Comments on: The APA and Psychology Need Reform: Full remarks of Nicholas Cummings https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2073 Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:31:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2073 Hateful behavior is also in the eyes of the law. You can’t do it in our democratic society. You may not target any particular group for acts of hatred. You can go to jail for it.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2072 Tue, 22 Aug 2006 02:42:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2072 An earlier post says that hateful behavior is in “the eye of the beholder” and suggests that the person needs to work on not being so “sensitive”.

I am the victim of a Hate Crime. Don’t tell me not to be so sensitive.

A six inch knife plunged five times into the back of an unarmed gay man (my best friend who died trying to protect me)is not “in the eye of the beholder”. It’s hateful behavior in the back.

And I didn’t have a “chip on my shoulder” or a “sensitive feeling.” What I had was a hole in my right lung.

The anti-gay hate that fueled this (and similar attacks) CAN be treated. And the anti-hate message should come from Christ’s church.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2071 Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:22:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2071 I especially pay attention to Koocher’s point #1 — the therapist’s ethical responsibility to fully explore why and how a client came to their decision to try to change their sexual orientation.

Most reparative therapists just jump right in because they believe homosexuality is sin. “Why of COURSE, your’re unhappy”, they seem to say. “That’s because you’re gay. Let me help you…”

For example, Nicolosi states that only 22% were motivated by “outside pressure”. Is he kidding? He says 77% were seeking healing of “emotional hurts” and not feeling “outside pressure”.

What caused these hurts? How naive can he be?

He lists “other factors” but seems oblivious to the fact that all of the other factors he measured ARE “outside pressures”. And all of these motivations are rated 60% or higher —

* personal sprituality (being taught that you will go to Hell is pressure don’t you think?)

* desire for wife and children (a cultural and family pressure, perhaps a “good” one, but an outside pressure nonetheless)

* religious teachings (see above)

* desire for non-sexual male friends (What? I have lots of male friends who aren’t gay. What is he talking about? This implies that gay men only think of other men in a sexual way. BALONEY! You don’t have to change your orientation to make friends.)

* “conscience” — does he mean a sense of right and wrong? We are not born with conscience. We LEARN it. Such a sense is developed through social pressure and interaction.

* expectation of an unhappy gay life (Such as? prejudice? loss of job? loss of family and friends? gay bashing? Tremendous bigotry and outside pressure contribute to gay unhappiness. It doesn’t occur in a vacuum.)

How can Nicolosi ignore that the fact that ALL of the factors he lists ARE outside pressures?

]]> By: Throckmorton https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2070 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 23:24:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2070 Well, whoever you are…

Have a look at the sexual identity therapy guidelines and see if you might consider supporting them.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2069 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 23:21:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2069 WOW. I am impressed. I guess I am like you. I have referred to EXODUS in those RARE cases where I think that supressing one’s homosexuality may be the client’s best chance for happiness and I really disagree with EXODUS.

Of course, when I make such referrals, I follow the APA guidelines about informed consent, homosexuality not being an illness, no scientific basis for sexual reorientation, that such organizations may actually do harm, etc.

]]> By: Throckmorton https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2068 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 23:04:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2068 I did not say I would be the best therapist to do this but we do support client self-determination. We cannot be consistent if we do not do that. We have in the guidelines a clause for referral if there are value conflicts or other issues where the alliance between therapist and client would be compromised. I would probably refer but it really does depend on the situation.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2067 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:59:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2067 Hateful feelings and hateful behavior is in the eye of the beholder. If one has a “chip on his shoulder” a comment may seem hateful to the person but if the person has a “so what, that it the way life is, win some, lose some” then a comment may be dismissed. If a person is extremely sensitive, then that “sensitive feeling” needs working on. Treating “society” is impossible.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2066 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:58:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2066 Dr. Throckmorton: I am truly shocked. Wouldn’t this violate your Christian beliefs that homosexuality is sin? How would you help the unhappy straight person change their orientation or behavior? What methods would you use? How would you measure success? Do you know how to make a straight person gay? Is their any scientific research to support such an effort?

]]> By: Throckmorton https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2065 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:30:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2065 Anon: Yes, of course. Our guidelines specifically state this.

]]> By: Anonymous https://wthrockmorton.com/2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2064 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:26:00 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2006/08/17/the-apa-and-psychology-need-reform-full-remarks-of-nicholas-cummings/#comment-2064 If a straight person wanted to become gay, would you also respect their right to self-determination and help them to change?

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