A recent (26 March 2009) report:

'The response of mental health professionals to clients seeking help to change or redirect same-sex sexual orientation'

from UCL and St George's, University of London indicates that a significant minority of psychiatrists and therapists still attempt to help lesbian, gay and bisexual clients become heterosexual, despite a lack of evidence that such treatment is effective or even safe.

However, it was found that the reasons given by these psychiatrists and therapists for offering this kind of assistance ranged from the counsellor's own moral and religious views on homosexuality to a desire to help patients who were suffering stress as a result of discrimination.

Professor Michael King, Professor of Primary Care Psychiatry at UCL Mental Health Sciences said
"There is very little evidence to show that attempting to treat a person's homosexual feelings is effective, and in fact it can actually be harmful, so it is surprising that a significant minority of practitioners still offer this help to their clients."

In fact the research found there was a degree of ignorance among the practitioners about the lack of evidence surrounding the efficacy of such therapies – in particular, that no randomised control trials showing that therapy is effective have ever been conducted.

Professor King believes that it is important to raise awareness among both therapists and the wider public about homosexuality and its so-called treatments:

"The best approach is to help people adjust to their situation, to value them as people and show them that there is nothing whatsoever pathological about their sexual orientation.'

He concludes

'Both mental health practitioners and society at large must help them to confront prejudice in themselves and in others.'


Wellcome Trust Audio: Interview with Professor Michael King.