The June 2002 issue of the American Psychological Association’s prestigious journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice has published a comprehensive research paper on sexual-orientation change. Clients have the right to pursue change, the author says, because “sexual orientation, once thought to be an unchanging trait, is actually quite flexible for some people.” The article by Dr. Warren Throckmorton is entitled, “Initial Empirical and Clinical Findings Concerning the Change Process for Ex-Gays.”“I’m pleased that this research summary will reach an audience of psychologists and mental health professionals that may not be aware of ex-gay issues,” says Throckmorton, the director of college counseling at Grove City College. “My literature review contradicts the policies of major mental health organizations because it suggests that sexual orientation, once thought to be an unchanging sexual trait, is actually quite flexible for many people, changing as a result of therapy for some, ministry for others and spontaneously for still others.”
Throckmorton’s article summarizes the experiences of thousands of individuals who believe their sexuality has changed as a result of reorientation ministries and counseling. The final recommendation in Throckmorton’s list states, “Practitioners should not refuse service to clients who pursue an ex-gay course, but rather, should respect the diversity of choice and consider a referral to an ex-gay ministry or practitioner.”
See the abstract on the article from the APA journal: https://www.apa.org/journals/pro/602ab.html#2 See the Grove City College release at: https://www.gcc.edu/news/releases/spring2002/5-29throckmortonresearch.htm