A Dangerous Bill Introduced in Congress!

May 29, 2015 Recently I wrote this Op-Ed that was published at CNSNEWS.com

"President Barack Obama and I have shared a similar experience. In a White House statement supporting a ban on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts therapy for minors, he said, “Tonight, somewhere in America, a young person, let’s say a young man, will struggle to fall asleep, wrestling alone with a secret he’s held as long as he can remember. Soon, perhaps, he will decide it’s time to let that secret out. What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends, his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us—one the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build.”

I couldn’t agree more. My experience also involves a Christian young man. He’s in my office, sobbing in pain: “How can the president not understand? Why is he disowning young people like me? I don’t get it! Do my experiences and values not matter?” This young man also lies awake at night, hoping someone will help him. He also needs compassion, understanding, and healing. He is struggling with same-sex attractions, but doesn’t identify as gay. His homosexual feelings resulted from a drug dealer who got him high and molested him. He has a tremendous amount of shame over this experience, and is confused about his unwanted homosexual feelings. He likes girls and wants to marry one someday, but he’s addicted to drugs. When he feels badly, he gets high and looks for casual sex. He knows he’s just trying to kill the pain but can’t stop.

If the President gets his way, this young man may never have the chance to get the help he desperately needs. Since he started counseling with me two months ago, his self-esteem has increased. He’s started to form a support network and goes to a 12-step sex addicts group every week. Where the effects of sexual abuse were once devastating, he’s now hopeful and can talk about his pain with other safe people. Clients like this do not identify as gay. They believe they are straight but have unwanted homosexual attractions. Sadly, professional mental health associations have been infiltrated with activists and have turned their backs on these young men, and now, so has our President. Those who oppose this therapy support youth who want to change their gender but not their sexual orientation. They say every person should be free to be whoever they want, unless this means transitioning from homosexuality to heterosexuality. They believe no one should be forced to be something they’re not, unless they are being forced to remain captive to unwanted same-sex attractions. I empathize with this young man because I was once like him. When I was young, I lived a gay life. But homosexuality didn’t work for me, and I benefited greatly from therapy that helped heal sexual abuse and resolve my sexual attractions for men. Today, I am married to a beautiful woman, and we have three wonderful children! As a psychotherapist, I am passionate about helping others struggling with unwanted attractions, because I know how they feel. Those who oppose therapy don’t want others to hear this. They want people to believe therapy is abusive, so they invent stories of torture to further their political agenda. But when pressed for details, they never provide verifiable facts. This is exactly what happened in Washington State. An activist told of a client forced to sit in an ice bath as a means of aversion therapy. Republican lawmakers then worked with Democrats on a bill to ban these harmful aversive therapies. But gay activists suddenly changed their tune and refused to support the bill, saying it didn’t go far enough—because “far enough” for them means shutting down the debate completely. Shutting down free speech. Shutting down clients’ rights, like the young man sitting in my office. The bedrock principle of mental healthcare is to keep the client first. But those who oppose therapy don’t care about those who want change, and neither does President Obama. That isn’t tolerance or love or empowerment; it’s a double standard. Just ask the young man in my office, who through therapy finally has hope he can live the life he’s always imagined. Take away his hope—now that’s abuse. That’s torture. Don’t take that away from him." This article was originally published here. Following President Obama's statement, some radical members of Congress introduced a bill that would essentially outlaw therapy for clients that seek to resolve unwanted same-sex attraction (for both adults and minors). Please continue to pray with us and join us as we continue the battle for the lives of those who seek healing from their conflicts with sexual orientation and unwanted same-sex attraction. If you feel led, click the "donate" button below and make a generous, tax-deductible donation to the work of IHF. Sincerely,

Christopher Doyle, MA, LCPC Director International Healing Foundation ihfnewsletter@getresponse.com; em nome de; Ihf office <ihfinfo@comingoutloved.com>