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Volume 11 - 2020
​
Serving Clients with Unwanted Same-Sex Attraction and Behavior as Catholics: A Qualitative Study,
pages 15-23 DOI:
AUTHOR
Philip M. Sutton, Ph.D. (South Bend, Indiana)
ABSTRACT
Fourteen Catholic mental and medical healthcare professionals known by the author through his involvement with them in activities sponsored by one or more professional organizations and/or Catholic ministry responded to a questionnaire asking how their Catholic faith influences their service to persons with unwanted same-sex attraction and behavior. This paper summarizes the respondents’ comments regarding how they find that the Catholic worldview is a positive resource for their practice, what therapeutic theoretical orientations guide and techniques are used in their practice, what spiritual/religious and other resources and activities they recommend that their clients or patients practice along with receiving their professional care, and how they respond differently to persons of non-Catholic Christian, other, and no religious faith. The respondents’ comments are discussed in light of the professional ethical principles to “do no harm,” “do good,” and respect clients’ right to practice religious faith as they determine.
Keywords: same-sex attraction, psychotherapy, ethics, Catholicism, psychological/spiritual integration
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