Its been more than three years since Alyson Stoner first opened up about her sexuality in a poignant essay for Teen Vogue , but the time she spent struggling with her true self was fraught with challenges.

Stoner, who is pansexual, spoke to Insider this week about her new memoir, Mind Body Pride . She revealed that she briefly attended reparative, or gay conversion, therapy sessions in hopes of reconciling her sexuality with her religious faith.

I felt like everything was wrong with me, even though I, in my heart of hearts, only desired to be a devoted follower of God, said the actor, whose credits include Step Up and Cheaper by the Dozen, as well as Missy Elliotts Work It video. So to hear from people you trust, from people you respect, from people you might even aspire to become, that you at your core are rotten, abominable, that the devil has a target on your back because of your position in Hollywood ... it just sends you into a spiral, at least for me, because I just wanted to do the right thing.

The American Medical Association , the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have discredited so-called conversion therapy, which attempts to end or reduce peoples same-sex attraction or sexual activity.