As a modern therapeutic approach, which helps the client accept himself, Reintegrative Therapy® is distinct from a religious pastoral approach– which is to help a client conform his behavior and desires to morality. Mental health organizations state that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and that it is unknown what causes homosexuality, e.g., whether it is psychologically or biologically caused, or a mixture of the two. Mental health organizations acknowledge that aspects of sexual orientation can change over time, but it is not clear what causes this change or what aspects of sexual orientation are changing, and that therapy relating to an individual’s sexual orientation can lead to harm in the form of mental stress and anguish due to people’s either bigoted views of homosexuality, or even moral views with respect to what is proper sexual behavior. Mental health organizations therefore discourage therapeutic attempts to alter sexual orientation. Reintegrative Therapy® and the Reintegrative Therapy Association (RTA) do not seek to change sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings towards individuals of either the same or opposite sex. Reintegrative Therapy® provides acceptance, support, and understanding of clients, the facilitation of clients’ coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, and promotes healthy sexual and romantic relationships, through sexual orientation-neutral interventions. RTA acknowledges that the American Psychiatric Association has decided that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. Mental health organizations acknowledge this, though they also acknowledge that the science does not show that homosexuality is simply biologically innate. The Reintegrative Therapy Association does acknowledge that sexuality can change for some persons over time. It is unclear precisely why this occurs. Reintegrative Therapy® explicitly disavows that minority sexual orientations are akin to a disorder, illness, or disease even in asserting that they may be psychologically influenced post- birth. Reintegrative Therapy® acknowledges that sexual orientation can change over time, and that this is an indisputable fact. It is unclear precisely why this occurs, but Reintegrative Therapy®™ acknowledges that psychological factors can affect how sexual orientation is felt and expressed. Resolution of those underlying may then affect how a person feels and expresses his sexual orientation. The Reintegrative Therapy Association acknowledges that sexual minorities only make up between 2-5% of the general population, which may cause minority stress, and that this minority stress can be exacerbated for sexual minorities due to the moral views involved. In contrast, there are no largely held views on the immorality of engaging in conduct associated with being a woman or being a racial minority. RTA acknowledges that conscious and directed efforts to change sexual orientation may exacerbate this minority stress and that minority stress needs to be addressed in instances where therapy is provided to sexual minorities—with specific attention to moral views on sexuality—and takes specific steps to address it. Due to the above, RTA takes the following approach: Reintegrative Therapists inform clients that, because the causes of sexual orientation may be psychological, any psychological therapy may affect how an individual feels or expresses their sexual orientation. Reintegrative Therapists inform clients that, in order to comply with ethical needs to deal with minority stress and due to the law, it will not assist a client to achieve a specific sexual orientation. Clients who feel coerced or shamed by their therapists (what some call “implicit aversion”) at any time should bring this issue up with their therapist right away, so it may be addressed and resolved. If it is not resolved, clients should consider receiving treatment from another clinician. Reintegrative Therapists inform clients that, in balancing the client’s right to self-determination and freedom of religion, and the counselor’s ethical duty to address minority stress, if a client wants—on his own—to attempt to change his sexual orientation, the counselor will neither attempt to assist, nor attempt to dissuade, the client in his own efforts to change his sexual orientation. In balancing the client’s rights with the therapist’s ethical duties, Reintegrative Therapists will engage with the client in a comprehensive discussion on sexual orientation to ensure that the desire is not itself motivated by, or likely to lead to, a psychological disorder. In balancing the client’s rights with the therapist’s ethical duties, Reintegrative Therapists will not advocate any sexual orientation as inherently superior to any other, but also will not withhold factual information regarding any sexual orientation in an artificial attempt to impose the value judgment that all sexual orientations are, in fact identical in regard to health consequences. Some therapists argue that providing accurate information about minority sexual orientations can itself be an implicit aversive technique. Conversely, Reintegrative Therapists do not adhere to that view and, due to clients’ right to self-determination and freedom of religion, will not withhold accurate scientific information from their clients.
The Reintegrative Therapy Association (RTA) cannot and does not provide any warranties related to the information contained in or resulting services from Reintegrative Therapists or any other therapists associated with RTA. Information accessed through this website is provided “AS IS” and without any warranty, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness.
RTA does not guarantee the competence of any Reintegrative Therapist and does not warrant that its associated therapists are currently or properly licensed. Under no circumstances should this website be used to verify the credentials of therapists. Use of RTA’s services to locate an RTA-associated therapist is wholly voluntary and will not result in any liability against RTA. In no event shall RTA be liable for damages to any user of its services.
