Counseling, by its very nature, is value-laden, and the process and results are greatly influenced by both the therapist’s and the client’s worldview. One critical question that must be asked is what to do when there appears to be a conflict of values related to the therapeutic process.

How should a treatment provider respond if a client seeks therapy because his or her behavior is incongruent with their deeply held spiritual or religious values, and those values appear to take precedent above all others? Which set of values is more valid? Should the client have the autonomy to make that decision? The ethical answer to the last question is an unequivocal “Yes!” 

The Supreme Court's rare 8-1 decision on March 31 in Chiles v. Salazar regarding Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors (adults are not subject to the restriction) brings this very issue to the forefront and demands that we be prepared to face this dilemma in Christian counseling. The case reached the Court after Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist, challenged the state law, arguing it placed undue restrictions on the widespread practice of “talk therapy” with her clients.

The majority opinion, authored by Justice Gorsuch, concluded that the ban, in essence, silenced diverse viewpoints and hindered access to supportive counseling, and therefore likely violated the First Amendment free speech rights for mental health practitioners. The actual efficacy or harm of conversion therapy was not addressed. Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar regulatory legislation, and the ruling will almost certainly have a wider impact (triggering additional lawsuits) while setting a higher legal bar on how free speech is viewed when it also relates to professional conduct.

Sometimes referred to as “reparative therapy,” conversion therapy pertains to a set of broad practices with a focus on changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, typically from gay, lesbian, or transgender, to heterosexual or cisgender (matching one’s sex as assigned at birth). A similar approach that also addresses same........

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