4.1 Memorandum of Understanding against conversion therapy

In 2017, all the major professional bodies overseeing psychological professions signed up to an updated version of this existing document. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) now includes trans and asexual people, whereas previously it focused on same-sex attraction. If you belong to a professional body, you are expected not to practise conversion therapy, which is defined by BACP as follows:

Why is conversion therapy banned by professional bodies?

The research on conversion therapy for trans people suggests that they are even more likely than sexual minorities to have experienced conversion therapy (Higbee et al., 2020). Research also evidences the significant psychological harm conversion therapy does to trans people (Government Equalities Office, 2021; Hipp et al., 2019; Tran et al., 2024; Turban et al., 2020). This includes increasing suicidality (Turban et al., 2020; Campbell and and van der Meulen Rodgers, 2023): in general individuals who have undergone conversion therapy are twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts (Government Equalities Office, 2021; see also Blosnich et al., 2020; Meanley et al., 2020).

Additionally, conversion therapy does not ‘work’ as a government report stated: ‘There is no robust evidence to support claims that conversion therapy is effective at changing sexual orientation or gender identity’ (Equalities Office, 2021). In short, conversion therapy is proven to be both harmful and ineffective. However, that does not mean that in a prevailing culture that is doubting and undermining, it is not possible to (either deliberately or unconsciously) help a client suppress or doubt a trans identity.