James Esses taking legal action against Metanoia Institute

Metanoia is an interesting word, a Google search translates it as;

to repent, to change, to be converted.
''turn towards the light''
''repudiation, change of mind, repentance.''
''a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion.''
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia_%28theology%29

The Metanoia Institute’s courses are accredited with Middlesex University, which readers may not know, has a long and inglorious history of criticism regarding low academic standards in relation to the teaching and promotion of quackery.

Excellent critical / skeptical articles from scientists concerned about quackery promoted and endorsed at Middlesex University

www.dcscience.net/2010/04/12/more-quackedemia-dangerous-chinese-medicine-taught-at-middlesex-university/

edzardernst.com/2016/08/middlesex-university-supports-dangerous-quackery/

Of further interest re Middlesex University us the absolutely fascinating Zen School of Shiatsu that provides;

"Shiatsu Courses London Shiatsu Classes and Training from Absolute Beginner right through to fully qualified Professional Shiatsu qualification accredited by Middlesex University and validated by Zen Shiatsu Society for entry to national Shiatsu register of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council."

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210801102728/zenshiatsulondon.wordpress.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210801102728/zenshiatsulondon.wordpress.com/about/

What kind of thing do the Zen School of Shiatsu do? Presumably, as it is accredited by Middlesex University, it must be evidence based?

To the surprise of absolutely nobody familiar with the quackery and cults associated with Middlesex University The Zen School of Shiatsu teaches “psychic surgery”

Evidential link here;
<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130625181236/zenshiatsulondon.wordpress.com/2012/10/07/psychic-surgery-chi-nei-tsang-hara-shiatsu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20130625181236/zenshiatsulondon.wordpress.com/2012/10/07/psychic-surgery-chi-nei-tsang-hara-shiatsu/

Readers should be advised that this is not just any old psychic surgery, oh no. It is not the kind of psychic surgery conducted by jailed paedophile, rapist, Oprah Winfrey endorsed, pseudo-spiritual conman John of God. That kind involved sleight of hand and concealed bits of pigs’ liver. The special Zen School of Shiatsu psychic surgery involves clearing "toxic winds" and invisible blockages in the body. As any fule kno.

Interested readers can check out the Zen School of Shiatsu’s head trainer Kris (“Deva” lol) North explaining exactly how it works on his website here;

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130529053932/www.healing-tao.co.uk/ht_chineitsang.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20130529053932/www.healing-tao.co.uk/ht_chineitsang.htm

So who is Kris “Deva” North? you might ask.

Mr North is a disciple of the extremely controversial pseudo-Taoist “Grandmaster” (pmsl) Mantak Chia, a mountebank of considerable notoriety whose self-proclaimed specialism is in “Taoist sexual secrets”, which are as evidence based and scientific as they sound.

Thus, if we examine Mr North’s website we find all the kinds of yoni massaging, culturally appropriated fruitloopery that appears on a routine and mundane basis on the websites of sex cults.

Of particular interest are “Taoist sweat lodges”, “Jade circles” for women (sexual secrets workshops including the jade vaginal eggs beloved of Gwyneth et al), and "Let your Inner Beauty Out” classes for women where women can learn, amongst other things, "ancient Tantric secrets from a Tantric Dakini and former L'oreal model”.

links

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121003033556/www.healingtao.oxatis.com/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=9711784" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20121003033556/www.healingtao.oxatis.com/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=9711784

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130728020208/www.jadecircle.co.uk/events.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20130728020208/www.jadecircle.co.uk/events.html

Kris North’s YT channel
www.youtube.com/channel/UCgMHlA9GOa8-rt_RsAMMJXg

Mantak Cjia’s YT channel
www.youtube.com/c/MantakChiaOfficial/videos

Readers sufficiently curious to check out further bullshit from Mr Chia can find various videos on the extremely dodgy London Real youtube channel where he can be found explaining “How to master the vagina” and other assorted gems to Brian Rose.

There is more but I am very tired and pushed for time

Apologies for the diversion, but I just think it is deeply ironic that James Esses is being punished for bringing Metanoia into disprepute when their validating university is notorious for promoting quackery and pseudo-science.

I have more to share about Metanoia, but this will do for now

More as soon as I can

Probably a daft question, but isn't the complete lack of due process in terminating his student contract without prior warning, hearing, or any opportunity for James to plead his case a huge problem for the Metanoia Institute in bringing their defence?

They do have procedures for this kind of thing after all.

Just heard this on the news on Classic FM. Their news is from Globals newsroom so imagine that goes out on quite a few different stations.

Oh I've just been to look to see if I can find a link for the Tom Swabrick interview.

The show is there but the last hour, which was mostly about the James Esses interview, is missing?

Odd?

🎶Wo-oah, he’s half way the-ere...🎵

There was an excellent interview of James by Tom Swarbrick on LBC at around 12.30ish. Tom was quite challenging at times to the things James was saying but James answered coherently and was exceptionally clear about his safeguarding concerns for children.

It wasn't women v trans it was safeguarding v affirmation only.

In the discussion after the interview Tom said something along the lines of ' do I believe that humans can change sex [dramatic pause] No.

He also read out some of the tweets/messages that were very unhappy about the interview and the discussions taking place.

Definitely one that's worth a listen. Was good.

Quillette
'Replacing One Kind of ‘Conversion Therapy’ With Another'
written by James Esses

Published on March 11, 2021

(extract)
One ironic outcome of such legislation would be that it would serve to inflict more conversion-based pseudoscience on gay boys and girls—as gender dysphoria sometimes is exhibited by children trying to reconcile their identities with straight expectations and stereotypes (e.g., a gay boy might prefer to imagine that he is actually a straight girl). Indeed, past research suggests that most boys who demonstrate gender non-conformity in childhood will eventually end up coming out as gay or bisexual.

When I work with clients who have identity issues, I try to explore themes of control and acceptance. Often, only when you accept yourself as who you are, does real change actually take place. I help children ask why and where their unhappiness with themselves comes from. Sometimes, it is not clear, though often we can pinpoint various contributory causes or factors—ranging from past traumas and harassment, to fears about sexuality, to attachment issues with parents. I also encourage children to feel free to express themselves in ways that are atypical, as compared to traditional sexist stereotypes. There’s nothing wrong with being an effeminate boy or a tomboyish girl.

I am certainly not attempting to “cure” their gender identity, even if that is how legislators might seek to criminalize my work. In many cases, I observe a shift from the start of our conversation, at which point medication and surgery had felt like the only option. After the fact, young people I have spoken with have told me that what they appreciated was that I did not simply affirm them robotically, but asked them to reflect on a decision that would change their lives forever. In cases where these children hated who they were, my goal was to get them to stop the hate, rather than to remake their bodies. This isn’t conversion therapy: It’s conversion therapy’s antithesis." (continues)
quillette.com/2021/03/11/replacing-one-kind-of-conversion-therapy-with-another/

The thing that jumped out at me was that James was three years into a five year MSc. What a swizz on behalf of the Metanoia Institute, honestly. They are conning people and I hope that's widely talked about as this gets more publicity. An MSc in psychology or psychodynamic therapy at a good university is 1 year or 2 part time.

UKCP accredited courses (courses which lead to accreditation as a psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy) are more than 1 or 2 years. Mine, for example, was a 3-year part-time MSc. It takes time develop as a competent psychotherapist. I don't know why the Metanoia is longer at 5 years.

I imagine many children phone chilldline feeling worthless, that they deserve the bullying or abuse. Does childline affirm this is who they are?

Good point.

And the shame children feel when an adult abuses them after winning their trust. And the guilt if they then report the abuse. I ‘d like to think Childline and the NSPCC wouldn’t affirm those feelings….. but given their attitudes to men’s behaviour, I do start to wonder,

I wonder if anyone at Metanoia is watching how quickly the crowd funder is growing and taking notice of that and the messages people are posting on it.

The thing that jumped out at me was that James was three years into a five year MSc. What a swizz on behalf of the Metanoia Institute, honestly. They are conning people and I hope that's widely talked about as this gets more publicity. An MSc in psychology or psychodynamic therapy at a good university is 1 year or 2 part time.

Unless he was doing a full time undergraduate degree as part of it? (Still only 4 years unless it incorporated a year in an industry placement as some degrees do?)

Aw bless... the usual suspect dropping into the college twitter feel to tell them to ignore the big old meanie stinky poo bums. With friends like that...

All credit, once again, to the Daily Mail for giving this daylight. People are very quick to damn the Daily Mail but they have been excellent at bringing these items to the attention of people who would never be aware.

Oh yes it’s all growing very nicely indeed.

Is the NAPCC still in cahoots with mermaids?

Interesting. I know the Deputy Director of Metanoia quite well. She has a background in special educational needs, not psychotherapy. Her PhD was on something to do with phys ed and SEN, if I recall correctly.

This has made me so angry. I hope everyone gets behind James, I know I will go and do some digging. He's doing the right thing.

The thing that jumped out at me was that James was three years into a five year MSc. What a swizz on behalf of the Metanoia Institute, honestly. They are conning people and I hope that's widely talked about as this gets more publicity. An MSc in psychology or psychodynamic therapy at a good university is 1 year or 2 part time. An entire doctorate in clinical psychology is only 3 years, and that is generally funded (by the NHS, on the basis the training in clinical psychology is evidence-based and reputable). These training courses run by the likes of Metanoia to become counsellors are a goldmine for them and frequently don't lead to a career, to be honest. They don't particularly vet people either, although James himself looks like he would be a brilliant therapist regardless of where he trained. The course fees at Metanoia are really hard to track down on their website, incidentally. Plus you need to fund personal therapy through the whole course - I can take a guess at the cost of the whole 5 years and it would be a significant investment. He's better off out of their course but it's good they're being challenged.

Blog post and podcast from Savage Minds.

Pleased to see his solicitor is Peter Daly!

savageminds.substack.com/p/the-great-inquisition-is-here?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzI1Nzc0MywicG9zdF9pZCI6Mzk0NjY4MzgsIl8iOiI3SEJmdSIsImlhdCI6MTYyNzgxNzQ5MywiZXhwIjoxNjI3ODIxMDkzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItNjU5NDkiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.huSs6qpfHWsbrj8vcSj6i235wDD5ZhBAHievdC2Rlkk

savageminds.substack.com/p/james-esses

Well I had never heard of the Metanoia Institute until today and can’t say I’ve been favourably impressed. I’d say if they were keen to avoid being brought into disrepute this will turn out to be a rather spectacular own goal. I have been out digging for James.

STILLTish has published eleven articles investigating NSPCC and Childline (linked in final below)

'Queering the NSPCC? FINAL'
23rd Sep 2020
(extract)
'The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children dates back well over a century. It was granted a Royal Charter, by Queen Victoria, in 1895. The NSPCC is the only UK charity which has been granted statutory powers under the Children Act 1989, allowing it to apply for care and supervision orders for children at risk. Childline, the charity founded by Esther Rantzen, became part of the NSPCC in 2006.

After looking at the ChildLine Content on Porn; I was moved to examine their other content. I focussed specifically on LGBTQ+ content and you can find these blogs all headed Queering the NSPCC." (continues)

gendercriticalwoman.wordpress.com/2020/09/23/queering-the-nspcc-final/