The United States Supreme Court has delivered a major ruling in favour of Christian therapist Kaley Chiles, deciding that Colorado’s restrictions on certain counselling conversations must face rigorous constitutional scrutiny under the First Amendment.
In an 8–1 decision delivered on March 31, 2026, the court ruled that Colorado’s law prohibiting conversion therapy for minors discriminated based on viewpoint when applied to Chiles‘ speech-only counselling practice.
Chiles, a licensed mental health counsellor, challenged the law after arguing that it restricted her ability to engage in voluntary conversations with young clients seeking guidance about unwanted same-sex attraction, gender identity and personal beliefs.
According to her legal arguments, she sought to help clients pursue their own stated counselling goals without imposing her religious beliefs on them.
Colorado defended its legislation as a measure intended to protect minors from practices associated with psychological harm.
However, writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch concluded that the law treated different counselling viewpoints unequally, permitting certain conversations about sexuality and gender identity while restricting others.
The court held that the restrictions, as applied to Chiles’ talk therapy, required strict scrutiny under the First Amendment rather than the more deferential legal standard used by lower courts.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter, arguing that states must retain authority to regulate professional healthcare practices to protect patients.
The Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s judgment and returned the case for further proceedings under the appropriate constitutional standard.
The decision represents a significant development in the ongoing debate over religious freedom, professional counselling, freedom of speech and protections for minors in the United States.
While supporters of Chiles have welcomed the ruling as a victory for free speech, opponents remain concerned about the potential effects of conversion therapy on vulnerable young people.