Answer: Several of us (Ben, David, John, Jason and Rick) found reparative therapy to be highly beneficial.

Reparative therapy approaches homosexuality as an inner drive to repair a broken connection with men -- especially fathers, brothers, and male peers -- and with our own sense of inner masculinity. The therapy focuses on uncovering those feelings of rejection and isolation and healing them emotionally, in part by reaching out to heterosexual men in new, healthy friendships. It also focuses on affirming a man's sense of masculinity. A shift in sexual desire can come about almost as a byproduct of strengthening masculine identity and masculine bonds.

Dan experienced great benefit from inner child therapy. This therapy focuses on uncovering and healing the wounds of childhood and youth.

Richard and Jerry benefited from spiritual counseling that focused on forgiveness and healing of childhood emotional wounds while strengthening their bonds with God.

Whichever therapy, if any, that you choose, it is important that a man have a male therapist with a strong heterosexual identity and some masculine traits that appeal to the client. This is because transitioning out of homosexuality is as much about growing into manhood -- and being mentored and affirmed as a man -- as it is about psychology or spirituality. The therapist becomes a kind of a mentor who can help lead the client into his heterosexual masculine identity. (See "Gender-Affirmative Therapy Can Help.")

By the way, you should be aware that, out of "political correctness" and acquiescence to pro-gay activists, the American Psychological Association and other major professional psychological associations strongly discourage any kind of therapy other than "gay affirmative" therapy designed to remove guilt and shame about being gay or having sex with men. But progressive therapists -- especially those who do not belong to gay-affirming professional groups -- still invite the client to determine the course of his own therapy and will support him in healing his same-sex gender pain in healthy, heterosexual ways rather than medicating it homosexually.

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