[Kahonek]

Thanks for the tip. I have actually read this study thoroughly, but I'm afraid it doesn't really answer my question. It basically states that when you go to groups who claim to cure gays and ask them for their most motivated and successful cases, some of the people they produce will say (over the phone) that they had at least some change in their sexual attraction. They will usually attribute this to God's work in their lives.

There are a lot of problems in this study from a scientific perspective, but even if you accept the report of this minority at face value, it suggests a role for God (and perhaps clergy), but not really for the mental health professional. The original poster suggested that homosexuality be "treated," like a "mental illness." I was wondering what treatment he had in mind.

[eastsider]

Based on my experience with relatives suffering from mental illness (schizo-affective disorder; manic depression), my unprofessional opinion is that mental illness is an inappropriate classification for same-sex attraction.

What I took from Dr. Spitzer's remarks is that one's personal motivation is key to any reparative therapy. To me, that puts SSA in the category of a neurosis which responds to personal intent, not a psychosis, which responds to meds. JMO.