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

Extending the statute of limitations for malpractice claims arising from conversion therapy is squarely consistent with Chiles. —Kris Fair, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026

The church offers a conversion therapy-like deliverance ceremony that’s led to Ryan (Clausen) being fully haunted by this shape-shifting menace, and so, of course, Naim is next. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026

The court expresses its worry that Colorado was barring conversion therapy for effectively political reasons. —Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2026

Dibble said the bills this year provide further clarification about what does and doesn't qualify as conversion therapy. —Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026

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