Just to comment on one aspect of the above discussion: attempts to define 'conversion therapy' beyond something very general like "an attempt to treat homosexuality through therapy" will be too narrow to capture the range of what is out there.  There is no requirement that the practitioner be licensed - "therapy" can be practiced by just about anyone.  I tend to agree that Love in Action is more aligned with ex-gay groups than conversion therapy, but insofar as they use group therapy and talk therapy to treat homosexuality, it is appropriate to discuss them here (note that the NYT specifically describes Love in Action's methodology as conversion therapy ).