James Esses reaches settlement and receives apology

Can you let us know how this apology is received please?

Great news and importantly, thanks to all us crowdfunders, we backed another winner.

They'd have to be very, very foolish not to.

Excellent news and a most fulsome apology. It sounds as though some people in the org may have 'moved on' and some adults who have read Cass are now in charge.

Credit to James for pursuing this over a number of years.

I'm not holding my breath...

Wow that's quite the apology, well done to James, and thanks to him for fighting this.
Will the Metanoia Institute now follow through and make the lessons they've learnt because of this, a part of their training programmes in future?

I look forward to seeing the BACP take note of this.

Such good news, well done to James and his team.

I really hope this is also reflected in counselling practice around the country. We have seen too many vulnerable children and adults damaged by affirmation. They need, and should receive, proper counselling from ethical counsellors.

Wow that's astonishing. Well done James.

great news for James and a proper "you got me bang to rights, guv," apology. Maybe someone should forward that to the BMA?

I mean, it does have a touch of:

I confess to almighty God James Esses,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
through my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done, and in what I have
failed to do;
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints James Esses,
and you, my brothers and sister,
to pray for me to the Lord our God please give me a chance to do better, [which is admittedly a bar you could easily trip over, but I have to start somewhere…]

James email to supporters says "Although I am not in a position to reveal the exact terms of settlement, I can say that I am extremely happy with them. " The apology includes "Mr Esses passed every assessment undertaken which had been marked, had received positive feedback from his clinical placements and, at the time of his expulsion, had been signed off to set up in private practice by his supervisor, clinical placement and personal tutor"

so my guess would be that there was a considerable financial payment, that fulsome apology and signing him off again if that is necessary.

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa?

@MarieDeGournay
I like to recognise 'confession and a firm purpose of amendment' when it occurs

As you say, they’re showing genuine contrition, which is heartening.

(For anyone interested in the theology, with apologies for the sidetrack to everyone else: I can understand why people might get the impression the Sacrament of Reconciliation allows some endless sin-cycle with no repercussions; & clearly the Seal of the Confessional absolutely means that in the secular world. However, your immortal soul is essentially in the shitter if you mention something in confession for which you’re not sorry [conflicted feelings is something else, eg it’s accepted & understood a woman confessing to stabbing their abusive husband in self-defence is likely to have conflicting emotions about it]; &/or that you intend to do again; &/or that you’ll not make any effort to atone for. Not applicable to the institute, obviously - though I suppose if the person who wrote the apology randomly happened to be Catholic it will have shaped how they think about making apologies, as you can see 😉)

Notwithstanding the fact that high-quality therapy is rooted in empathy, active listening and unconditional positive regard, we did not fulfil these values in our treatment of Mr Esses. For this we apologise fully.

This bit is great. Well done whoever wrote this.

The contrast to the mealy-mouthed 'apologies' in some other cases is marked, isn't it? Whatever the reason, it's good news.

So pleased for James, he's been so brave and put everything on the line.

I really appreciate proper apologies like
this. Kudos to them for actually accepting they were wrong and learning. It’s a sign of real wisdom and integrity to be able to say ‘we were wrong, we’ve learned more now, and we’re sorry’

I know it's already been replicated in posts but here's the screenshots of James' post for posterity!

That's quite terrifying isn't it? Counsellors / therapists so steeped in gender woowoo they abandon their professional ethics, skills and knowledge of child safeguarding.
This ideology really does beclown all those who support it.

I really like that they have mentioned new research and the Cass report etc, that they are acknowledging that actually, he was right and medical research is supporting him. That they got it wrong for the sake of cancel
culture rather than actual research. It’s good they’ve put that in.

That's a brilliant outcome - well done James for persisting.

Im a counsellor and on several counsellor/therapist facebook pages, where James Esses and his case has and still is being talked about. The mealy mouthed, deeply unpleasant way they talk about him
has always made me feel sick.

These are people who care not a shit for the safeguarding of vulnerable children. They wanted and still want Esses silenced because he represents logic and truth.

They talk about gender critical therapists with utter disdain and hatred. They refer people to services with names such as cuddly unicorn affirmation counsellors (made up
name but you get
the gist) which are usually therapists who've had surgery or hormones themselves as believe they're in the wrong body.

They write poorly phrased letters of
complaint about GC therapists to the UKCP and BACP. Fortunately the UKCP have done their homework and wised up tosafeguarding
and the law.
I wonder when BACP will do the same?

Great news, and nice to see a proper apology for a change!

Thanks to James (and others) who've stood up for vulnerable children rather than take the easy route along with their craven colleagues.