Mental health professionals across Africa now have access to a groundbreaking resource designed to support survivors of “conversion therapy” practices and promote affirming, trauma-informed care.
Developed by Outright International in partnership with the Sexuality and Gender Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), the Toolkit for Mental Health Providers Working with Survivors of Conversion Practices in Africa offers comprehensive guidance for practitioners working with LGBTQIA+ individuals who have experienced attempts to change or suppress their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
The toolkit has also been transformed into a free, interactive e-learning module, developed in collaboration with Studio Zafari, making expert-designed training more accessible to mental healthcare providers across the continent.
Speaking at the recent launch webinar, Outright International’s Project Officer for the African Regional Programme, Thiruna Naidoo, said the initiative responds to the urgent need for affirming healthcare in a region where anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and policies continue to gain ground.
“Conversion practices cause profound and lasting harm,” Naidoo said. “While we speak honestly about that harm, our focus is on resilience, healing, and developing resources that allow different stakeholders to resist the spread of conversion practices.”
She explained that the project emerged from Outright International’s broader research into conversion practices across Africa, including studies conducted in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
“What we learned is that conversion practices are not a form of therapy or healthcare,” Naidoo noted. “They are harmful practices aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.”
The toolkit also builds on the landmark 2023 Johannesburg Declaration Against SOGIE Change Efforts and Conversion Practices.
A Comprehensive Resource for Practitioners
According to clinical psychologist and researcher Jenna-Lee de Beer-Procter, the toolkit spans more than 400 pages and is grounded in African cultural, historical and social realities.
“The toolkit is a resource designed to equip practitioners with the knowledge, frameworks and tools to provide affirming trauma-informed care,” de Beer-Procter explained. “It bridges the gap between theory and practice, empowering providers to support survivors of conversion practices in ways that are sensitive, effective and ethical.”
The resource includes 16 practical guidelines covering topics such as creating safe therapeutic environments, rebuilding trust, addressing trauma responses, affirming identity, supporting spiritual and cultural reconciliation, managing family relationships, and helping survivors navigate misinformation and online spaces.
Importantly, the toolkit does not prescribe a rigid therapeutic model.
“Each guideline is designed to function independently, allowing providers to start where the survivor’s current challenges and goals are,” said de Beer-Procter. “Practitioners are encouraged to adapt them in ways that honour the survivor’s unique circumstances and evolving journey.”
Rebuilding Trust and Identity
De Beer-Procter highlighted the profound psychological impact conversion practices can have on survivors.
“One of the big things is an erosion of trust,” they said. “Survivors often lose trust in themselves, in their relationships, and even in healthcare professionals.”
They added that conversion practices frequently leave survivors carrying deep shame and internalised stigma.
“The real message that people receive from conversion practices is that there’s something wrong with them, that they’re abnormal, sinful, or dangerous. Those messages get internalised,” de Beer-Procter explained.
As a result, much of the healing process involves helping survivors reconnect with themselves, their identities and supportive communities.
Beyond Being ‘Nice’
During the discussion, psychologist and LGBTQIA+ scholar-activist Suntosh Pillay emphasised that affirming care involves far more than simply treating queer people kindly.
“An affirmative stance is much more than just being nice,” Pillay said. “It’s about having a deep social, historical and political awareness about the kinds of people you’re working with.”
He explained that affirming care requires practitioners to understand concepts such as heteronormativity, cisnormativity and minority stress, recognising that LGBTQIA+ people experience unique forms of discrimination that affect their mental health.
“To be affirmative means to respect, recognise and understand,” Pillay said. “But it also means moving beyond narrow individualism and developing a broad socio-political and historical awareness of the work we’re doing.”
Pillay also challenged the perception that LGBTQIA+-inclusive healthcare is somehow a niche concern.
“The assumption is that these are special things for special populations,” he said. “But many practitioners are probably already working with survivors of conversion practices without even knowing it because they aren’t asking the right questions.”
Making Training Accessible
The accompanying e-learning course was created to bring the toolkit’s extensive guidance to life through interactive exercises, case studies, animations and self-reflection activities.
Studio Zafari’s Saskia Messow stressed that the online platform is not intended to replace the toolkit, but rather to complement it.
“It should be understood as an add-on to the toolkit,” Messow said. “If you’re someone who is already experienced in working with survivors, you can access specific sections. If you’re new to this work, you can move through the course from beginning to end and use it as a space to learn and practice.”
The course includes real-world scenarios based on survivor experiences, interactive exercises, knowledge checks and visual learning tools that help practitioners apply affirming approaches in clinical settings.
Messow said accessibility was a key consideration throughout the design process.
The result is a freely available educational resource that removes financial barriers to specialised training and enables mental healthcare practitioners across Africa and beyond to access evidence-based guidance on supporting survivors of conversion practices.
As anti-LGBTQIA+ movements continue to gain influence in many parts of the continent, the toolkit and e-learning module represent a significant step towards strengthening affirming mental healthcare and ensuring that survivors receive the support, dignity and respect they deserve.
The Toolkit for Mental Health Providers Working with Survivors of Conversion Practices in Africa can be accessed here. To request more information about the e-learning module, click here.
