Homosexual Counselling and ECT

"It's wrong… it's totally unacceptable. I'm an example of the enormous damage that it can do to people." The 71-year-old former Baptist minister is a survivor of a practice once believed to rid patients of their same-sex attraction. 

Yet 'Electroconvulsive Therapy' (ECT) is used to treat a number of psychiatric conditions. ECT has been shown to be a very effective treatment. For uncomplicated severe depression, evidence suggests at least an 80% improvement. However, not all patients improve at the same rate, as with all forms of medical treatment. It is important to note that generally, it will take around 4 to 5 treatments before you will feel an improvement in your symptoms. 

One patient reports: Years after first refusing it, ECT gave me a chance at life. I grasped this opportunity and I continually try to make the most of it. I will always have dark days, weeks or maybe months but I feel stronger than I have ever felt. My confidence and self-esteem has slowly developed but I still have a long way to go. My self-doubt always manages to show through, but I try to fight it.

Mr Smith received a different treatment in 1976 recommended by his psychotherapist who knew Mr Smith was gay.

Treating a 'mental disorder'

The American Psychiatric Association was pressured by external forces to remove homosexuality from its official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973. Many disagreed. Many who disagreed resigned.

Kathy Baldock, LGBTIQ advocate and author of Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Repairing the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community, says states incorrectly that the sin of same-sex attraction can't be healed. Whereas the scripture is clear regarding positive steps to stop lust and immoral opposite-sex attraction to those who are single, married or divorced. This would also apply to the sin of homosexuality. Homosexual activist have this myopic view that the sin of homosexuality should be isolated from every other sin stated in Romans 1 and be treated as normal, healthy lifestyle. Why just the one sin?

The delisting of homosexuality as a mental disorder was a situation forced upon the APA by external and a few internal gay advocates in the 1970s. 

Ms Baldock believes that genuine science should overrule dodgy religious practical and cruel EST used on homosexuals and others. 

What is EST? The once-controversial treatment, formerly known as electroshock therapy, pushes electric currents through patients' brains, intentionally giving them seizures for brief periods. ... It is legal in the United States, though it's illegal to give it to patients younger than 16 in Texas and Colorado.For most people, these memory problems usually improve within a couple of months after treatment ends. Physical side effects. On the days of an ECT treatment, some people experience nausea, headache, jaw pain or muscle ache. These generally can be treated with medications. 

But once gay advocates forced the APA to change homosexuality from being a mental health issue to a normla lifestlye ....wooska EST was now the enemy who tried to change them. Gay advocates believe they are normal and need no treatment, no counselling, just laws to force others to accept their lifestyle choice.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock therapy, and often referred to as shock treatment, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients to provide relief from mental disorders. So once gays were no longer viewed as mental health candidates the treatment stopped. Gay are now left in their lifestlye choice. Those who wish to escape can no longer exit this lifestlye with counselling being banned in many states.

What Ms Baldock refuses to acknowledge or mention that the delisting of homosexuality as a mental disorder by the APA was voted on.  

THE APA VOTED ON HOMOSEXUALITY AS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE

You don't vote on science. Voting clearly implies division caused by gay advocates. She also fails to mention that the APA split into two groups - one group for homosexuality being a lifestyle choice the other a mental health issue. 

Ms Baldock then accuses Christian churches who refuse to recognise same-sex attraction as an acceptable form of human behaviour - that all homosexuals are treated as demon possessed. 

Whereas, most Christian Churches view homosexuality as a sin, and the gay lifestyle as a sinful lifestyle choice driven by sexual lust. 

Ms Baldock's research lacks credibility. Mr Smith said, during his theological training at a Baptist College in the 1970s he met a female student who would later become his wife. "Being married was a huge realisation [that] I'd made a very big mistake. I'd taken a vow until death does us part, I was never going to be able to get out of it."  Mr Smith's wife has suffered from multiple sclerosis for the past 23 years. She hasn't been able to stand for many years, and he's her full-time carer. "I know carer fatigue and carer burnout really well, looking after my wife, but by far the biggest issue is living out a lie," he says.

Scripture is very clear in Romans that once a person begins to believe these sexual lie of homosexuality their thinking and hearts become darkened. They claim to be wise but they become fools. This is very sad to observe in this man.

When your thinking becomes darkened and your lifestyle choice forced God to remove Holy Spirit restraints - you make the following confusing self-serving non-biblical statements: 

"Now I'm out generally to people, and I'm proud of the fact now that I'm gay. Staying married to my wife is living out a lie, and it's a huge issue even after 47 years, but as I said I will never leave her, I will care for her as long as I physically can."

The Victorian Liberal Party discuss the "counselling out of same-sex attraction or gender transitioning". What this means is that those who wish to leave the homosexual lifestyle should be free to do so without recriminations. They should be free to access health practioners to assist them out.

The motion, which came from a branch of the Australian Victorian Young Liberals linked to veteran federal MP Kevin Andrews, called for the party's state council to discuss amending the Health Complaints Act. While the motion was blocked by the president of the Victorian Liberal Party, Michael Kroger, its ripples are still being felt.

"I get very disappointed and very, very annoyed that people think it's appropriate in these days to treat gays for any reason like that," Mr Smith says.

But Smith has no right to demand that others should not receive help to leave the homosexual lifestyle. 

The counselling organisation, Exodus International, formally disbanded in 2013.

The organisation, which at its peak had more than 250 ministries in the United States and Canada, and 150 in other parts of the world, promoted "ex-gay" counselling and was very successful for many while others walked away convinced they couldn't change. 

Ten years ago, Liam Webb became involved in a sub-set of Exodus International on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

"I was given a counsellor ... I had to read through a book called Journey to Manhood, and we would pray and allow God to change our hearts and lives. Being the Pentecostal as I was then, I thought that anything was possible in healing, including this. I was taught how to protect myself from homosexual lust like any other Christian who seeks to avoid sexual lust."

According to Ms Baldock, counselling techniques, as promoted by Exodus International and similar organisations, were built upon clinically disproven psychological theories from the 1950s until the 1970s. Baldock shows little evidence of this claim then seeks to discredit Moberly education. Baldock also completely rejects the gospel healing power for people and that upon repentance lives can be transformed. 

Mr Webb says his experience with ex-gay ministries made him feel "ashamed" of his same-sex orientation. But he is confused. The shame is the sin of homosexuality. To dispose of this shame which draws people to repentance of their sin, he went to find a gay affirming church. Problem solved.


Liam Webb then laments that the sin of homosexuality just like the sin of adultery unless confesses removes you from active Christian ministry. 

"You're told you're not safe to be around children, you're told that you can never enter into youth ministry. They tell you that you are subordinate to straight men, Christian or not — you are less than them and you shouldn't be in roles of leadership either until you're healed of your homosexuality."

What he has been told is true. The scripture is very clear that any church leader must live a holy life and not be deceived thinking their immoral sexual activity is acceptable to God. 

After embracing his immoral homosexuality at the age of 22, Mr Webb found the homosexual Uniting Church community. He is now a leader of The Reformation Project, a bible-based support group for LGBTIQ Christians. Many Christians would now call such a ministry as apostate outside the will of God. For Mr Webb it brings a false assurance and acceptance.