One of the key arguments for gender reparative therapy is that it stops children who will not eventually transition from starting the transition process. Advocates of gender reparative therapy say that it can be confusing and damaging socially for children to make a transition if they will eventually conclude they align with their sex assigned at birth.
However, as transgender and gender nonconforming individuals gain greater social acceptance, the arguments against gender reparative therapy have also grown. People against gender reparative therapy say the counseling treats transgender and nonconforming children as if they have a problem that requires fixing. This message is very negative, especially at a time when people are impressionable and still coming to terms with their own identities. They add that advocates of gender reparative therapy are motivated by transphobia, rather than a desire to help cisgender children understand their true gender identities.
The evidence seems to support these views, as gender reparative therapy has been linked to feelings of shame, isolation, and a heightened state of gender dysphoria. If gender dysphoria is left untreated, it can cause anxiety and depression and behaviors associated with it, such as self-harm and suicide.