Change The Counseling; Change The Culture

Currently, counseling demands affirming people’s LGBTQ identity. But some individuals want therapists who can help them break away from that identity.

Yehezkel Schiff | August 23, 2026

The first stop for young people questioning their gender or sexual identity is most often a counselor. Two questions: 1) Should a young person with moral or religious convictions be able to receive supportive counseling in pursuing a traditional life path? 2) Should counseling programs be allowed to train therapists to help those who want to pursue a traditional life path without jeopardizing their accreditation?

Given the enormous increase in the number of young people who are self-identifying as LGBTQ and the influence of these counselors on our young people, providing clients with free choice is crucial.

Counseling is supposed to help clients pursue their own goals. Yet, what happens if a young person says to a therapist, “I don’t want to embrace an LGBTQ identity. I want to live according to my religious or moral beliefs”? Will the therapist be able to help?

Will the therapist feel pressure from the state licensing board and decline to assist or try to guide the young person to accept an LGBTQ identity?

There is plenty of business for therapists these days, as almost thirty percent of U.S. Gen Z women (ages 18–27) are self-identifying as LGBTQ, and there are higher percentages for both sexes at elite universities (Gallup 2024). According to the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ crisis hotline, roughly half of those who are questioning their sexual identity or gender have therapists.

Because of their perceived expertise, these therapists have tremendous influence over clients as they try to decide........

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