You are listening to KPBS Midday Edition and I am Allison St. John. The week -- the convention will promote protests as Christian ministries are talking about canceling people who are gay to become straight. This is at the Cityview church starting tomorrow. It is known by supporters as therapy it is more commonly called conversion therapy. It has been and for miners in California since 2012. Medical groups say the idea that sexual orientation could be changed is unproven and can cause serious dental health damage. Joined me to discuss conversion therapy is Annette Conway who is president of the psychological Association. Thank you for coming in. We have Abby Wiseman who is a clinical psychologist. Thank you for being here. Let's start with you. Reparative or conversion therapy is referred to as quote, pray away the gay. The techniques used are more sophisticated than it sounds. We do not know the exact methods used by this group in San Diego but in general, tell us what the methods are used in conversion therapy. Earlier, the methods used had been electroshock therapy as a way to convince people that being gay was not okay. Every time they would experience an attraction towards someone of a similar gender, they would be shocked. The more recent ones seems to be about using techniques that psychologists will used to treat patients. They use them for harm and not for good. It is used in a way that is unacceptable. If you can expand a little bit on these techniques which I believe are standard techniques Right? Back they are cognitive behavioral techniques. They are such as thought stopping and other conditioning. They are usually carrying a negative stimuli with a negative feeling. It is not proven to work. It is unproven to work in a conversion of a orientation from heterosexual to heterosexual. To clarify, there are areas where it does work, right? Yes. Panic disorders and phobias, they use it on addictions and smoking and alcohol addictions. None of your patients that you know of were forced to take part in this therapy I understand but what kind of damage has been shown to be caused by attempting this, especially miners? As far as I know, I would have to talk to the people themselves. You look on a national sandal -- center on the website and the born perfect campaign, they talk about the pain that people have gone through and have experienced and how much horror has been done, suicidal thoughts and things like that. I have seen the shame and the intense shame at being around communities that may not approve but imagine to go to this torture, it is horrible. Talk about patients that you have seen are struggling with this and what kind of help might be helpful than conversion therapy? Back my practice is based along supporting and prioritizing the mental health of the LGBT people. For me, what is most important and what the APA mandates for us to practice is to have a for me -- affirming therapy where we appreciate different aspects of sexuality and gender identity and relationships dials. We want to harness the hope they have in themselves and cultivate their incense -- own sense of being in the world. You were nodding. I mean, I know this is no longer an open question, is it as to whether it is harmful or not you're coming, what evidence is there that it works or it is harmful? Gay is no longer considered a mental disorder. If you recall in 1973, the diagnostic statistical manual removed homosexuality as a disorder. 22 years ago, the world health assembly removed homosexuality as a mental disorder. All psychological organizations do not endorse treatments to's change sexual orientation which may be and loosens by genes. Furthermore, research suggests that gay conversion therapy does not produce long-lasting sexual orientation change in people who undergo it. It has a long track record of not working. You know, there are people coming to the conference who may have stories of having bullied at work. How do you account for that? Back I keep taking, we will wait five years. IC. This idea that why should I have to change? Identify as a lesbian? I love that. That is a great part of my life and who I am. My family supports me. My Jewish religion supports me. My community supports me. My friend support me. Why would I change something that is so integral to who I am? Some people that your counseling are dealing with guilt? The guilt and the shame. Because I talk to people who are religious and they are struggling around sexual orientation, they are wrestling with cam IV both? What support systems do I have that are religious? And conferences like that screen that you cannot be [ NULL ] or trans-and religious and that is not been my experience. In California, this therapy is banned for mental health professionals. That is for miners but there is no restrictions on adults -- adult. What is your reaction? Back it would be wonderful if we could ban it for everyone but we are still working on how to have that be seen by everyone. Adults should not have to experience this either. I work with people you are 18 or 35 that are living with parents and under the auspices of what their parents once. I can see them as being people that would have to endure this because they hit 18 Comet does not mean the influence of the parents stops. If somebody comes to you asking you to help them change the sexual orientation, what is the best approach? I think talk therapy -- talk therapy and back to your question about, how things will change, the more we research the conversion therapy is not approved by a psychological organization and there are no guide outlines to conduct and there are no standard metrics of success. They cannot prove down the road that this is not an effective form of treatment. I would like to thank you very much for joining us today. Annette Conway, thank you. Thank you. Abby Wiseman, thank you for being with us.
A group of Christian ministries is meeting beginning Friday in San Diego to talk about counseling people who are gay to become straight. Activists are planning to protest the conference beginning Thursday night.
The Restored Hope Network is hosting its annual conference at City View Church, north of Mission Valley. Known by some supporters as reparative therapy, the practice is more commonly called conversion therapy.
Medical groups say the idea that sexual orientation can be changed is unproven and can cause serious mental health damage. Conversion therapy has been banned for minors in California since 2012.
"It can result in internalized homophobia, anxiety, guilt and depression," said Annette Conway, president of the San Diego Psychological Association. "It’s proven that this can be destructive for LGBT youth."
Conway and Abi Weissman, LGBT committee chair for the San Diego Psychological Association, joined KPBS Midday Edition on Thursday with more on the harm conversion therapy can cause.
