How Conversion Therapy Underscores the Conundrum of the Catholic Clinician

In July 2018 Britain instituted a ban of Gay Conversion Therapy (CT) that marked a progressive step toward eradicating myths of homosexuality as choice or mental illness. What I found simultaneously uplifting and disappointing is the fact the Church of England supports the ban while my own Catholic faith has been hesitant to condemn the practice.

Homosexuality is among the many issues that underscores the paradox of being a Roman Catholic psychotherapist whose increasing disagreements with the Church complicates our relationship. It so happens reluctance by the Church to profess homosexual orientation and sexual expression as anything other than natural widens the rift between me and Rome. Granted, while the Church never outwardly supported CT, I construe its reluctance to renounce as acceptance. The basis for the Vatican’s neutrality is denial of psychological predisposition toward sexual orientation is recognized by Catholic teaching. It’s a convenient loophole, like the idea that fish isn’t meat because it swims.

When I imagine trying to “cure” my gay clients, or convince them their sexuality is a choice based on rebellion or childhood trauma, I feel irresponsibility similar to what I might feel if I believed Schizophrenia is chosen because delusion and hallucination is a fun way to escape reality. What makes the belief in homosexuality as a choice is that I don’t know why anyone would willfully choose ostracization over acceptance. Vatican silence regarding CT perpetuates the fallacy of sexual orientation as choice, perpetuates stigma of homosexuality as mental illness, and alienates practitioners who want to practice faith while simultaneously embracing diversity.

Young adulthood was when I first sensed my Catholic brethren distinguished sexual orientation from sexual activity. They suggested God would turn a blind eye to homosexual orientation, but homosexual activity damns gays to hell. This is akin to giving someone an American Express Centurion Card, but making their arms to short to reach their wallet. 

The mandate of these defenders of dogma is to “hate the sin, but love the sinner”; a self-righteous position that makes gay sex anathema and allows Catholics to veil their judgments behind the pretense of “we will love you despite your deviance.” In this case, “deviance” means gay sex isn’t procreative. Therefore, if I practiced psychotherapy guided by church tenets, I would spend sessions convincing gay clients to abstain on the grounds they can’t make babies.

Because there are 1.2 billion Catholics, The Church’s renouncement of CT would create a seismic shift away from belief homosexuality is cured through behavior modification, as if it was nail-biting, or repeatedly checking the stove. We believe the Pope is our shepherd, and we the flock who honors his infallibility. Therefore, if he says gay is okay, we are allowed acceptance. Instead, passivity reigns, and a billion people are free to marginalize a vulnerable community.