In the same Washington Blade article as the post below, Warren Throckmorton weights in on the risk of unlicensed programs such as Love In Action which combine ministry and “treatment.” (Tenn. opens new probe of ‘ex-gay’ facility, Washington Blade, by Eartha Melzer, July 01, 2005.) Oddly the Blade choses to paraphrase and not directly quote Throckmorton even though writer Eartha Melzer interviewed him. I verified this with Melzer and Throckmorton via email today.

Article excerpt:

[Throckmorton] believes that Love in Action is mixing ministry with treatment and that people can be damaged by sexual reorientation therapies offered by unprofessional practitioners.

Throckmorton emphasized that while a parent might compel a teen to attend church, a professional counselor is bound to obtain informed consent from a client and should not treat a minor solely because his parents are upset about his sexual orientation.

Love in Action advertises a therapeutic environment in which professional counselors help people overcome “addictive behaviors including homosexuality.”

Via email correspondence today I asked Throckmorton about the paraphrasing and he replied that it was essentially accurate but:

I said, LIA MAY BE [bold added] mixing ministry with treatment. I don’t know that for sure, but it seems that there is some mixing of these terms in their public statements.

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