This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Generalrelative (talk | contribs) at 04:08, 31 August 2023 (→Expulsion from the ACA: Rm WP:SYNTH. Cohen is not mentioned in the 2017 statement. Implying that it had anything to do with him by including it here violates WP:BLP. We would need an independent, secondary source to do so.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:08, 31 August 2023 by Generalrelative (talk | contribs) (→Expulsion from the ACA: Rm WP:SYNTH. Cohen is not mentioned in the 2017 statement. Implying that it had anything to do with him by including it here violates WP:BLP. We would need an independent, secondary source to do so.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Richard A. Cohen | |
---|---|
File:Richard Cohen TTT book cover photo.jpg | |
Born | (1952-10-15) October 15, 1952 (age 72) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
Alma mater | Boston University Antioch University |
Spouse | Jae Sook Cohen (1980–present) |
Children | 3 |
Richard A. Cohen (born 1952) is a Christian psychotherapist and author associated with the ex-gay movement. He is a co-founder of Positive Approaches to Healthy Sexuality (previously Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality) which offers discredited conversion therapy practices of changing a persons attractions from homosexual to heterosexual. In 2002, Cohen was expelled from the American Counseling Association for multiple violations. He is author of Alfie's Home, a children's book which depicts homosexuality as a reversible condition. He gained significant attention after demonstrating his ex-gay touch therapy on The Daily Show, which included cuddling with men.
Biography
Cohen was born into a Jewish family in Philadelphia. While attending Boston University, he became an evangelical Christian, and later joined the Unification Church. In 1980, Cohen married Jae Sook, a South Korean woman, and in 1995, Cohen and his family left the Unification Church. During adolescence, Cohen reportedly spent "years in intensive psychiatric treatment unsuccessfully trying to become straight".
Cohen identified as gay during his undergraduate years at Boston University. He sought counseling for his unwanted same-sex attractions. He says he has been heterosexual since 1987, to which he credits resolution of underlying issues. He then became involved in the ex-gay movement.
Cohen received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Boston University and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Antioch University.
Cohen appeared in Wayne Bensen's book Anything But Straight, which documents Cohen's involvement in the ex-gay movement and his affairs with men even as he publicly portrayed himself as a married "former homosexual".
Expulsion from the ACA
In 2002, Cohen was expelled from the American Counseling Association (ACA). He did not appeal the ACA decision.
Media appearances
Cohen was interviewed by Jason Jones on the March 19, 2007, episode of The Daily Show. He gained significant media attention for demonstrating cuddling with men and hitting pillows as a method for curing homosexuality.
Cohen was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on June 28, 2006, was interviewed on The Rachel Maddow Show on December 8, 2009, and was on The Michelangelo Signorile Show on the Sirius radio network on April 17, 2010.
Books
Cohen has self-published books under his own PATH Press:
- Cohen, Richard A; Elizabeth Sherman. Alfie's Home (1993) ISBN 978-0-9637058-0-8, self-published.
- Cohen, Richard. Coming Out Straight: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction Third Edition (2016) ISBN 978-0-9637058-8-4, PATH Press,
- Cohen, Richard. Gay Children, Straight Parents: A Plan for Family Healing (2016) ISBN 978-0-9637058-6-0, PATH Press.
- Cohen, Richard. Straight Talk About Homosexuality (2016) ISBN 978-0-9637058-9-1, PATH Press,
- Cohen, Richard. Healing Humanity: Time, Touch and Talk (2019) ISBN 978-1-7338469-0-5, PATH Press
- Cohen, Richard. Being Gay: Nature, Nurture or Both? (2020) ISBN 978-1-7338469-2-9, PATH Press
References
- "PATH". web.archive.org. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Boodman, Sandra G. (2005-08-16). "A Conversion Therapist's Unusual Odyssey". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Richard Cohen's Cynical Makeover". Falls Church News-Press Online. 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
- ^ Besen, Wayne R. (2003). Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-gay Myth. Psychology Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-1-56023-446-3.
- Blue, Miranda (2013-02-01). "Will the Supreme Court read the most horrific children's book of all time?". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Cuddling the gay away". Salon. 2011-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
- "Richard Cohen". GLAAD. 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
- "Notification of Results Letter". Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2007., American Counseling Association. Retrieved 04-07-2007.
- ^ "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah".
- "Episode #4.279".
- NBC News Rachel Maddow: Debunking a 'cure' for homosexuality
- Alfie's home by Richard A Cohen; Elizabeth Sherman WorldCat
- Richard Cohen, M. a.; Cohen, Richard M. A. (2016-06-02). Coming Out Straight: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction. ISBN 978-1533598578.
- Cohen, Richard. "Coming Out Straight: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction".
- Cohen, Richard (2016-02-19). Gay Children, Straight Parents: A Plan for Family Healing. ISBN 978-1530156641.
- Cohen, Richard. "Gay Children, Straight Parents: A Plan for Family Healing".
- Cohen, Richard (2016-03-21). Straight Talk About Homosexuality. ISBN 978-0963705891.
- Cohen, Richard. "Straight Talk About Homosexuality".
- Cohen, Richard (March 28, 2019). Healing Heterosexuality: Time, Touch and Talk. ISBN 978-1-7338469-0-5.
- Cohen, Richard (2020). Being Gay: Nature, Nurture or Both?. PATH Press. ISBN 978-1-7338469-2-9.
External links
Richard Cohen featured on The Daily Show
Categories: