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Is homosexuality derived from father wounds in the first 3 years of life? This article evaluates that claim from the perspective of a common experience.The scientific research regarding homosexuality allows no confidence in one particular family constellation as creating homosexuals. Read a critique of this popular theory.Many people ask me if I do reparative therapy or if I believe it works, or some variation on that theme. This is a natural question given that I have defended the right of people to seek sexual re-orientation change and take an accepting stance toward those who give an account of such change, by whatever means. Thus, it is often assumed that in my clinical work, I practice reparative therapy. This is a false assumption. I am not a reparative therapist nor do I recommend that people seek someone trained in reparative therapy as an exclusive approach to homosexual attractions. As this will be confusing to some, I will explain.Of late, every time Ted Haggard speaks, he brings the issues of homosexuality, religion and psychotherapy into the national spotlight.
Stepping into this discussion is one of the most influential and innovative psychologists in the nation, Dr. Nicholas Cummings. Past president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Cummings practiced psychotherapy in San Francisco for 44 years. He helped forge a foundation for modern psychological practice in his 20 years as Chief of Mental Health with the Kaiser-Permanente Health Maintenance Organization. In 1985, Dr. Cummings founded American Biodyne, the first managed behavioral health care company and he continues to be a leading figure in the practice of psychology.I Do Exist - FAQs (Frequently asked questions) I have a friend named Jim, who many people would think of as gay, or at least bisexual. However, he doesn’t see himself that way. He is married but has been attracted to men for as long as he can remember. His wife is the only girl he has ever been with and he says, “She is still the only woman that turns me on.”
Research review: There were significant differences between straight and gay men, after controlling for psychiatric status on death ideation, death wishes, suicidal contemplation and deliberate self-harm. Controlling for psychiatric status left only one statistical difference between straight women and lesbians: suicide contemplation.In the sea of daytime talk, the Montel Williams Show is a popular island for many viewers. Always looking for controversy, the Montel team recently examined claims that fallen minister Ted Haggard had been cured of homosexuality by three weeks of reorientation therapy. The March 15th show titled, "Homosexuality…Can it be cured?" featured a hodgepodge of personal stories from people who said they had changed and those who said trying to change had greatly harmed them. In addition to the testimonials, the show brought on the obligatory expert to try to make scientific sense of the conflicting stories. Filling this bill was Dr. Alicia Salzer, psychiatrist and member of Montel’s staff.
Problem was, she did not make sense of the confusion. She added to it.These blog entries were written in response to news releases posted by Paul Cameron asserting that the life span of homosexuals is some 20 years less than straights. This includes an analysis from Morten Frisch, Danish epidemiologist. The Supreme Court’s recent decision banning partial-birth abortion renewed public interest in abortion politics and policy. Despite the infrequency of late-term abortions, the ban is significant because it strikes at one rationale for the general availability of abortion – potential negative mental health consequences for women of carrying a child to term. Thus, both pro-choice and pro-life camps are gearing up for more debate over the mental health consequences of abortion. The APA recently convened a task force called the Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion. According to APA spokesperson, Rhea Farberman, the committee will conduct an updated review of the published scientific literature on the potential impact of abortion on women’s mental health. Does the appointment of this committee signal a possible change in APA policy toward abortion? Very likely, the answer is no.In an era where serious news of war and terrorism is punctuated by leading ministers and Senators unraveled by homosexual urges, a study of gays seeking to be straight should captivate those curious about the mysteries of sexual orientation. Mostly ignored by mainstream press, Ex-gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation by Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse does more than opine on things homosexual. The new book actually addresses the topic in a substantial manner by reporting results of a long term and ongoing research project.
Mark Morford, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, writes that "hordes of easily terrified, mindless fundamentalist evangelical Christian lemmings have been bad for the soul of this country..." Wow, so how do you really feel, Mark? He connects problems in our nation's education system with Christian lemmings in his most recent column. In my response, I note that those "lemmings" may lead us out of the morass.
Sometimes stories come along that leave me speechless for awhile and then with so many things to say, I can't get the words all out at once. There are so many directions I could go with this story. There is the no-wonder-people-outside-the-church-think-Christians-are-looney angle and there is the sexuality angle. But, for now, I think it best to just get it on here and see what develops.Critic Wayne Besen, frequently makes these two claims: first, that all ex-gay ministry founders have reverted to a homosexual life and more specifically that the founders of Exodus International left their wives and became homosexual partners.
Are these claims accurate? Let me cut to the chase. Mostly, they are not true.Due to my websites about sexual identity issues, I receive many inquiries from people asking why people are gay. Recently, a note from a mom writing about her son caught my eye. She wrote: He saw a Christian counselor for 2 months in the summer after his Freshman year in college, where they explored the reasons why he felt he was gay, he (my son) came to the conclusion that "I have a great relationship with my Dad, and I don't fit into any other the other categories of being gay [e.g., sexually abused], so God must have made me this way."
Sexual and religious identity conflicts are among the most difficult faced by individuals in our society and raise important clinical, ethical and conceptual problems for mental health professionals. We present guidelines for practice with clients who experience these conflicts and desire therapeutic support for resolution. Authored by Warren Throckmorton, PhD & Mark Yarhouse, PsyDA new study from New Zealand, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, raises important questions about the impact of abortion on the mental health of women. Researchers found that those reporting abortion prior to age 21 had rates of mental disorders from age 21 to 25 that were over 1.5 times higher than the rates for women who did not become pregnant and those who became pregnant and did not seek an abortion. The relationship between abortion and mental health problems persisted even when the researchers took into account the mental health status of the women prior to the abortion. The researchers concluded that “abortion in young women may be associated with increased risks of mental health problems.”Recent research from Norway and New Zealand has reported an association between abortion and subsequent mental health problems. Although the two reports are not the first to suggest such a relationship, they are well-designed studies suggesting that abortion may be linked to negative mental health reactions for some women.This is a clip of Dr. Robert Spitzer from the documentary, I Do Exist discussing his research regarding sexual orientation. The clip lasts about 3.5 minutes and is best viewed over a broadband connection.By now, the plot line of Brokeback Mountain is well known. For those just returning from another planet, here it is: in the early 1960s, two young, male sheep herders, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar become sexually involved for a summer on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming. Then, with no strings attached, they move on to marry heterosexually. After a few years they reunite and go on periodic fishing trips together where their fishing lines never get wet. Eventually Ennis’ marriage falls apart and Jack dies via suspicious circumstances.This article provides the entire interview I conducted with Dr. Robert Spitzer as a part of the I Do Exist documentary. Only a part of the interview was included on the video.The APA and Psychology Need Reform
Nicholas A. Cummings, Ph.D., Sc.D. The APA and Psychology Need Reform was presented as part of the panel, Psychology Needs Reform: APA Presidents Debate the 10 Amendments by former Presidents Frank Farley, Bonnie Strickland, & Nicholas Cummings at the APA Convention, New Orleans, August 12, 2006. Study also questions fraternal birth order effect.
Mark Twain said once: “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” If environmental factors in sexual orientation could talk, they might say the same thing. For sure, social or family factors in influencing sexual attractions have been written off by numerous scholars and media. However, a new Danish study may prompt a fresh evaluation of the role of social factors in sexual orientation.For over a decade, parents have warred with gay advocacy groups who want to infuse school curriculum with messages about homosexuality. Groups like the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) say that society must address the abuse and ridicule that gay and lesbian kids face in school in order to create a safe environment for learning. However, many parents believe instruction that teaches respect for gay-identified youth is actually a Trojan Horse that advocacy groups like GLSEN use to indoctrinate kids with favorable messages about homosexuality.There are many posts over on the blog that need your comments. Go on over and have your say or ask questions about material on this site. This 51 paper revises our evaluation of the Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools health education curriculum. We include in this revision a thorough evaluation of the condom demonstration video, Protect Yourself. Also, the critqiue of the condom demonstration video is available separately for download.This research review examines the new study demonstrating responses to pheromone based on sexual orientationpdf file of a research article by Warren Throckmorton and Gary Welton published in the Winter 2005 issue of the Journal of Psychology and Christianity.One of America’s A-list gay couples has broken up. No, it’s not Rosie and Kelli. It’s Roy and Silo. Roy and Silo are male penguins. Chinstrap penguins to be exact. About six years ago, Roy and Silo set up housekeeping together in New York’s Central Park Zoo. They courted and attempted to mate and by all accounts were fairly inseparable. They even adopted a child together. Roy and Silo hatched little Tango a couple of years ago and raised her as their own. What can we learn from their break up? This research report re-evaluates a study concerning the impact of gay parenting on the sexual preference of children.Nearly every discussion about sexual education focuses on preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. However, recent research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that, especially for girls, the discussion needs to include a third negative possibility: depression.A recent book edited by eminent psychologists Rogers Wright and Nicholas Cummings delivers a stunning indictment of the mental health professions. Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The Well-Intentioned Path to Harm documents and critiques the ascent of social activism over open-minded scientific inquiry and quality mental health care in the current mental health establishment. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about mental health care in this country.A study by a Swedish research team regarding how lesbians may experience differing brain activations from straight women and similar activation as staight men is intriguing in itself. The media response is also. There is a series of blog entries linked here that explore the controversy. In short, the Associated Press misreported several important aspects of the study. I report here my correspondence with lead researcher, Ivanka Savic, laying out the errors in the AP report on the research report: "Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women."This essay/editorial describes two studies about sexual orientation. One recent study by Canadian Dr. Anthony Bogaert suggests a relationship between older brothers and homosexual orientation. This study received worldwide coverage and was heralded as another breakthrough in understanding sexual orientation's biological basis. The second by Columbia University's Peter Bearman and Yale's Hannah Bruckner, published in 2002, received no media coverage and no notice from the academic community. The difference? Bearman and Bruckner's study found no evidence for genetic or pre-natal factors in homosexuality and instead suggested socialization variables were important. We discuss the limitations of the new Bogaert study and the findings of the Bearman and Bruckner study, which to our knowledge have never been noted in the popular press.
Eat right. Wear seatbelts. Avoid cigarettes. Use sunscreen. Yearly, thousands of college kids hear this wisdom from their university health services and wellness professors. However, it is unlikely that these same students will hear this gem: “Casual sexual liaisons on college campuses are hazardous, especially for young women. Medically and psychologically, it’s wise to wait.”
One campus psychiatrist wants to know why this advice is rare. Read this author interview and review of the new book Unprotected about ideologically driven health care and its negative impact on collage students.
A ’Túl a barátságon/Brokeback Szindróma: Több, mint egy út le a hegyről (Brokeback Syndrome: More than one way off the mountain) - Hungarian translation by Kozma György M.A.Sheryl Swoopes is arguably the finest female basketball player ever. No, check that, actually there is no argument, as a five-time all-star, three-time MVP in the Woman’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and three-time gold medal Olympian, she is the best. So when she came out of the closet recently, there was excitement in the gay and lesbian community about a high profile public figure declaring herself a lesbian.School is just around corner. Awaiting anxious students are new schedules, new teachers, new challenges and in some school districts, old controversies about what books should be read in school. Wow, where did the summer go? Transcript of Dr. Throckmorton's CNN interview with Carol Lin, anchor and Joe Solmonese from the Human Rights CampaignThink of this entry as a blog. I am adding to this as I have time but by request have put a few reactions here as I have read the Martins, et al study accepted for publication in Psychological Science (September, 2005)Well I have finally seen it. “Protect Yourself,” the movie, that is. The seven and a half minute condom demonstration video produced by the Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools will be shown to all 10th grade students this Spring. I had heard the film was inappropriate for 10th graders from those who had seen it before me. Now, having seen it myself, I believe the critics of the video are correct. However, in my estimation it is much worse than I had been led to believe. The training film is a taxpayer funded and school produced advertisement for condom use among teens.
Probably you have heard of the Sponge Bob Squarepants flap. Dr. James Dobson, Founder of Focus on the Family mentioned the words Sponge Bob and gay in a speech and then all heck broke loose. If you want to get media types excited, just mention a cartoon character and homosexuality in the same breath. For some reason, the combination inspires their creativity.
Even Mrs. Squarepants has an opinion about the whole thing...Information relevant to the March 2005 Human Genetics study concerning sexual orientation in men. Includes Q & A, a research review and links to the full text article and additional information from Dr. B. Mustanski, the study's lead authorRead summaries and commentary concerning research studies that are relevant to sexual orientation. "Sexual orientation is a complex trait that is probably shaped by many different factors, including multiple genes, biological, environmental, and sociocultural influences. In a 1993 report, my group (1) provided initial evidence that a locus at the q28 region of the X chromosome was involved in male sexual orientation in some, but not all, individuals."
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