Growing up as the oldest of two children in a small town in the mountains of Virginia, everything appeared normal on the surface, but inside, I struggled silently and alone. I wasnt into sports but I was a very motivated, creative, and hardworking young boy. Doing my best to win the favor of my parents through accomplishments and hard work, I felt different and alone. I was sensitive, neat, clean, somewhat of a perfectionist, yet always ready to help others in times of need. This was my life, but to me I felt that I was not quite what my parents had in mind. Rather than bonding with me, my dad found other neighborhood boys to connect with while I retreated to the safety of my personal world; void of boys and the risk of being found different.

Entering my pre-teen years I began to realize that as much as I had tried, I could not escape the reality that I was different from the other guys and that I did not easily fit in with the kids at school. As the chasm between my parents and me began to grow, so grew the chasm between myself and the kids at school. As a teen I began to wrestle secretly with a nagging sexual confusion that would grip me well into my married, adult years. Its this nagging confusion that I now realize could have been resolved had I discussed it with my parents and in return received from them the loving touch and affirmation that I so desperately needed. Because I wanted to protect myself and my parents from the pain I thought I would create for them, I withdrew silently into a private world known only to myself.

Left to cope with the sexual confusion that wasnt cured by my personal attempts, I found ways to adjust my life to what I decided would be my life-long struggle. That was until I met a man whose life story was similar to my own yet with one noticeable twist. This man had faced his nagging struggle and as an adult, worked through the struggle and found healing for his confusion and pain. This one mans story gave me hope. His story helped me see what was missing in my life and what I needed to have in my life in order to resolve the nagging confusion and pain. And now, thanks to this man and several others in my life, I am beginning to make sense of the struggle that plagued me since my early childhood.

The hope I found was far too meaningful for me to keep to myself and that is the reason for this article today. Im writing to encourage every parent to get into your hands the true life story of Richard Cohen. As parents you need to read this story in order to find ways to help your children avoid the nagging confusion and loneliness that I wrestled with for years. And the best part is that as parents, youre the very people who are best positioned to help your children resolve these issues before it is too late. Allow Richard to be your guide through this process, youll be glad you did!

Richard is a psychotherapist and a leading expert in the field of sexual reorientation therapy. He travels extensively throughout the United States and Europe making presentations on the causes and healing of unwanted same-sex attraction. Cohen is widely sought after for interviews by newspaper, radio and television media. Appearances include: 20/20, Larry King Live, The O'Reilly Factor, and The Howard Stern Show. In addition to authoring Coming Out Straight, Gay Children Straight Parents, and Alfie's Home, he is the board president of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays), and vice president of PATH (Positive Alternatives To Homosexuality).

To read Richards personal story, "Gay to Straight", visit our website: http://www.LovingAlwaysWins.com/