Patrick McAlvey: 'I Was Harmed By 'Ex-Gay' Therapy

Patrick McAlvey entered therapy to change his sexual orientation at the age of 19. His former counselor, Mike Jones, is currently the director of Corduroy Stone, an affiliate of Exodus International.

He originally met Jones after he spoke at a Church youth ministry, while McAlvey was still in Middle School. The two connected years later, after McAlvey returned to Lansing.

McAlvey says that his sessions with Jones included prolonged hugs, the suggestion that he use handyman tools to increase his masculinity and questions about the size of his genitalia. There was also an episode of holding therapy where he reclined into the lap of his supposedly ex-gay counselor for an hour. The goal, according to McAlvey, was to get comfortable with his own manliness by "feeling the strength" and "smelling the smell" of another man.

Today, McAlvey is "out" and has accepted his sexual orientation

"I think it does a lot of damage to peoples mental health, said McAlvey. If I had had a fair representation (of gay life) I could have avoided a lot of suffering."

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[operbathosa]

Patrick. This person was using you for his own fantasy, and trying to gain your confidence by these bonding and closeness exercises. The questions he was asking you was conditioning behaviour in order for you to respect his authority and trust him, regardless of damage it did to you: it has traumatised your belief system and you are afraid of gay men, and perhapes men who show any sign of closeness to you. This creep has damaged you. But, you have your voice and you have spoken.

[jihadxarif]

to cute to be taken from us

[florentinog02]

I'm sorry when through a lot this exgay therapy I will praying tonite so God help your trauma God Bless

[sviula]

For those who are afraid of being themselves and seek for change, I must say: Be proud of yourselves and celebrate life and love your own way. Please, take a look at silde share. I can share the link. Search for Sergio Viula and access 'In Search of Myself',

Hugs!

[iruparatso]

What this man did to Patrick is no different than what a child molester does.

[ffairlane57]

I was harmed by ex-lefthandedness therapy.

My parents wanted a son who was righthanded, and somehow they thought I was an abomination in the eyes of God.

I even begged and pleaded them and told him that Paul McCartney played bass left handed, and they insisted that the Beatles was music of the Devil.

[BlueKeyNotesTen]

I can't believe we have ex-gay camps. If America gets more retarded I'm moving to fucking Canada. Americans are so fucking stupid. Why do we even worry about people being gay? Theres people starving, dying, and suffering everyday. Instead we focus our efforts in stuff that isn't even an issue.

[julesario]

Christians are afraid to use cock to cock because they only climax in their bibles

[romperstompist]

Wats the name of the song at the end?

[thepowrof1]

I think Patrick is handsome and intelligent. If he lived in my town I would take him out to dinner and later have him meet my Grandma. That so-called counselor he saw for treatment should have been reported to the state.

[BananaSandwich1]

therapist - the rapist

[poofsplat]

That's a sad but happy ending story. It's a shame that wonderful people like this get taken advance of all the time. Places and people like Mike is what's wrong with society. You are who you are no matter what, we should all love one another with out condition.