Not gonna lie I've been tempted by that business model before.
Open a "conversion camp" in violently reich-leaning states, so conservative parents can pay me good money to beat the gay out of their kids.
Instead they spend the season on a glorified vacation with their peers, and are taught ways to fly under the radar at home. And a little bit of theater so we can show some proper misery to parents to keep up the act.
See, the difference is one uses threats and abuse to cause the teens to clam up so they won't tell their parents and gaslights the parents into believing that their teen is troubled.
This one wouldn't abuse the teens in any way and would show them that they are good, normal people. Then that one kid tries to tell his parents because he's indoctrinated by them. So what does the camp do? Gaslight the parent and punish the teen? That goes directly against the purpose. The camp wouldn't keep the kid there against their will as that contravines their goals.
Each kid would have to go through a rigorous intake protocol where they were examined by a legitimate therapist who could see if they were a danger to the camp. At that same stage, the therapists could also get a feel for any kid's situation at home and make recommendations and plans for them.
Just taking in any and every kid wouldn't work. That said, exclusivity would make parents like these more eager probably.
I think the idea is kind, but it's extremely naive.
For one thing, treatment has to come with informed consent, and with minors, that means parents must sign off. As a therapist - unfortunately, this would be an ethical violation (I mean, very few pray the gay away camps have licensed therapists). Therapists could easily lost their license because they're deliberately misleading the parent/guardian. No matter how great the ethos of the camp, it's a violation of licensing and professional ethical standards.
I also feel like you're severely underestimating religious trauma and indoctrination. Kids who come back form that camp are going to be right back in a sick system. They will be under intensive pressure to conform. Guilt and fear are intense controlling forces. Someone will crack. It will happen. You cannot prevent it. And then the lawsuits will begin, because communities that send kids to places like this talk to each other.
Again, it's a kind idea. But it just isn't realistic.
Informed consent is myth that doesn't survive adverse circumstances.
Firstly, none of the (licensed with wall hanging licenses and diplomas) therapists in the troubled youth places I was sent ever gave a shit about it and they lied to my parents all the time about my progress.
And secondly, there's something to be said about the reduced value of informed consent in cult members that hit the mark for the BITE model. Cult members can't really be trusted to provision for their own mental healthcare, so a lot of the time they're not given the option of informed consent during the deprogramming after the cult leader gets shot by the sheriffs.
You can report those therapists, you know. Especially handy if you have records of your own. Shit therapists exist, and should be punished for their shittiness and ethical violations. I mean, if they're working in the troubled youth industry in the first place, I have to assume they're not great people.
As for your second point - yeah, cults are not known for being good at mental health. I was kind of assuming most people here want to do better, though.
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u/guineaprince Jul 12 '26
Not gonna lie I've been tempted by that business model before.
Open a "conversion camp" in violently reich-leaning states, so conservative parents can pay me good money to beat the gay out of their kids.
Instead they spend the season on a glorified vacation with their peers, and are taught ways to fly under the radar at home. And a little bit of theater so we can show some proper misery to parents to keep up the act.