The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) has issued a position statement on reparative therapy in context of its overall statement regarding the threapeutic treatment of homosexual patients. APsaA's Committee on Issues in Homosexuality, chaired by Susan Vaughan, M.D., New York, NY has spearheaded the development of this position statement.
The APsaA has also closely examined the issue of homophobia
"The goal of psychoanalysis is to help a patient understand issues and feelings of which he or she is not aware of (unconscious factors). By understanding these unconscious factors the patient can better decide how to live his or her life.
Psychoanalytic technique does not include directed efforts towards changing anyone's identity, relationships to particular people, or lifestyle. Rather psychoanalysis is interested in helping people understand themselves. Therefore, directed efforts at changing sexual orientation (i.e. so-called 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapies) are inconsistent with psychoanalytic treatment. These directive methods often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized homophobic attitudes, where the patient takes into him or herself the attitude that homosexuality is 'bad.'"