Pennsylvania Code › Title 49 - PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL STANDARDS › Part I - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 41 - STATE BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY › CODE OF ETHICS › Section 41.62 - Conversion therapy, sexual orientation change efforts and reparative therapy-statement of policy

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Background.
Conversion therapy, also known as sexual
					 orientation change efforts or reparative therapy, poses critical health risks
					 to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual
					 individuals, including suicidality, substance abuse, confusion, depression,
					 guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, shame, social withdrawal, stress,
					 disappointment, self-blame, decreased self-esteem and authenticity to others,
					 increased self-hatred, hostility and blame toward parents, feelings of anger
					 and betrayal, loss of friends and potential romantic partners, problems with
					 sexual and emotional intimacy, sexual dysfunction, high-risk sexual behaviors,
					 a feeling of being dehumanized and untrue to self, a loss of faith and a sense
					 of having wasted time and resources. The American Psychological Association has
					 resolved that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of
					 psychological interventions to change sexual orientation and encourages mental
					 health professionals to avoid misrepresenting the efficacy of sexual
					 orientation change efforts by promoting or promising change in sexual
					 orientation when providing assistance to individuals. Due to the lack of
					 scientific evidence supporting conversion therapy and the risk of harm to
					 minors, the practice of conversion therapy is strongly opposed by the American
					 Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Pediatrics,
					 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American College of
					 Physicians, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association,
					 American Psychoanalytic Association, American Psychological Association,
					 National Association of Social Workers, Pan American Health Organization and
					 the World Psychiatric Association.
(b)
Board authority.
The
					 Board has statutory authority to license, regulate and discipline psychologists
					 in this Commonwealth. Under section 8(a)(9) of the act (63 P.S. §
												1208(a)(9)), the Board is
					 authorized to discipline a licensee for violating a regulation promulgated by
					 the Board, including the Board's ethical regulations under §
											41.61 (relating to code of
					 ethics). The Board is also authorized under section 8(a)(11) to discipline a
					 licensee for engaging in immoral or unprofessional conduct.
(c)
Guidelines.
The
					 following conversion therapy guidelines should be considered by licensees to
					 ensure compliance with the act and the Board's regulations:
(1) Being lesbian, gay, bisexual,
					 transgender, queer/ questioning, intersex or asexual is not a disease,
					 disorder, illness, deficiency or shortcoming.
(2) Conversion therapy includes the following
					 conduct:
(i) A practice or treatment that
					 seeks to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender
					 identity.
(ii) An effort to change
					 the behavioral expression of an individual's sexual orientation, change gender
					 expression, or eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings
					 toward individuals of the same gender.
(3) Conversion therapy does not include a
					 practice or treatment that provides counseling for an individual undergoing
					 gender transition, counseling that provides acceptance, support, and
					 understanding, or the facilitation of coping, social support, and identity
					 exploration and development, including sexual orientation-neutral interventions
					 to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices. Conversion
					 therapy does not include a practice that does not seek to change sexual
					 orientation or gender identity.
(4)
					 In a disciplinary action brought against a licensee, the Board may find the use
					 of conversion therapy on an individual under 18 years of age to be unethical,
					 immoral or unprofessional conduct. A licensee who uses conversion therapy on an
					 individual under 18 years of age may be subject to discipline by the
					 Board.