A reader wrote in to Towleroad.com regarding an experience with California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences we thought you should know about.
It seems when Licensed Educational Psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Social Workers need to renew their licenses, they must complete a certain amount of hours at accredited organizations. Listed among the accredited groups at the Board of Behavioral Sciences, is the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). A licensed psychologist in Los Angeles wrote to Towleroad:
I was wondering if you could help me raise awareness about in issue. I am a Licensed Educational Psychologist here in Los Angeles. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences is responsible for licensing LEPs, MFTs, and LCSWs here in California. I was recently looking at BBS website in order to determine which organizations I could obtain my continuing education credits from in order to renew my license. Much to my shock and sadness, the BBS accepts CEUs from NARTH. I am absolutely appalled. No therapist in California should be able to renew their license by obtaining CEUs from this hateful organization. “Homosexual conversion therapy” is not supported by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, or the American Counselors Association. I have written the the BBS with my concerns, but I have not heard back. Could you help me bring attention to this issue? We need to get them removed from this list ASAP.
Here is the complete list of accredited organizations from BBS.
NARTH is a hateful organization which provides conversion or “ex-gay” therapy for their clients. This form of therapy has been not only disproven as being effective, but many who go through it either commit or attempt suicide. As stated in the note above, this form of therapy has been debunked by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Counselors Association.
George Rekers and his rentboy, Jo-Vanni Roman
Infamously, you may remember former NARTH founder George Reker’s scandal when he traveled Europe with a young man whom he was paying from the online service “Rentboys.” When Rekers claimed he hired the boy only because he was “lifting his luggage,” a whole new euphemism was created.
We have started a letter writing campaign at Change.org to request the removal of NARTH from the list of accredited providers. Just click on the link below to sign the petition.
Sign the petition!
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