Richard A. Cohen

Richard A. Cohen, M.A. (born 1952) is a psychotherapist, educator and author of five books including his latest release, Healing Humanity: Time, Touch and Talk. He is the director of Positive Approaches to Healthy Sexuality (PATH, founded in 2003), and the past director of the International Healing Foundation.[1] Cohen’s early work as an author and therapist was defined by his personal journey from identifying and living as a homosexual in his adolescent years, to a 40-year heterosexual marriage and becoming the father of three.[2][3] The principles of emotional healing and healthy attachment that he discovered in his personal life and therapeutic practice, he now advocates for all genders, orientations and relationship challenges, as “a roadmap to a happier, healthier life.”[4] He has co-developed and facilitates “Family Healing Sessions,” a therapeutic family weekend designed to reconnect wounded and divided families through healthy parent-child bonding and reattachment.

Richard A. Cohen
Born (1952-10-15) October 15, 1952
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Alma mater
Spouse(s)Jae Sook Cohen (1980–present)
Children3
Websitewww.TimeTouchandTalk.com

Cohen insists that gender orientation is a “human rights issue,” and that the choice to either identify or seek change is an individual one.[5] Opponents have claimed that Cohen practiced a form of “Conversion Therapy,” which has been associated with coercion and labelled unethical. Cohen repudiates any such charges and advocates for “equality, tolerance and diversity for all views of sexuality and gender identity.”[5] In a 2000 position statement, the American Psychological Association (APA) opposed all clinical attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation, and stated that “…there are no scientifically rigorous outcome studies to determine either the actual efficacy or harm of "reparative" treatments.”[6] Cohen insists, based upon his own experience and those of many of his clients, that for those who seek it, “Change is possible.”

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.[3][7][2]

Richard and Jae Sook Cohen

Cohen identified as gay during his undergraduate years at Boston University. He sought counseling for his unwanted same-sex attractions.[8] 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.[3]

In March, 2019, Cohen published Healing Humanity: Time, Touch and Talk (TTT).

Cohen lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with his wife of forty years. Together, they are the parents of three adult children.

Education

Cohen received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Boston University and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Antioch University.[3] In Seattle, Washington, he worked for the American Red Cross as an HIV/AIDS educator and authored a statewide curriculum for child-care provider and foster parents.[4]

Career

International Healing Foundation / Positive Approaches to Healthy Sexuality

Cohen founded the International Healing Foundation (IHF) in 1990, a nonprofit organization, to counsel those who experience unwanted same-sex attraction (SSA) through Sexual Orientation Therapy. IHF was dissolved in 2015.[1] In 2003, Cohen co-founded Positive Approaches to Healthy Sexuality (PATH), which promotes "the individual's right of self-determination, and equality, tolerance and diversity for all views of sexuality and gender identity."[5] Cohen has said, "If someone wants to live a gay life, that needs to be respected. If someone wants to resolve unwanted same-sex attraction, that too needs to be respected. Let us practice true tolerance, real diversity, and equality for all."[9][10]

While he was a psychotherapist in Washington State, Cohen was a registered counselor. During his therapeutic practice in Maryland, there was no licensure requirement for counselors until the time he was transitioning to full time teaching. Over the past twelve years, Cohen has trained over 6,000 psychologists, psychotherapists, physicians, and ministry leaders throughout the USA, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.[1]

Expulsion from the ACA

In 2002, Cohen was permanently expelled from the American Counseling Association (ACA), after it accused him of six violations of its ethics code, which bars members from actions which "seek to meet their personal needs at the expense of clients, those that exploit the trust and dependency of clients, and for soliciting testimonials or promoting products in a deceptive manner."[3][11]

Noting that the ACA is a non-licensing trade organization[12], and that his expulsion was based upon a single complaint, [3]Cohen did not appeal the ACA decision. He claimed that the action was entirely for his efforts in the ex-gay movement, specifically for the book Coming Out Straight. He called the ACA "a biased organization,"[13] and asked, "Why would I want to be in a totally gay-affirming club?"[3]

Media appearances

Cohen has given numerous interviews in newspapers, on radio shows, and on television shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live, Rachel Maddow, 20/20, Larry King Live, and Paula Zahn Now.[14] In 2014, Cohen appeared in a documentary by Blackstone Films entitled "The Third Way: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church."[15]

Cohen was interviewed by Jason Jones on the March 19, 2007, episode of The Daily Show.[16] Cohen was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on June 28, 2006,[17] was interviewed on The Rachel Maddow Show on December 8, 2009,[18] and was on The Michelangelo Signorile Show on the Sirius radio network on April 17, 2010.

Books written
  • Cohen, Richard A; Elizabeth Sherman. Alfie's Home (1993) ISBN 978-0-9637058-0-8, self-published.[19]
  • Cohen, Richard. Coming Out Straight: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction Third Edition (2016) ISBN 978-0-9637058-8-4, PATH Press,[20][8]
  • Cohen, Richard. Gay Children, Straight Parents: A Plan for Family Healing (2016) ISBN 978-0-9637058-6-0, PATH Press.[21][22]
  • Cohen, Richard. Straight Talk About Homosexuality (2016) ISBN 978-0-9637058-9-1, PATH Press,[23][24]
  • Cohen, Richard. Healing Humanity: Time, Touch and Talk (2019) ISBN 978-1-7338469-0-5, PATH Press[25]
  • Cohen, Richard. Being Gay: Nature, Nurture or Both? (2020) ISBN 978-1-7338469-2-9, PATH Press[26]
gollark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ectLvzVS8LE
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gollark: I resent this.
gollark: ÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆa, apparently "recoll" takes *over a minute* to search my documents sometimes.
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References
  1. "pathinfo | DIRECTOR". pathinfo. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  2. "Richard Cohen | Brothers Road". Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  3. Boodman, Sandra G. (2005-08-16). "A Conversion Therapist's Unusual Odyssey". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  4. "Healing Humanity Summary". Healing Heterosexuality: Time, Touch and Talk. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  5. "pathinfo | WHAT WE BELIEVE". pathinfo. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  6. "American Psychiatric Association". web.archive.org. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  7. "Richard Cohen". GLAAD. 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  8. Cohen, Richard. "Coming Out Straight: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction".
  9. Foundation, International Healing. "International Healing Foundation Apologizes to the LGBTQ Community on its 21st Anniversary". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  10. "WHAT WE BELIEVE". pathinfo. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  11. "Notification of Results Letter". Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2007.CS1 maint: unfit url (link), American Counseling Association. Retrieved 04-07-2007.
  12. "About the American Counseling Association". American Counseling Association.
  13. Najafi, Yusef (2005-03-04). "Activist calls ex-gay leader "dishonest". Besen criticizes PFOX president for not disclosing past". Washington Blade. Window Media. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  14. New Therapy Claims to "Cure" Homosexuality, Paula Zahn Now, May 23, 2006, CNN.
  15. "The Third Way". 2014-04-27.
  16. "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah".
  17. "Episode #4.279".
  18. NBC News Rachel Maddow: Debunking a 'cure' for homosexuality
  19. Alfie's home by Richard A Cohen; Elizabeth Sherman WorldCat
  20. Richard Cohen, M. a.; Cohen, Richard M. A. (2016-06-02). Coming Out Straight: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction. ISBN 978-1533598578.
  21. Cohen, Richard (2016-02-19). Gay Children, Straight Parents: A Plan for Family Healing. ISBN 978-1530156641.
  22. Cohen, Richard. "Gay Children, Straight Parents: A Plan for Family Healing".
  23. Cohen, Richard (2016-03-21). Straight Talk About Homosexuality. ISBN 978-0963705891.
  24. Cohen, Richard. "Straight Talk About Homosexuality".
  25. Cohen, Richard (March 28, 2019). Healing Heterosexuality: Time, Touch and Talk. ISBN 978-1-7338469-0-5.
  26. Cohen, Richard (2020). Being Gay: Nature, Nurture or Both?. PATH Press. ISBN 978-1-7338469-2-9.

https://www.pathinfo.org/ Co-founded by Richard Cohen

https://www.TimeTouchandTalk.com Website for Richard Cohen's 2019 book


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