Psychotherapist Lesley Pilkington, who offers treatment for people with “a homosexual problem”, is due to appear before a professional conduct panel this week. Her methods were revealed by undercover journalist Patrick Strudwick after he asked her for help in overcoming his homosexuality.

Pilkington is one of several UK-based conversion therapists who draw upon fundamentalist Christian values in offering treatment to change sexual orientation. In a recent interview with the Sunday Telegraph she argued that, “everybody is heterosexual but some people have a homosexual problem”.

Pilkington has accused Strudwick of entrapment. She is being defended by the Christian Legal Centre, which says that she was “lied to and misrepresented” after being deliberately targeted by gay activists.

It is possible that Pilkington could lose her accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy following her appearance at the professional conduct panel. Conversion therapy is believed to be harmful by professional bodies such as the British Medical Association.

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