conversion therapy

noun

plural conversion therapies

: the use of any of various methods (such as aversive stimulation or religious counseling) in an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual or to change a person's gender identity to correspond to the sex the person was identified as having at birth

Note: Conversion therapy is generally regarded as having no scientific basis and as being both ineffective and harmful.

Conversion therapy is both pointless and painful. At its best, it can inflict considerable psychological damage on a child without changing their sexual orientation or gender identity whatsoever. At its worst, it can lead to suicide …

—Samantha Allen

Momentum has been building in legislative sessions this spring for the bans, which prohibit state-licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy for anyone under 18.

—Susan Miller

called also reparative therapy

Examples of conversion therapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Alito also went on to cast doubt on the reliability of medical experts, who overwhelmingly report that conversion therapy carries lasting harm and trauma. —Samantha Riedel, Them., 8 Oct. 2025

Advertisement The arguments against conversion therapy aren’t about attacking religion or silencing free speech. —Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, Time, 8 Oct. 2025

Continue reading … STRUCK DOWN – Supreme Court skeptical of 'conversion therapy' law banning treatment for LGBTQ+ youth. —FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025

The point of contention with the law stems from whether the conversion therapy ban amounts to viewpoint discrimination, something Severino believes the Colorado law unconstitutionally does. —Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conversion therapy

• immunotherapy
• pharmacotherapy
• physiotherapy
• radiotherapy
• brachytherapy
• chemotherapy
• cryotherapy
• hydrotherapy
• hypnotherapy
• monotherapy
• phototherapy
• psychotherapy