Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Counseling
 
chapter
Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling [18 VAC 115 ‑ 20]
Action Unprofessional conduct - conversion therapy
Stage NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 8/7/2019
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8/2/19  6:41 am
Commenter: Joanna Woodworth

Let people seek the kind of therapy they desire
 

When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a truck driver, travel the states and be free from my “mean” parents.  My husband wanted to save people and be a fireman.  Neither one of us ended up pursuing careers in those fields, but as we grew, developed and matured, we realized our talents and skills were in other areas.  Thank goodness, we had teachers, parents (who weren’t so mean after all), and counselors who guided us through our growing, changing, maturing process.  Many people have given testimony that they have been lovingly guided through conversion therapy.  Children are especially prone to being swayed by peer pressure and recent societal trends, and none of us are exactly the way we were in ideology, philosophy or desires that we were as young people.  It has also been proven that if a person does not want to change during therapy, that they won’t.  A counselor has no magical power over the client.  The client must desire guidance and choose to change themselves.  There is conclusive evidence that people can be helped by seeking professional counseling in becoming the person they want to become.  Should we ban therapy if a person really wants to become LGBTQ?  We need to let people seek the therapy that helps them seek the kind of self-improvement that they desire.  Please do not restrict this right.

CommentID: 74802