That’s good news for Christ-centered counselors, Dr. Jennifer Bauwens, a research fellow with Family Research Council said on “Washington Watch.”
The Supremes spoke loudly with an 8-1 ruling that said Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy is unconstitutional, reports The Wall Street Journal. They declared it infringed on the First Amendment and censored speech based on viewpoint before returning the case to the lower courts.
Bauwens believes the Court’s ruling will embolden more counselors, and, perhaps, more people with good values will join the profession instead of those who are ideologically driven.
She hopes with this decision that counseling associations will also alter some of their policies and internal guidance that have also been restrictive.
“I think we have to realize that there's a culture at play here. And despite the legal decisions, it's going to take a long time for some of these organizations and clinicians to make that shift much,” Bauwens told show host Tony Perkins.
Still, the ruling offers hope.
Conversion therapy ban history
State bans on conversion therapy — essentially talk therapy — started once more people began identifying as LGBTQ-plus, claiming the purpose of the therapy was to change the sexuality of gay, lesbian, and transgender teenagers. Major psychological organizations labeled the practice as ineffective and harmful, and Democrats sought to prohibit counselors from changing a minor’s transgender identity back to the biological sex.
The lawsuit against the state of Colorado was brought by Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor, because her desire to counsel to younger clients went against the ban. Instead of encouraging transitioning, she wanted to help them deter unnatural sexual thoughts and become more comfortable in their bodies.
Bauwens said the ruling is a long-awaited victory for those in the counseling profession, noting numerous colleagues who were people of faith or otherwise simply opposed to the gender agenda.
“I can tell you as both a clinician and as someone who's educated future upcoming clinicians, I could always tell there was a quieting. There was a chilling effect that many of my colleagues were facing, as well as the students that I had in class. Whenever the topic would come up, there would be a quieting of them,” Bauwens says.
Bauwens draws back to the rhetoric surrounding “conversion therapy” that made it sound like therapists were torturing their clients, therefore making it illegal to actually offer important services.
“I think we have to remember how we were sold this bill of goods — that conversion therapy, or this idea of torture, is actually going on in the counseling session, and that there wouldn't be more outrage because this is illegal. To perform torture is illegal,” Bauwens states. “What we're talking about and what the Supreme Court ruled on is all about talk therapy and actually conducting good practice.”
Along with Colorado, about 22 other states also had bans in place against conversion therapy. Bauwens refers to it as just a complete counseling ban since a clinician cannot explore the root issues and the reason behind a client’s struggles.
For example, a girl could seek a therapist to help change her gender, but another girl could not get the same help if she tried to come in alignment with her biological sex.
Because of these bans, counselors were prevented from uncovering underling or core issues of clients with gender dysphoria, the distress and discomfort felt when an individual questions their biological sex. A band-aid was essentially put on the issue as people began pretending to be something they’re not.
“That's the unfortunate thing. Many Americans have come — many minors, children, have come — for help from clinicians, and many of these clinicians have been shackled by these laws that prevent them from talking freely and actually getting to the root issue,” Bauwens says.
Complicating the problem
Now, many people all over the nation are going through a “detransitioning” process, she states. And they have to deal with that along with the original, unaddressed issue.
“We're seeing that the real issue has not been dealt with, and now they're having to go through all of these other things, and the counseling profession has been complicit in helping take them down a path to … masquerade as somebody else,” Bauwens states.
Not only has the ban affected many clients, but those considering entering the counseling field. Bauwens says she’s talked to people afraid to become counselors because of threats to their license.
“That's a reality. There have been many legal cases. Maybe they haven't gone to the place where a person has lost their license, but they get caught up in all these legal battles that take time and energy, et cetera,” Bauwens states. “And people who just want to help don't want to get caught up in all of the bureaucracy that goes with it and the legal battles that go with it.”
