Supporting LGBTQA+ peoples’ recovery from sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts

Objective This paper reports on a critical survivor-driven study exploring how Australian lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTQA+) adults attempt recovery from religious Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Expression Change Efforts (SOGIECE), what supports they find useful in this process. The privileged the communal lens of self-titled survivors perspectives through its reference group, applied Bronfenbrenner’s psycho-social lens, an effort to ensure research used by psychologists was for with rather than them.Method Qualitative data SOGIECE survivor experiences collected using two focus groups interviews including total 35 aged 18+ years.Results Findings suggested that post-SOGIECE recoveries were more successful if experience three provisions: people who are affirming whom be freely themselves – especially health mental practitioners, family friends, support groups; considerable time internal motivation enable effective; conflicting aspects identities beliefs reconciled ways foreground survivors’ autonomy their reconstruction.Conclusions need plans consider complexities at all levels ecology development; diversify exposure ideas levels. Mental practitioners should careful therapies, recalling likely experienced past abusive therapies/therapy dynamics.Key PointsWhat is already known about topic: People exposed (SOGIECE) increased risk many conditions.People self-harm suicide.SOGIECE distinct treatment considerations distinguishing ‘pathology’ SOGIECE’s ‘negative effects’, challenging social conformity-drives.What topic adds: community (re)building aid confluent own faith goals avoiding conformity therapists’ (faith-negative/faith-positive) ideals.SOGIECE different phases processes, do developmental work discussing reconciling dualities identities, (re)engagements.Support approaches resources closely aligned presented emphasised initial decision-making, these could later vary across treatment.