[Walrus's]Gay Therapist helping his clients stay in the closet[Findings]

[InaRut]

Searching around on my brand new fancy dancy Google Reader when I came across this article from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/ma...rssnyt&emc=rss

It's pretty long but dwells into some of the psychological history of coming out as well as offering the morale question whether or not can a psychologist truly recommend his client leaves the closet:

He felt plagued by a professional contradiction: “Psychological ethics say that we’re supposed to support religious beliefs and support sexual orientation,” Flanigan told me. “But there was nothing I knew of that says what to do when they conflict.” As far as he could tell, the only choice those people had was to give up one or the other.

What do you guys think?
[Initiate: Quick Read]

[Daisy1]

Ooh, great discussion!

I read this article when it came out and thought it was pretty interesting. Basically, for some deeply religious people, their sexuality is so anathema to who they aspire to be that they prefer to suppress their homosexuality and live a heterosexual life. It certainly seems unhealthy, but if people believe their other option is going to hell, it's hard to blame them. I suppose they're lucky to have a psychologist to help them figure it out.

It feels wrong to me, but I wonder if I would feel differently if I identified myself primarily by my religious beliefs.