Listening to the Voices of Change
Robert L. Vazzo, M.M.F.T.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
This website is dedicated to the many men and women who are making (or have successfully made) the transition from homosexuality to heterosexuality. Many others claim that change is impossible, that sexual orientation is fixed, and that these men and women are engaging in self-deception. Their stories, however, which come from a place of heartfelt examination of intense feelings and desires, show otherwise. The people who have written these stories do not believe that their homosexual feelings define them or their sexual identity; rather, for them, their same-sex attractions have provided a directional compass to assist them in meeting unfilled needs for same-sex attention, affirmation, and affection. For these individuals, homosexuality is not the equivalent of heterosexuality, but is instead an indicator of what they perceived has been missing in their lives.
The Voices of Change website will provide you with testimonial evidence that many men and women have successfully changed their sexual orientation and, by doing so, have created for themselves a congruency between their feelings and their personal values and beliefs, as well as those of their friends, families, and in many instances, faith communities. Rather than assuming a new "gay" identity, these men and women have chosen to discover their True Selves through the medium of authentic psychological change.
Authentic change is not only about a change in behavior, but also a change in feelings and identity. In fact, those engaged in the process of change often find themselves working with the three separate components of feelings, behavior, and identity. Many who criticize SOCE (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts) claim that clients experience only behavioral change. The stories and videos on this site demonstrate otherwise. Instead of viewing change as an absolute, some of these individuals understand that it is a process that may take several years, or span a lifetime. For them, the joy is not necessarily in arriving, but in making the journey. Each individual who has written a story is someplace on the road to change. Some are in the beginning, others in the middle, and still others have arrived at their final destination. We invite you to read their stories and watch their videos to get to know them better, to hear their voices and, in a true spirit of diversity and tolerance, to respect their choices as equally valid as the choices of others who have adopted a gay identity. (2012)
The Voices of Change website will provide you with testimonial evidence that many men and women have successfully changed their sexual orientation and, by doing so, have created for themselves a congruency between their feelings and their personal values and beliefs, as well as those of their friends, families, and in many instances, faith communities. Rather than assuming a new "gay" identity, these men and women have chosen to discover their True Selves through the medium of authentic psychological change.
Authentic change is not only about a change in behavior, but also a change in feelings and identity. In fact, those engaged in the process of change often find themselves working with the three separate components of feelings, behavior, and identity. Many who criticize SOCE (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts) claim that clients experience only behavioral change. The stories and videos on this site demonstrate otherwise. Instead of viewing change as an absolute, some of these individuals understand that it is a process that may take several years, or span a lifetime. For them, the joy is not necessarily in arriving, but in making the journey. Each individual who has written a story is someplace on the road to change. Some are in the beginning, others in the middle, and still others have arrived at their final destination. We invite you to read their stories and watch their videos to get to know them better, to hear their voices and, in a true spirit of diversity and tolerance, to respect their choices as equally valid as the choices of others who have adopted a gay identity. (2012)