Issued by the International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC)
Press Release
For Immediate Release
25 July 2024
GLOBAL CONFERENCE FOR THERAPISTS HELPING CLIENTS WITH UNWANTED
SAME-SEX ATTRACTION/GENDER DYSPHORIA TO BE HELD IN PRIVATE LOCATION
A LONDON Christian counselling body, which promotes qualified, experienced therapy for clients with unwanted same-sex attraction and gender identity distress is to host over 200 therapists, counsellors and medics from over 30 countries at a conference in Poland later this year.
The International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC) advocates for the rights and freedoms of individuals to seek and to receive professional and pastoral help to live according to their primary values concerning their sexual identity and practises.
Dr Mike Davidson, founder and CEO of the IFTCC said: “Current political ideology in the West to ban therapeutic choice stifles open debate about professional therapy and pastoral care. Often, research being presented to politicians is based on biased findings only citing views from LGBT-identified and practicing individuals, then highly generalised to be ‘the position’ by a so-called ‘gay community’. But in doing so, the existence and views of persons who experience same sex attractions, or unwanted gender dysphoria, but do not identity as LGBT, are not recognized.
We also live in a West in which ‘Essentialist fundamentalism’, the idea that sexuality is innate and immutable continues to be promoted by progressives as the only way to understand sexuality. The language of ‘orientation’ similarly continues to be promoted and uncritically embraced as a fixed, inherited, and unchangeable reality, by both Church and State. And now, some Christians promote a new anthropology wherein LGBT+ identity is embraced as part of the Creative Order.
“The question for hundreds of therapists, counsellors and church leaders in the West, therefore, is ‘how do we enter Into the Wind and respond to these challenges?’ Re-affirming purpose by reconnecting sexuality and gender is an important start; understanding attachment, and the role of community is vital as we serve those seeking help. This conference will equip therapists to start to do that, and IFTCC’s on-going research and education council will continue to support our members in their individual professional contexts.”
Speakers already confirmed for the conference include: Dr Szymon Grzelak (Poland) researcher and practitioner with 30 years of experience in the prevention of youth sexual risk behaviour and other youth problems; Dr Mercy Connors(USA) Licensed Professional Counsellor; Director of Program Development and Professional Relations American Association of Christian Counsellors; Dr Shannae Anderson (USA) Director of Psychology, and Co-director of Ethics and Advocacy for the American Association of Christian Counsellors; and Dr Rosaria Butterfield (USA) Writer, speaker, homemaker, a former tenured professor of English at Syracuse University who has written extensively about her former life as a lesbian activist and queer theorist.
Following the conference videos of the main Plenary, and other workshops will be available on the IFTCC website for other therapists to access. Associated scientific and therapy papers will also be uploaded.
The media will be offered interview opportunities as the conference processes with key speakers. Journalists are invited to register interest at media@iftcc.org
For further details of the October conference, visit 10th ANNUAL IFTCC CONFERENCE, 2024 | IFTCC.ORG
Click here for a downloadable PDF version of this statement on IFTCC Archives
ENDS
For further information/interview:
Dr Mike Davidson +44 7833098998
IFTCC Chairman
For further media help: media@iftcc.org
