About

The United States Joint Statement (USJS) is a pioneering educational partnership denouncing “conversion therapy” and espousing affirmative treatment. It does several very important things. First and foremost it unites the major national medical and psychological associations in escalating to a national level how very harmful conversion efforts are. The USJS also sets training goals and responsibilities for unbiased treatment for sexual and gender minority patients who might otherwise be subjected to conversion efforts. People who undergo conversion efforts suffer from a higher incidence of depression, suicidality, anxiety, alienation and other problems.

The USJS is modeled after a similar 2015 partnership in the United Kingdom. It inspired psychologist Guy Albert and psychotherapist Jim Walker to launch a similar initiative in the United States. With the help of a few volunteer advisors, they started the largest national educational partnership against “conversion therapy.”

Guy Albert, Ph.D.

Licensed Psychologist and Jungian Analyst.

USJS Co-Founder and Director of Partnership Enrollment

For the past 5 years, the USJS has been drawing the major national healthcare associations out of their individual institutional efforts and uniting them in the largest systemic educational partnership against “conversion therapy.” The American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and 15 other leading health provider associations have already joined this partnership. A half dozen more major national associations are in communication about signing on.

When completed the USJS will support national ethical licensing and treatment standards and advance education that will protect sexual and gender minorities. The USJS will be the most comprehensive bulwark protecting patients against “conversion therapy.”

The USJS is a grassroots collaborative started and directed by Guy and Jim and guided by the following advisors: Eileen Blumenthal, Sand Chang, Nathaniel Frank, Jamison Green, and Amorie Robinson.

The USJS is possible because of the support of many champions within the partnering associations and from the generous funding of the members of Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender & Sexual Diversity.  Donations to the USJS are processed by the USJS’s 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, the SF LGBT Center https://give.sfcenter.org/usjs.

Read the current version of the full initiative at USJS: Current Draft.