Statement on Conversion Therapy
In 2019, the Colorado Counseling Association (CCA) assisted with the drafting of and subsequently testified in support of HB19-1129, which prohibits licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors in Colorado. Conversion therapy refers to practices aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging Colorado's 2019 law. The Colorado Counseling Association (CCA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) are actively engaged in tracking this case.
The 2019 law is being challenged on the grounds that it violates counselors' First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion, asserting that it restricts their ability to provide counseling consistent with their own and their clients' religious beliefs and conscience.
Lower courts have upheld Colorado's law, determining that it regulates professional conduct rather than speech. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit concluded that the law serves legitimate state interests in protecting minors from potentially harmful practices and maintaining the integrity of the mental health profession.
Colorado is among more than 20 states that have enacted bans on conversion therapy for minors, reflecting a broader national debate on the practice. Major mental health organizations, including the American Counseling Association, have criticized conversion therapy as ineffective and potentially harmful.
The Supreme Court's decision to hear this case could have significant implications for similar laws nationwide, particularly concerning the balance between state regulations and First Amendment rights. Oral arguments have begun as of October 2025, and a decision from the Supreme Court is anticipated by June 2026.
The CCA joins and affirms the ACA's statement denouncing conversion therapy:
"Conversion therapy practices aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity have been unequivocally discredited by the medical and public health community. Leading organizations, including the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), have issued clear statements warning that conversion therapy is not evidence-based and poses serious health risks."
The CCA attends monthly meetings with the advocacy branch of the ACA and is working to support their efforts. The ACA is currently working to support congressional efforts to categorize conversion therapy as a fraudulent practice and prevent financial transactions related to it. You can learn more about the ACA's efforts here.