Democracy and Psychiatry Interview with Joseph Nicolosi Sr

Related Entries

A Summary and Analysis of The War on Psychotherapy: When Sexual Politics, Gender Ideology, and Mental Health Collide

The War on Psychotherapy: When Sexual Politics, Gender Ideology, and Mental Health Collide is Mr. Doyle’s first book. Dr. Michelle Cretella’s superb preface to the book is worth the purchase price. Regarding transitioning and the institutions which promote it in children, Cretella says, “These harms constitute nothing less than institutionalized child abuse.” In the forward, Dr. Michael Brown makes it clear that Doyle is approaching this issue from a Christian viewpoint. Doyle, who fifteen years previously experienced a shift in his sexual orientation, proclaims, “As a licensed psychotherapist, I have dedicated my life’s work to helping individuals and families come to terms with their sexual and gender
identity and be able to understand how to make choices in their sexual behavior without compromising their personal and spiritual values.”

A Tale of Two Task Forces: Evidence of a Growing Diversity Problem within Psychology?

In this brief historical analysis, I compare and contrast two different American Psychological Association task forces, both of which were charged with reviewing the scientific literature regarding different but equally controversial clinical practices. Convened just over a decade apart, the first of these investigations involved recovered (repressed) memory therapy (RMT), and the subsequent review examined sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE). I observe that the SOCE task force, unlike the RMT working group, was devoid of ideological diversity and strongly dissuaded clinicians from engaging in the practice under review, in spite of indications that far greater and more certain harms were occurring through RMT than through SOCE. These differences may be another symptom of organized psychology’s increasing lack of sociopolitical diversity, with accompanying risks for conservative clinicians and the public perception of psychology’s credibility when addressing contested social issues. I close with a brief discussion of this concern and note some recommendations that can begin to address it.

Alliance Statement on SAFE-T

The Alliance/NARTH Institute has recommended new terminology be utilized in describing licensed mental health care for unwanted same-sex attractions with change-oriented goals: Sexual Attraction Fluidity Exploration in Therapy (SAFE-T). This formal announcement of the organization provides a scientific rationale for the employment of SAFE-T language as well as suggestions on how this new language can be used.