Conversion therapy - What is that again?

People used to believe that you would fall off the Earth's disk if you sailed too far out. People used to believe that witches would destroy the harvest. People used to believe that the plague was spread by rats. People used to believe that homosexuality was a mental illness. Today, attempts are still being made to "cure" homosexuals by means of conversion therapy.

In conversion therapy, or "reparative therapy", a wide variety of methods are used in an attempt to change a person's innate sexual orientation (anything other than heterosexuality). This can lead to psychological problems that can even end in suicide attempts. Anyone who thinks that this only happens somewhere in America is mistaken. According to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, the Hagiotherapy Center in Graz, for example, offers this form of treatment.

The origins of conversion therapy date back to the 19th century. In 1869, the Berlin psychiatrist and neurologist Carl Westphal published his essay "Das kontrere sexuelle Empfinden". As a result of this work, many doctors and psychologists were concerned with the question of the origins of homosexuality and a possible "cure" for it.

How does conversion therapy work?

The process is very different. What is the same, however, is that the institutions see themselves as saviors and helpers who want to "heal the mind" of those affected. In many cases, the people carrying out the treatment are not trained psychotherapists and are therefore unaware of the psychological damage they are causing with their "treatment".

According to the experience report of an undercover investigation in the therapy center in Graz, she was first supposed to find out what was right and what was wrong through meditation. She was advised to distance herself from her circle of friends and join a sectarian community instead. The decoy was also supposed to suppress her sexual orientation. Instead of concentrating on the broken part of her (her homosexuality), she should focus on what is healthy.

However, there are even more extreme examples of conversion therapy. For example, some victims of this treatment have reported the use of physical violence or food deprivation. The inducement of feelings of guilt or brainwashing are also common practices.

Different types of conversion therapy

The United Nations divides the treatment into three categories.

- Psychotherapeutic

- Medical

- Faith-based

The psychotherapeutic approach is based on the fact that those affected have come to their sexuality through experiences. A separation of the parents, the absence of a parent or too little love and recognition from the guardians could be to blame. Aversion therapy is often used as a therapy here. The aim of this treatment is to change a negative behavior that the patient perceives as positive. This is achieved, among other things, through pain signals, which are intended to deter members of the LGTBQIA community from certain thought and behavior patterns.

The medical form of conversion therapy takes a different approach: here, attempts are made to correct the sexual "disorder" through medication or even surgery. According to globalcitizen.org, there are reports of this in China, where electric shocks have been used for treatment. In India, according to the UN, medicine relies on hormone therapy to "cure" those affected.

There are other methods of correction in belief-based categorization. Here, those affected are accused of lacking morals. They are beaten, insulted, sexually abused and, in extreme cases, exorcism is performed.

For more than thirty years, homosexuality has no longer been considered a mental disorder.

For decades, the World Health Organization has no longer classified love for the same sex as a mental problem. Nevertheless, thousands of people are still being subjected to unnecessary "therapy" according to several studies. The majority of those affected are teenagers and young adults. This treatment can cause lifelong psychological and physical damage. Alcohol abuse or other addictions, difficulties with self-esteem, depression and anxiety are not uncommon after conversion therapies.

Attempted changes to sexual orientation are already prohibited in many countries. Since 1991, homosexuality has no longer been considered a mental disorder by the WHO. Eight years later, Brazil became the first country in the world to ban reparative therapy. Since then, many nations have followed suit, including Germany, Canada, Mexico, France, Taiwan, Ecuador, Israel and most recently Switzerland (November 2025).

There are also critical voices regarding a ban on conversion therapy. For example, the platform gender.at, operated by the "Institute for Marriage and Family", writes that a ban on conversion therapies in Austria is obsolete. "The Psychotherapy Act regulates psychotherapeutic treatments sufficiently". The flip side of a ban is also highlighted on the website. The criticism here is that a ban would also include the accompaniment of sexuality experienced in conflict. The right to freedom of therapy and self-determination would thus be restricted.

Conversion therapy has also made it to the big screen.

More and more films are dealing with this topic. One of the best known is the Netflix documentary "Pray Away". However, the award-winning film "The Therapy" (2021) and "The Prodigal Son" (2018) also provide a good insight into the topic. The Guatemalan film "Temblores" (Shocks) premiered at the Berlinale and was highly acclaimed.