Ex-Gays?: A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation

by Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse

Is it possible to be an ex gay? Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse present social science research on homosexuality designed to answer the questions: Can those who receive religiously-informed psychotherapy experience a change in their sexual orientation? Are such programs harmful to participants? The results show that outcomes for this kind of religiously-informed psychotherapy are similar to outcomes of therapy for other psychological problems...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 083082846X
• ISBN13: 9780830828463
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Length: 414 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book

This is an excellent book on a topic that needs such research. It's good to see that there is hope for someone struggling with homosexuality and who desires to come out of that lifestyle.

Psychological Research on Religious Counseling

Authors Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse in "Ex-gays?" present the most thorough longitudinal study to date addressing whether Christian counseling intervention can successfully help motivated individuals to alter aspects of their sexual orientation. Their five-year longitudinal study provides evidenced-based documentation sets the standard for future work in this controversial field. Whether others agree or not philosophically, the "ball is in their court" to reexamine the politically driven, politically correct dogma that homosexual orientation is immutable and that restorative therapy is harmful. Jones and Yarhouse make a substantial contribution to this oft-debated area of psychological research. Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., LCPC, author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and "Beyond the Suffering."

GREAT BOOK ... Conviction does not equal bias

Jones & Yarhouse have done the research community -- and all who are seriously interested in the homosexual-legitimacy question -- a great service. This is a rigorous, well-planned, and thoroughly documented study. As far as the comments concerning Dr. Rekers' review, though Rekers may have conservative views concerning sexuality, that does not of necessity require him to be bias, prejudiced, or bigoted. Moreover, the same accusation could be leveled at those who are promoting the homosexual agenda. What's true of the goose is also true of the gander. This is an excellent book, and one worthy of your time and money.

Best scientific study available on sexual re-orientation

This is clearly the best scientific study yet conducted on change of homosexual orientation and on the question as to whether attempts at such change are inherently harmful. My academic peer review found this investigation to be the most rigorous, well-designed empirical study to date on these questions. This study meets the high research standards set by the American Psychological Association that individuals be validly assessed, followed, and reported over time with a prospective, longitudinal outcome research design. Using well-accepted, standard psychological measures, Jones and Yarhouse found solid evidence that homosexual orientation can be significantly changed. And their careful scientific search found no evidence that spiritual or psychological harm directly results from attempting such change. Because so many secular psychologists and psychiatrists mistakenly assumed the opposite of these clear scientific findings, this groundbreaking scientific study sets a new landmark in the field of therapeutic change for unwanted homosexual orientation. Given the practical constraints facing any scientist for these research questions Jones and Yarhouse employed a prospective and longitudinal research design that measures up to widely-accepted professional standards. This study's authors are cautious, basing their conclusions only on systematically gathered and appropriately analyzed scientific data. Jones and Yarhouse assessed individuals who met fairly rigorous standards of "homosexualness," using every established measure of sexual orientation that has empirical support in past scientific research as well standard psychological measures of distress and spirituality that are among the best currently available. This study demonstrates with convincing scientific evidence that the Christian ministry interventions of Exodus International produced strong and clinically meaningful changes in homosexual orientation in a large percentage of individuals. Furthermore this careful clinical research investigation of a significant number of individuals yielded no evidence to support the common assumption that attempts to change sexual orientation causes harm or psychological distress. --George A. Rekers, Ph.D., FAACP Distinguished Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science Emeritus University of South Carolina School of Medicine