615 | Censoring Christian Sexuality: Insights from the Trenches of the Controversy over Sexual Orientation and Client Self-Determination

What do licensed mental health professionals do when a Christian client is seeking help with same-sex attraction and gender identity issues that also affirms their faith? Few topics in psychological practice evoke more trepidation and confusion for faith-based clinicians coming from a Christian worldview than the potential for same-sex attractions, behaviors, and identities to change within a therapeutic context. This workshop will equip licensed mental health professionals for Christian clients who wish for a faith-affirming framework for understanding sexuality and gender, addressing conflicts related to same-sex attraction and behavior. Participants will explore an authentically Christian paradigm that reveals how sexuality reflects concepts from a Christian worldview, accepted by willing Christian clients. Participants will contrast this perspective with secular views on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” examining the roots of the sexual identity crisis within the Christian faith community and its connection to the Gospel. Additionally, participants will discuss the philosophical foundations of current treatment approaches to sexuality conflicts within major mental health associations that make it difficult for faith-based clients to receive the care they are seeking, and will highlight key indicators in the social sciences that do not encompass this group of clients’ perspective and wishes, focusing on how this faith-affirming perspective is lacking in the research on sexual identity change. Participants will describe three aspects of the research that promote bias against this type of client and will receive recommendations for best practices in addressing these issues in clinical work.