Statement from The International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice

Nov 20, 2019 by Jill

The International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC) has met for its 2-day 5th Annual Conferen ce in Budapest, Hungary, concluding today 17th November 2019 with Country Representatives and attenders from 23 Nations.The IFTCC’s Executive and General Board will continue to declare to our governments, local authorities, human rights organisationsand media institutions i,ii,iii,iv,v,vi,vii that everyone should have the freedom and right to walk away from sexual experiences and practices they find unfulfilling,and have support to do so. In addition, everyone should have the freedom and right to live according to their values and beliefs that bring them happiness.Further, everyone should have the freedom and right to seek to reduce sexual or gender feelings or behaviours in order to preserve their marriage and family, so that they may go on being lifetime mothers and fathers as they desire.No one should take these freedoms and rights away from them. They, not politicians or activists in mental health guilds, should make their own choices.

We therefore object to ongoing discrimination against persons formerly gay-or transgender-identified, who have, or will in the future seek professional counselling or pastoral help to assist their transition from unwanted behaviours and feelings. We repudiate the deceitful political campaign waged increasingly across mental health bodies which labels all such support for this population group as “Conversion Therapy”, and instances of “homo-trans-phobic” hate-speech–itself bullying language. We will stand with this population in our objection to ongoing discrimination, coercion and bullying against them.

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