (sometimes abbreviated SOCE), sexual attraction fluidity exploration in therapy (SAFE-T), reparative therapy, "promoting healthy sexuality," "healing sexual brokenness," and "exploratory psychotherapy."
That last one matters right now. "Exploratory therapy" is increasingly promoted as a responsible first step when a child says they are gay or transgender. But it is just another name for "conversion therapy," repackaged to mislead parents during a moment of fear or confusion.
No matter what it is called, the goal is the same: pressure a child into changing something about themselves that cannot be changed.
When Rebranding Becomes a Legal Strategy
The Ferguson v. JONAH case in New Jersey showed how far practitioners will go. In 2015, a jury unanimously ruled that JONAH had committed consumer fraud by promising to change clients' same-sex attraction. The court ordered the group to shut down, pay damages, and dissolve entirely.
Eleven days later, JONAH reincorporated under a new name: JIFGA. Same leadership. Same address. Same phone number. A judge eventually ordered JIFGA shut down, too, imposing a $3.5 million fine.
If a practice has to keep changing what it calls itself, that alone tells you something.
The Real Cost to Families
The harm is not just emotional. A 2022 study in JAMA Pediatrics found the total annual cost of these practices among young people in the U.S. is roughly $650 million. Factor in harms like depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, and the total economic burden reaches an estimated $9.23 billion. Young people subjected to change efforts reported serious psychological distress at far higher rates than their peers (47% vs. 34%), along with higher rates of depression (65% vs. 27%) and suicide attempts (58% vs. 39%).
These are not abstract numbers. They represent real children and real families paying the price for practices every major medical organization has rejected.
What Parents Can Do
Paulette Trimmer, a Pentecostal Christian mother whose son went through these practices under the name "Healing from Homosexuality," said it plainly: the programs used softer language, but the damage was the same. Today's rebranding as "exploratory therapy" or "therapy first" is the same deception in new packaging.
Here is a straightforward guide for parents: If any program, counselor, or ministry promises to change who your child is attracted to or how they see themselves, that is "conversion therapy," regardless of the name. Your child needs your love and protection, not unproven methods sold under a friendly label. Any ethical therapist can and should refuse to practice these methods on your child.
Laws like Colorado's, the one challenged in Chiles v. Salazar, protect children from licensed professionals who would abuse their position of trust. These laws vary by state, but they do not restrict what families discuss at home or what pastors offer in spiritual care.
A solution that keeps having to change its name is not a solution. It is a warning sign.
FAQs
What is "exploratory therapy," and is it the same as conversion therapy?
"Exploratory therapy" is a term used to describe practices aimed at changing a young person's same-sex attraction or how they see themselves. According to SAMHSA, it is a rebrand of "conversion therapy" with the same goals and documented harms.
How many names does conversion therapy go by?
Dozens, including SOCE, reparative therapy, SAFE-T, "promoting healthy sexuality," "healing sexual brokenness," and "exploratory psychotherapy."
Was conversion therapy found to be consumer fraud in court?
Yes. In Ferguson v. JONAH (2015), a New Jersey jury unanimously ruled that a "conversion therapy" provider committed consumer fraud. The provider was ordered to shut down and pay damages.
How much does conversion therapy cost families?
A 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study estimated the annual direct cost at roughly $650 million, with the broader economic burden totaling $9.23 billion.
What should Christian parents look for when evaluating a therapist? Be wary of any provider promising to change your child's attractions or personal identity. Trustworthy, faith-focused support prioritizes your relationship with your child, not unproven change efforts.