Most people are aware that mainstream mental health professionals need to be open to non-traditional values around sexuality.

This makes sense since therapists see people from all walks of life. Patients are coming because they are struggling with maladaptive behaviors and are seeking help. If patients are instantly shamed by their therapist, they are likely to avoid returning for the next session.

However, if sexual behavior is problematic enough to be brought up in therapy, it should be explored. But how much acceptance is ok, and when does it go too far? That line has been crossed, as graduate student Naomi Best reports in her recent Wall Street Journal article entitled, "Santa Clara's Crazy Idea of Human Sexuality."

She discusses how she was forced to watch a BDSM video and do a sexual self-assessment in her Human Sexuality class. When she expressed her concerns, both clinically and religiously, she was first ignored and then punished. This shows that she wasn't being trained to be open; she was being indoctrinated.

One might believe this is an exception or just an extreme example. I'm here to say it isn't. Two years ago, I attended the CAMFT conference (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists).

They are one of the most prominent therapy organizations in the country. I took a "Porn 101" class, which normalized pornography and positioned it as good and healthy without acknowledging the dark side of porn addiction and its easy access to minors. I "learned" that certain porn is ethical and healthy because it does STD screening beforehand and includes other "safer" practices.

One can get into a hefty debate about the ethics of porn and how it should be consumed. However, let's stop pretending it's a therapeutic activity that should be normalized for the masses. 

Another class I took was about sexual trauma and sexual dysfunction in women. However, that's not what it was called. It was called "From Unwanted Pain to Sexual Pleasure: Common Health Concerns Affecting People with Vulvas."

First, let's start with how dehumanizing the phrase "People with Vulvas" is. The class was all about women but did not use that word once. The instructor and the other students in the class used this "inclusive" language with ease. For me, it was very destabilizing.

They spoke of asexuality as if it were an inborn trait to accept rather than a symptom of other concerns, such as autism, medication side effects, trauma, or normal childhood development. Also, the instructor spoke of sexual "self-care." One of her examples of self-care was to take a breath if you feel overwhelmed after a sex encounter with multiple partners.

There was no suggestion to explore whether various sex partners could be the source of the distress, and perhaps the patient shouldn't do it at all. The therapy instructor was teaching therapists how to cope with gang bangs. 

In addition, gender ideology was embedded in the class, which contradicts healthy sexuality since it entails damaging hormones, surgeries, and lying to the world about who you are. The instructor referenced many trans people who struggle with sexual dysfunction but did not mention how testosterone in women causes atrophy, dryness, and pain in the pelvis. They also didn't mention autism as a source of intimacy struggles or a factor for identifying as trans. This training is an example of how therapy has become a cesspool of affirming harmful behaviors and false identities, reinforcing the dysfunctional issues at hand. 

So why is this happening? Most therapists who believe in these sex-positive ideas are well-meaning and think they are helping people take away the stigma and angst around sexuality. There may be some merit to that thinking. However, the pendulum has swung so far that Naomi Best was forced to watch a woman with a ball gag in her mouth in her graduate school class. 

It's important to note that throughout any of these trainings, there was no mention of intimate, trusting, and meaningful relationships. This seems intentional. I see this as a way of destabilizing our society and breaking down families.

Therapists work with the most vulnerable. However, the people who are supposed to advance healing are trained to lean into sexual deviance rather than explore what is best for the individual. Therapists are abdicating their responsibility to examine underlying issues. Instead, they are being trained to affirm thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate trauma patterns.

I do not believe this is an accident but a concerted effort to reinforce suffering and reduce physical intimacy into a transaction. The "queering" of our culture is a way to destabilize it and gain power for destruction, just as Karl Marx intended. 

Pamela Garfield-Jaeger is a licensed therapist with 25 years of experience. She is dedicated to empowering people to question mental health experts. She has authored "Practical Response to Gender Distress: Tips and Tools for Families," available on Amazon, and a children's book called "Froggy Girl," scheduled for release on July 15, 2025. www.froggygirlbook.com.