May 13, 2014

The following excerpt is from the article “Chatting with a leader of the ‘ex-gay’ movement about converting some to heterosexuality” by Tom Jackman on the Washington Post Website: … Tom Jackman: “So if SOCE is not ‘brainwashing’ or ‘praying away the gay,’ what is it?”

Christopher Doyle: “To understand what SOCE therapy is, you must first understand the meaning of sex. There are many different approaches to SOCE therapy, and the model I use at the International Healing Foundation is to: 1) Identify the root causes of the client’s SSA; 2) Resolve those issues with the client in therapy; and 3) Help the client receive unmet emotional needs from the same gender in non-sexual relationships with heterosexual friends. Often times, the issues that clients work through include painful trauma from the same gender (parent/peers) such as rejection, not feeling wanted, not fitting in, bullying, and feeling inferior because of their gender non-confirming behavior and interests. When clients work through those issues in therapy and experience acceptance and intimacy in non-sexual relationships with heterosexual friends (males with males/females with females), the desire for sex with the same gender gradually decreases as they begin to understand what they are really looking for, emotional connection with the same gender, not sex. When that emotional intimacy is experienced, it’s amazing to the client, because they have rarely or never experienced it before! Over time, emotional fulfillment with same gender friends takes the place of sexual eroticism, and having now bonded with the same gender, opposite sex attractions begin to emerge.” …