61 - Christians Against Christian Therapy Part IV

In this series, we’ve been examining the amicus briefs filed to the Supreme Court in the Chiles v. Salazar case by Christians in favor of banning godly exploratory talk therapy. One of these briefs was submitted by Dr. Julia Sadusky, Psy.D, Dr. Nathan Willis, PhD, LMHC, CFHMHE, and Dr. Michele Willingham, Psy.D.

As noted in the first part of this series, Dr. Julia Sadusky “is a licensed clinical psychologist in Colorado and a Catholic Christian.”[1] She spoke at the infamous “Unconditional Conference“ hosted by Andy Stanley’s church in September 2023, and has coauthored two books with Dr. Mark Yarhouse.[2] She was also a keynote speaker at the 2025 Revoice conference.

Dr. Nathan Willis, is a Christian and “a licensed mental health counselor in Florida” in private practice. “He has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of South Florida and Liberty

University,”[3] and is listed as currently serving in both of these institutions online.[4] Dr. Michele Willingham, is “a licensed clinical psychologist in California and an Evangelical Christian. … She is active in the California Psychological Association and serves on the American Psychological Association Commission for Accreditation, which is the primary programmatic accreditor in the United States for professional education and training in psychology.”[5] Dr. Willingham has a private practice and also currently serves as the Director of the Biola Counseling Center at the Rosemead School of Psychology, overseeing the education of all counseling students at the school.

In their brief, these three individuals made false claims about exploratory talk therapy in a professional clinical environment, stating that the practice is “harmful” and should be banned. They ignore stories from individuals such as myself and others who have benefited from licensed Christian counseling. The Changed Movement filed this example in a separate amicus brief to this Supreme Court case:

The story of one member of the CHANGED Movement—a man named Daniel—puts the point in stark relief. Daniel struggled with “same-sex attraction” and “sexual addiction” that “produced feelings of depression, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety” for him. He sought counseling. As he explains it, the decision was “entirely my own, driven by a deep desire to reconcile my sexuality with my Christian faith.” But finding help was complicated: Some counselors took the view that Colorado demands of all licensed counselors—affirm Daniel’s same-sex attraction. But that approach would have never worked for Daniel because it “conflicted with my personal values and biblical understanding of sexuality.”

Ultimately, Daniel found the right fit by, among other things, working with a Christian therapist whose “biblical understanding of sexuality aligns perfectly with my values.” Through counseling, Daniel says that “God began to work in my heart in unexpected ways” and “I found myself increasingly aligned with what I believe to be God’s design for sexuality and marriage.” As a result, he is now happily married to “my wonderful wife” and has found marriage “more of a blessing than I could have imagined.” Like many other members of the CHANGED Movement community who have had similar experiences, Daniel believes that “change is possible when approached with the right support system and therapeutic interventions that honor both the individual’s struggles and their faith convictions.”[6]

Throughout their submission, Sandusky, Willis, and Willingham critique the goal of exploring change rather than any actual therapeutic intervention or modality. As has been noted for years in R4R, these bans are so broad in scope as to make a Christian’s goals illegal. No one has demonstrated evidence that exploring the possibility of restoring one’s sense of gender to their biological sex or one’s sexuality to God’s design for one man and one woman in a covenantal relationship is in itself harmful.

Sadusky, Willis, and Willingham’s document also proposed that, since exploratory counseling is available in a non-professional environment, no one needs to protect such access in a professional setting:

Second, the Law does not prohibit all efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity—it only prevents licensed providers from offering professional mental health treatment aimed at or promising such a change.[7]

…The Law imposes no restrictions on such efforts by citizens not subject to the licensure regime. And it expressly specifies that its prohibition does not extend to people “engaged in the practice of religious ministry” who do not hold themselves out as licensed mental health providers.[8]

This is preposterous, as preventing professional input undermines the quality of care available, and has a chilling effect on research and practice. This can also lead to making further bans against pastoral or other lay counselors easier in the future. More professional input is needed in these areas of practice, not less. We also see here another example of mischaracterization of professionals “promising such a change.” No ethical mental health clinician promises results from any therapy they provide.

These three go on to note that clinicians have the freedom to express their beliefs in the clinical setting, but are prevented from applying them under Colorado’s law; therefore, the First Amendment should not be relevant in this case. This is another absurd line of reasoning. What good is it to speak about a belief yet not apply it in clinical practice?

Christian College Connections

Dr. Sadusky, Dr. Willis, and Dr. Willingham have ties with a number of prominent Christian colleges and universities. Dr. Sadusky teaches in the Counseling Division at Denver Seminary[9], and completed her doctoral internship at the Biola University Counseling Center in La Mirada, CA, where she provided therapy and did outreach.[10] She is a Fellow of the Sexual and Gender Identity Institute, established in 1998 by Dr. Mark Yarhouse at Regent University in Virginia, then moved to Wheaton College in 2019.[11]

As noted above, Dr. Willis currently teaches at Liberty University and the University of South Florida, and notes he “especially enjoys teaching human sexuality, human growth and development, and ethics.”[12] Dr. Willingham is the Director of the Counseling Program at Biola University.[13]

Dr. Willingham’s contribution to this amicus brief was highlighted in a podcast hosted by Biola graduate Krista Bontrager.[14] Shortly after recognizing that Dr. Willingham made such a public statement against the legal standing of Biola University’s statement of belief and practice, she resigned from that institution:

Willingham played an important role in how Biola cared for its LGBTQ identifying students, helping with the development of Sustinere and supervising the Biola Counseling Center, which was an approved resource for these students. Her MentalHealth.com page lists her as “LGBTQ+-allied.”

Then on December 7, Barry Corey appeared on an episode of the “Think Biblically” podcast with Sean McDowell and Scott Rae and announced that Ms. Willingham had resigned and Biola was going to dissolve The Dwelling. He also mentioned that they planned to replace The Dwelling with a new ministry and a “new model” in the spring. I posted an extended reaction to that video on December 11.[15]

The Dwelling “…was intended to be a place for LGBTQIA+ students to gather and fellowship (including celebrate Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day together), but that it did not require its members to hold to Biola’s own view. This last statement is particularly curious (to me) since Biola requires students to sign that they hold personal beliefs consistent with its statement of faith.”[16]

After her extensive research, Bontrager has formed the following “working theory” about Biola:

The root issue is that Biola greatly prizes the APA accreditation of Rosemead School of Psychology. While not publicly gay affirming, Rosemead as an institution seems to take a position that sexual orientation is fixed and inborn. Biola platforms Side B model voices to its undergraduate students because that is the version of the traditional position that is most compatible with Rosemead’s position. But Rosemead’s public statement against conversion therapy and its affirmation of sexual orientation is what actually shape the institutional culture.[17]

When the American Psychological Association mandated “affirmation-only” as their approach to same sex attraction and discomfort with one’s sense of gender, individual psychologists and educational institutions should have pushed back in a strong, collective manner. These matters have had to be resolved in the courtroom, culminating in the Chiles v. Salazar case currently being decided. Christian higher educational institutions should provide solid ethical guidelines and research moving forward to spearhead new standards of care in this field. Bontrager continues:

… The institution’s lack of clarity over the critical issues as sexual identity and sexual orientation combined with their admission of gay-affirming and queer-identifying students and their promotion of the Side B approach to discipleship has created a culture that has unhitched sin from homosexuality and queerness. Its effort to center winsomeness and empathy has led to confusion for many students (and some staff). This lack of clarity has caused pain for many students who feel duped by Biola’s messaging about kindness and love, which I think is an understandable reaction. I think this was exactly Green’s concern to Corey back in 2017. And although we are on different sides of the conversation, I agree with her major point: the University’s position and practice were misaligned.[18]

Clarity in expectations and coherence between position and practice are crucial in Christian institutions. Schools such as Denver Seminary, Biola, and Liberty, with direct ties to those who wrote this amicus brief, should make significant reviews as to how their policies and practices align.

Looking more closely at the Sexual and Gender Identity Institute (SGI), we find other Fellows listed in prominent positions within Christian University Counseling departments. These include Dr. Olya Zaporozhets, who is an associate professor in the School of Psychology & Counseling at Regent University. Dr. Stephen Stratton, professor of counseling and pastoral care at Asbury Seminary, and Dr. Janet Dean, who is an associate professor of psychology at Asbury University.[19]

Those in the SGI group collaborate on research, books, speaking engagements, etc. Although none of these other Fellows of SGI contributed to the amicus brief, any school with a connection to these individuals should be prepared to answer questions about how the statements of belief of these Christian institutions align with their practices, particularly regarding gender and sexuality.

In the next edition of R4R, we will see a proposed list of questions for parents, prospective and current students to consider asking their collegiate and university administrators.

[1] https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-539/370705/20250826104808419_24-539%20Chiles%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf

[2] Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth (Brazos Press) and Gender Identity & Faith: Clinical Postures, Tools and Case Studies for Client-Centered Care (Intervarsity Press)

[3] https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-539/370705/20250826104808419_24-539%20Chiles%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf

[4] https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/cfs/faculty-staff/n-willis.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[5] Ibid.

[6] https://www.supremecourt.gov/docketpdf/24/24-539/335082/20241213134219541_241212a%20ac%20brief%20for%20efiling.pdf Pg 6-7

[7] https://www.supremecourt.gov/docketpdf/24/24-539/370705/20250826104808419_24-539%20chiles%20amicus%20brief.pdf Pg 9

[8] Ibid. Pg 9

[9] https://denverseminary.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-2022-academic-catalog.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com pg 147

[10] https://www.juliasadusky.com/about?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[11] https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/school-of-psychology-counseling-and-family-therapy/sexual-and-gender-identity-institute/about/

[12] https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/cfs/faculty-staff/n-willis.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[13] Director of the Biola Counseling Center at the Rosemead School of Psychology, overseeing the education of all counseling students at the school.

[14] https://www.theologymom.com/post/biolas-complicated-decade-plus-journey-on-lgbtq-policies-and-campus-culture?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/school-of-psychology-counseling-and-family-therapy/sexual-and-gender-identity-institute/about/