04/02/2026
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Chiles v. Salazar sides with a counselor challenging Colorado's ban on conversion therapy. In its 8-1 ruling, the Court declared that talk therapy is "pure speech" protected by the First Amendment, rather than professional conduct subject to regulation. It rejected Colorado's argument that the law governs professional actions, not speech, and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state's law until further lower court rulings.
Conversion therapy is no longer practiced by credible, licensed healthcare providers. It is ineffective and potentially harmful. It has been denounced by every respected healthcare professional organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and American Psychological Association.
The ruling that talk therapy is simply speech is a naive understanding of the patient/clinician relationship. Professional organizations require clinicians to follow ethical codes to prevent harm to patients. Clinicians follow best-practice guidelines to deliver services that are proven effective. Under this ruling, a therapist can recommend anything regardless how harmful it is, and not be held accountable for their actions because "its just speech."
I am glad I am near the end of my career. I am sad to watch the erosion of healthcare delivery as politicians and judges, with no training in healthcare, make life threatening decisions about how the general public receives services and which services can be delivered. We cannot assume licensed healthcare providers are practicing as they were trained. Do your research before scheduling an appointment with any healthcare provider.
