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from About NARTH
THE RIGHT TO TREATMENT
NARTH seeks to support the many homosexual men and
women who are profoundly distressed by their
condition. Homosexuality is experienced by them as
completely contrary to their value system and
their conviction that all men and women would
normally be heterosexual were it not for
disturbances in their early lives.
We acknowledge that many homosexual men and women
do not wish to change their psychosexual
adaptation, and we respect their wishes not to
seek therapy. Furthermore we do not wish to
diminish the rights of homosexually oriented
people in society.
However, we believe that treatment should be
offered to those who voluntarily seek it. NARTH
works to protect the rights of clients who do seek
treatment, as well as the rights of the therapists
who treat them. We stand by the conviction that
while biological factors may influence gender
identity (and subsequent homosexuality) in some
people, the condition is primarily developmental
in origin, and it is--to differing
degrees--responsive to psychotherapeutic measures.
Therapy is aimed at decreasing unwanted
homosexual attractions and increasing heterosexual
responsiveness, with the understanding that
substantial change will require a longterm growth
process.
NARTH will serve, we hope, to balance the
one-sided perspective disseminated by the media
and our own psychological and psychiatric
professional organizations.
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