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Humanistic Psychology, Same-Sex Attraction, And Safe Spaces, Edwin E. Gantt, Jeffrey L. Thayne

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

In this paper, we explore the concept of a genuinely “safe space,” what it might mean, and how such a concept is usually understood in both the discipline of psychology and the larger culture. Further, we explore some of the potential pitfalls that must be avoided in seeking to establish a “safe space” for members of the LDS Church who experience same-sex attraction (SSA) that is in harmony with the restored gospel. We will argue that one of the most serious potential threats to any effort to create a genuinely safe space for Church members who experience SSA is to …