The social worker should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of . . . sexual orientation . . . Reparative or conversion therapies claim, through the use of psychotherapy or other interventions, to eliminate a person's sexual desire for a member of his or her own gender. Sexual orientation is defined by the sex of individuals for whom one feels an attraction and affection, both physical and emotional. Moreover, sexual orientation differs from other mistakenly ascribed concepts, such as sexual identity and sexual behavior. Sexual identity refers to a person's self-perception of his or her sexual orientation, and sexual behavior refers to a person's sexual activities.
People seek mental health services for many reasons.
Accordingly, it is fair to assert that lesbians and gay men seek therapy for the same reasons that heterosexual people do. However, the increase in media campaigns, often coupled with coercive messages from family and community members, has created an environment in which lesbians and gay men often are pressured to seek reparative or conversion therapies, which cannot and will not change sexual orientation . Social workers across fields of practice, including foster care, mental health, corrections, substance abuse, school social work, and prevention education, may encounter lesbian and gay clients. A social worker may apply techniques that may cause considerable harm and anguish for a client while reinforcing the existing prejudice and homophobia that gay men and lesbians experience daily. Social workers are obligated to use nonjudgmental attitudes and to encourage nurturing practice environments for lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals.