Skip to content
Transgender Map by Andrea James

Translate

Choose a language to read this site translated by Google. Translations are automatic, so some wording will be imperfect.

Joseph Nicolosi vs. transgender people

by Andrea James Reviewed October 4, 2026 7 min read

Joseph Nicolosi was an American Catholic psychologist and anti-transgender activist. Nicolosi was a key historical figure in the anti-LGBTQ conversion therapy movement.

Nicolosi co-founded conversion therapy activist group National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) in 1992. In 2014, NARTH rebranded as Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity (ATSCI). 

Background

Joseph “Joe” Nicolosi was born on January 24, 1947. Nicolosi earned a master’s degree from the New School for Social Research and a doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology. 

In 1980, Nicolosi founded the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, California, and served as Clinical Director.

Nicolosi married Linda Ames Nicolosi (born 1947), who was an editor and publisher for NARTH. Their child Joseph Nicolosi, Jr. has continued the activism of both parents, including through the National Task Force for Therapy Equality.

Joesph Nicolosi, Sr. died from complications of flu on March 8, 2017.

Anti-gay activism

After treating clients for “unwanted homosexuality” for years, Nicolosi wrote the 1991 book Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality: A New Clinical Approach.

In 1992, Nicolosi co-founded conversion therapy activist group National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) in 1992 with Charles Socarides and Benjamin Kaufman.

In 2013, Nicolosi appeared in the documentary Stephen Fry: Out There. Nicolosi stated that “sixty percent of our clients now are teenagers. Parents call up in a panic because they found out their son is looking at gay porn, and, of course we have to get him into therapy.” Nicolosi was unable to provide a satisfied client for the documentary, and Stephen Fry interviewed a former Nicolosi patient who was not “cured.”

In a 2019 interview, Kaufman described introducing Joseph Nicolosi to Charles Socarides after reading about Nicolosi’s activism around anti-gay conversion therapy.

In a posthumous 2006 tribute to Socarides published on the NARTH site, Kaufman stated the group emerged “during the December 1991 Meeting of The American Psychoanalytic Association. We were surprised that 25 people showed up including Dean Byrd, the late Harold Voth, and Toby Beiber. Our committee created NARTH.”

Nicolosi launched a personal website in 2009.

In 2009, experts criticized anti-trans group Anglican Mainstream after they invited Nicolosi to speak.

NARTH began facing significant troubles in the 2000s. Around 2011, NARTH stopped providing continuing-education credits to therapists in California. In 2012, they lost tax-exempt status, and California banned conversion therapy. NARTH member David Pickup challenged the state ban but lost in court in 2014. NARTH rebranded to ATCSI after the loss.

Following Nicolosi’s death, spouse Linda Nicolosi continued publishing anti-trans writing.

In 2021, Amazon stopped carrying some of Nicolosi’s books following an online petition that garnered nearly 150,000 signatures.

Anti-trans activism

According to a 2020 article by spouse Linda Nicolosi:

“Joe, not surprisingly, thought the idea of transgenderism was an outrage. He knew that the project of defying nature— amputating a man’s genitals, making him sterile, pumping him full of synthetic estrogen for the rest of his life, and giving him artificial breasts— could never ‘“’re-invent’ him as a woman, no matter how much the culture ‘celebrated’ such a transition.

Of course, Joe saw the intellectual inconsistencies. If that same client wanted to see a psychologist to better align his sexual attractions with his sense of himself— that is, if he were to recognize himself as a man designed for heterosexuality— he would be laughed at by the culture and by his profession. ‘You’re gay and you must embrace it,’ would be the message. So that meant you can ‘become’ the opposite sex— but you can’t do anything about your homosexuality!”

In their book A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality, Nicolosi and spouse wrote: “In the boy, we usually see a gender wound that traces back to childhood. He comes to see himself as different from other boys.”

References

Babits, C. (2024). A war against the natural order: Joseph Nicolosi, Reparative Therapy, and the Christian Right. History of Psychology, 27(1), 54–74. https://doi.org/10.1037/hop0000159

Ashley, F. (2022). Interrogating Gender-Exploratory Therapy. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(2), 472–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221102325

Kuruvilla, Carol (July 5, 2019). Amazon Pulls Books By Catholic Writer Who Promoted Conversion Therapy. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amazon-nicolosi-books-conversion-therapy_n_5d1f64a8e4b01b8347356c7a

Allen, Samantha (March 9, 2017). ‘Ex-Gay Therapy’ Leader Dead at 70. The Daily Beast http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/03/09/ex-gay-therapy-leader-joseph-nicolosi-dead-at-70.html

Sandomir, Richard (March 16, 2017). Joseph Nicolosi, Advocate of Conversion Therapy for Gays, Dies at 70. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/us/joseph-nicolosi-dead-gay-conversion-therapist.html

Brydum, Sunnivie (March 10, 2017). “He Got Away With It”: Conversion Therapy Survivor on Dr. Joseph Nicolosi’s Legacy. Religion Dispatches https://religiondispatches.org/2017/03/10/he-got-away-it-conversion-therapy-survivor-dr-joseph-nicolosis-legacy

Lenz, Ryan (March 10, 2017). Joseph Nicolosi, Father of ‘Ex-Gay Therapy,’ Dies From Flu Complications. Southern Poverty Law Center / Hatewatch https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/joseph-nicolosi-father-ex-gay-therapy-dies-flu-complications/

Potok, Mark (May 25, 2016). QUACKS: ‘Conversion Therapists,’ the Anti-LGBT Right, and the Demonization of Homosexuality. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/20160525/quacks-conversion-therapists-anti-lgbt-right-and-demonization-homosexuality

Staff report (February 21, 2013; updated). Profile: Joseph Nicolosi, Ex-Gay Therapist. Political Research Associates https://politicalresearch.org/2013/02/21/profile-joseph-nicolosi-ex-gay-therapist

Strudwick, Patrick (February 9, 2010). The war on ‘cures’ for homosexuality. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/feb/09/conversion-therapy-homosexuality

Strudwick, Patrick (January 31, 2010). The ex-gay files: The bizarre world of gay-to-straight conversion. The Independent https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/this-britain/the-exgay-files-the-bizarre-world-of-gaytostraight-conversion-1884947.html

Ford, J. G. (2002). Healing Homosexuals: A Psychologist’s Journey Through the Ex-Gay Movement and the Pseudo-Science of Reparative Therapy. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, 5(3–4), 69–86. https://doi.org/10.1300/j236v05n03_06

Haldeman, D. C. (2002). Gay rights, patient rights: The implications of sexual orientation conversion therapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(3), 260–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.3.260

Anti-trans coverage

Nicolosi, Linda (2020). Issues around Transgender and Reparative Therapy.
The Work and Life of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Sr. Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 70(1) February 2020 https://cmq.org.uk/CMQ/2020/Feb/transgender_and_reparative_thera.html

Nicolosi, Linda (undated; ~2019). Once a Disorder, Now “Liberation”: The Truth About Transgenderism. https://www.josephnicolosi.com/articles/the-truth-about-transgenderism/

Nicolosi, L. (2018). In Memoriam: Dr. Joseph Nicolosi (1947-2017). Catholic Social Science Review, 23, 383–384. https://doi.org/10.5840/cssr2018231

Bailey, J. M., Vasey, P. L., Diamond, L. M., Breedlove, S. M., Vilain, E., & Epprecht, M. (2016). Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(2), 45–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100616637616

Selected writing by Nicolosi

Nicolosi, Joseph, (December 19, 2016). The Traumatic Foundation of Male Homosexuality. Crisis Magazine https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/traumatic-foundation-male-homosexuality

Nicolosi, Joseph (undated; ~2015). What Does [Caitlyn] Jenner Have to Do with Reparative Therapy®? https://www.josephnicolosi.com/articles/bruce-jenner-and-reparative-therapy/

Nicolosi, Joseph (2016). What Freud Really Said about Homosexuality and Why Journal of Human Sexuality, Volume 7. https://www.journalofhumansexuality.com/_files/ugd/ec16e9_626da8bdff914c17ba8bdb126476fac2.pdf

Nicolosi, Joseph (undated). The Transgender Dilemma: “Either I become Mommy, or I cease to exist.” https://www.josephnicolosi.com/uncategorized/transgender-agenda/

Nicolosi, Joseph (undated; ~2015). The “Dr. Phil Show” Explores the Issue of Transgender Children. https://www.josephnicolosi.com/articles/dr-phil-show-transgender-children/

Nicolosi, Joseph (2009). The Meaning of Same-Sex Attraction. In Hamilton, Julie Harren; Henry, Philip J. Handbook of Therapy for Unwanted Homosexual Attractions: A Guide to Treatment. Xulon Press, ISBN 978-1607916017

Byrd, A. D., Nicolosi, J., & Potts, R. W. (2008). Clients’ Perceptions of How Reorientation Therapy and Self-Help Can Promote Changes in Sexual Orientation. Psychological Reports, 102(1), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.102.1.3-28

Nicolosi, J. (2013). Finally, Recognition of a Long-Neglected Population. In Drescher, J., & Zucker, K. J. Ex-Gay Research. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203057414

Nicolosi, J., & Byrd, A. D. (2002). A Critique of BEM’s “Exotic Becomes Erotic” Theory of Sexual Orientation Development. Psychological Reports, 90(3), 931–946. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2002.90.3.931

Byrd, A. D., & Nicolosi, J. (2002). A Meta-Analytic Review of Treatment of Homosexuality. Psychological Reports, 90(3_suppl), 1139–1152. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2002.90.3c.1139

Nicolosi, J. (2001). The Removal of Homosexuality from the Psychiatric Manual. Catholic Social Science Review, 6, 71–77. https://doi.org/10.5840/cssr200167

Nicolosi, J. (2001). A Developmental Model for Effective Treatment of Male Homosexuality. American Journal of Pastoral Counseling, 3(3–4), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1300/j062v03n03_07

Nicolosi, J., Byrd, A. D., & Potts, R. W. (2000). Beliefs and Practices of Therapists who Practice Sexual Reorientation Psychotherapy. Psychological Reports, 86(2), 689–702. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2000.86.2.689

Nicolosi, J., Byrd, A. D., & Potts, R. W. (2000). Retrospective Self-Reports of Changes in Homosexual Orientation: A Consumer Survey of Conversion Therapy Clients. Psychological Reports, 86(3_suppl), 1071–1088. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2000.86.3c.1071

Nicolosi, J., Byrd, A. D., & Potts, R. W. (2000). Beliefs and Practices of Therapists who Practice Sexual Reorientation Psychotherapy. Psychological Reports, 86(2), 689–702. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2000.86.2.689

Nicolosi, Joseph (1999). The Gay Deception. In Wolfe, Christopher [editor]. Homosexuality and American Public Life. ISBN 978-1890626112

Nicolosi, Joseph, (1994). “What Does Science Teach About Homosexuality?” In Geis, Sally B. (editor); Messer, Donald E. [editors]. Caught in the Crossfire: Helping Christians Debate Homosexuality. Abingdon Press, ISBN 978-0687095247

Nicolosi, Joseph (1993). Psychotherapy Can Change Sexual Orientation. In Dudley, William [editor]. Homosexuality: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, ISBN 978-0899084817

Nicolosi, Joseph, (1993). Treatment of the Non-Gay Homosexual Man. The Journal of Pastoral Counseling, Vol. XXVIII, p. 76-82.

Books

Nicolosi, Joseph; Pickup, David [two cases]; Nicolosi, Linda A. [foreword] (2022). The Best of Joseph Nicolosi: Collected Articles by the Originator of Reparative Therapy®. Liberal Mind Publishers, ISBN 978-0997637380

Nicolosi, Joseph (2009). Shame and Attachment Loss: The Practical Work of Reparative Therapy. IVP Aacademic, ISBN 978-0830828999

Nicolosi, Joseph; Nicolosi, Linda A. (2002). A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality. Jason Aronson, ISBN 978-0830823796

Nicolosi, Joseph; Freeman, Lucy (1993). Healing Homosexuality: Case Stories of Reparative Therapy. Jason Aronson, ISBN 978-0876683408

Nicolosi, Joseph (1991). Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality: A New Clinical Approach. Jason Aronson, ISBN 978-0876685457

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Joseph Nicolosi Ph.D. (josephnicolosi.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Was this helpful?

Support my work!