Conversion Therapy is the term used for interventions that assume that certain sexual orientations or gender identities are pathologies, mental disorders or indicative of developmental arrest and therefore to states of mind that are inferior to others. On this basis it seeks to remove them, change them or suppress them. This is done via non-scientifically proven and harmful techniques, especially with young people, sometimes leading to suicide.

PAP wishes to make the following statements:

• PAP does not consider homosexuality, or bisexuality and transgender states to be pathological, mental disorders, or indicative of developmental arrest or inferior to other forms of sexual orientation.
• PAP honors and respects sexual diversity as part of the richness of human life and as part of our approach to diversity, equalities and social responsibility.
• Sexual orientations are not mental health disorders, although exclusion, stigma and prejudice may precipitate mental health issues for any person subjected to these abuses.
• Anyone accessing therapeutic help should be able to do so without fear of judgments or the threat of being pressured to change a fundamental aspect of whom they are.
• The practice of conversion therapy has no place in the modern world. It is abusive, unethical and harmful and not supported by any evidence. It will be good for the welfare of the public is such practices are rendered illegal.

PAP wishes to clarify that

Any psychotherapist who makes efforts to try to change, manipulate or reverse a person’s sexual identity, and/or efforts to try to change their gender identity through psychological therapies, or uses a judgemental, religion-based or discriminatory theoretical framework, will be considered as acting unethically and not in accordance with PAP’s Code of Ethics and Practice of psychotherapy and the generally accepted Ethical Codes of Practice of most professional bodies for psychotherapy in Europe.