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Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Jr. inherited conversion therapy practices from his father and has considerable influence on the Catholic community. He's been promoted by Lila Rose, the Ruth Institute, Fresh Catholic Podcast, and EWTN. He recently submitted a legal brief about Colorado's conversion therapy ban.
Nicolosi rebranded his efforts as "reintegrative therapy" or "sexual attraction fluidity therapy," claiming his treatments are safe, effective, and backed by research. I examined his legal brief to validate these claims.
Nicolosi cites two studies. The first is a 2021 study by Carolyn Pela and Philip Sutton. The abstract suggests 75 participants were evaluated over two years. But if you examine table three, only 75 participants took part in the first 6 months—only 22 remained for the full 2 years. This isn't made clear in the text.
The study recruited exclusively men who were seeking the outcome it advertised. Men actively seeking changes rated their sexual thoughts over two years. The shifts for those 22 were hardly significant—less than a one-point change on a five-point scale. Between 18-24 months, participants saw reduction in opposite-sex attraction and increase in same-sex attraction. The study has exclusively men and cannot make claims about general human sexuality.
The 2024 study Nicolosi relies on was conducted by himself and Jacek Szandula. I searched for Szandula and found he was likely an economics professor with no mental health credentials. The study examined memory reconsolidation for unwanted sexually arousing memories with 144 students. All groups reported decrease in arousal related to memories. This shows promise for treating traumatic memories but has NOT been found effective to promote sexual fluidity.
The study states "generalizability for women is limited because nearly 90% of participants were male." Given Nicolosi uses this to support claims that reintegrative therapy is generally helpful, he's misrepresenting his own work.
These studies illustrate why one should be skeptical of Nicolosi, the Reintegrative Therapy Association, ATCSI, and the Journal of Human Sexuality.
00:00 Introduction: Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Jr.'s Influence
01:17 Two Studies Nicolosi Uses to Defend Conversion Therapy
03:00 The 2021 Study: Only 22 of 75 Participants Remained
05:48 The Study Recruited Men Seeking the Advertised Outcome
07:07 Less Than One-Point Change on a Five-Point Scale
07:32 The 2024 Study: Co-Author Was an Economics Professor
09:47 The Study Shows Promise for Trauma Treatment, Not Sexual Fluidity
10:15 Nicolosi Is Misrepresenting His Own Work
