The UK's gender doctors

[QuietContraryMary]

I would like to compile a list of those working in the NHS & private practice so we can get some sort of idea of their positions.

First of all here is GenderCare:

www.gendercare.co.uk/

Dr Stuart Lorimer 'is one of the UK’s foremost clinical specialists in the diagnosis and management of gender dysphoria.'

Dr Leighton Seal 'is one of the UK’s most expert clinicians in the hormones of sex and gender.'

Dr Christina Richards is an accredited psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP); an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS); Senior Specialist Psychology Associate at the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Gender Clinic and Clinical Research Fellow at West London Mental Health NHS Trust (Charing Cross) Gender Clinic.

Dr Penny Lenihan is one of the UK's leading experts in the field of gender dysphoria and gender related care and a senior consultant psychologist and gender specialist.

Dr Robin Dundas: Chartered psychologist.

Dr Jonny Coxon: GP and Specialist in Gender and Sexual Medicine

Also two SLTs, Christiella Antoni & Matthew Mills

Obviously this is a private clinic, but many are NHS staff.

This is the NHS gender clinic: gic.nhs.uk/

Listed there are

Dr Stuart Lorimer, Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr Leighton Seal, Consultant Endocrinologist
Dr Christina Richards, Lead Consultant Psychologist
Dr Jonny Coxon, Clinical Assistant (Endocrinology)
Matthew Mills, Consultant Speech and Language Therapist in transgender voice and communication

Lenihan is possibly an ex-member? gic.nhs.uk/about-us/the-team/dr-penny-lenihan/

Antoni seems to be a general private SLT www.christellaantoni.co.uk/

Note that Dr. James Barrett is lead clinician, but I'm concentrating on those in private practice, as they do have more need to promote themselves, so we get a good idea of their ideologies.

So Lorimer is the head of GenderCare.

His Twitter is here: twitter.com/gendercaredrl

And FB: www.facebook.com/drstuartlorimer/

Here's an article about how he came to setup a private clinic: genderqueer.me/2017/08/10/fv-gendercare-uk/

Dr. Richards has a Twitter:

twitter.com/CRichardsPsych

'My new book with @megjohnbarker about non-binary folk is out. It includes surgery, hormones, psychology, law, activism, history and much more.'

Meg-John Barker is an advocate for kink/BDSM: www.rewriting-the-rules.com/2015/02/11/bdsm-101-finding-out-more-about-kink/

Barker & Richards claim to have founded BiUK in 2004: www.biuk.org/ However previously they claimed to have founded it in 2007, so er, yeah <a class="break-all" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100610225948/www.biuk.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20100610225948/www.biuk.org/

Richards' CV/blog is here: christinarichardspsychologist.wordpress.com/

Richards says:

twitter.com/CRichardsPsych/status/1053342368362123265

"Sadly the deadline for submitting hate-filled transphobia has already passed.

It was the late 1800s"

Richards has mentioned being unusually tall <a class="break-all" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130725210716/christinarichards.co.uk/explanation.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20130725210716/christinarichards.co.uk/explanation.htm

And has also said:

twitter.com/CRichardsPsych/status/1053298575889838080

"I just want to carry on using the same facilities I have for decades without issue. "

Richards is a BBC 'expert woman'

www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20180329140333407

However it says there that Richards is "the first out trans/non-binary person to work in an NHS gender clinic." I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, because I don't see Richards as 'out' anywhere.

Richards has written a number of books, e.g. (with Barker):

www.amazon.co.uk/Sexuality-Gender-Mental-Health-Professionals/dp/085702843X?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Richards writes very reassuringly about the merits of AB/DL:

"The term paraphilic infantilism" '"should be avoided"
"For those people for whom ageplay has a sexual element, it is important to recognise that this has nothing to do with paedophilia." "Terms which may be encountered here include Daddy's Little Girl (DLG) in which an older male top treats a younger female bottom as a nurtured child."

It's good that the BBC's 'expert woman' is so keen to rule out any links between an 'older male top' treating 'a younger female bottom' like a child and paedophilia. There's obviously NOTHING inappropriate or disturbing about this at all, and men with large age gaps who treat their female sexual partners like children is just fiiiiiiiine.

Richards advises "Offer a space which is as kink-aware and affirmative as possible" "Work with the client to distinguish between difficulties which are due to not being accepted by wider society"

Richards has more on how ABDL is just like calling your spouse 'sweety', and how a pair of bunny ears is no different from having sex as a baby animal:

"In common with AB/DL, people often use babytalk and childish words when talking to adult loved ones 'hey babe'"

Obviously no different from

the 'wide-variety of purpose-made items including clothes, cots, chairs, nappies, etc. in adult sizes"

And "In common with furry identities, people commonly dress in fur and animal prints, and wear bunny ears/tails"

"In common with exhibitionism and voyeurism people watch pornography, attend strip clubs ... wear short skirts, and low-cut tops"

Because getting your cock out in public is just the same as wearing a bikini, right Christina.... We can't distinguish at all, hell we might as well just give up and legalise bestiality, paedophilia, it's all "a matter of degree".

These are the list of doctors who have complained about Helen Webberley. so I'd be inclined to consider that they might actually have some ethics.

This from the GenderGP website of Helen Webberley:

gendergp.co.uk/queries/

I have had numerous complaints to the GMC about my transgender service.

A complaint from Alec Rook questioning whether I was qualified to provide gender care. This was fully investigated and no concerns were found on my fitness to practice in this area.

A letter from Stuart Lorimer, consultant psychiatrist at Charing Cross and GenderCare private clinic regarding my practice with numerous comments and concerns. The GMC decided that the complaint did not need investigating.

Another letter from Stuart Lorimer with further concerns. The GMC did not feel this warranted an investigation.

I raised concerns about James Barrett, consultant psychiatrist at Charing Cross and the GMC did not investigate but instead opened an investigation about me. This was closed with no fault found.

Professor Hindmarsh, via Dr Butler, consultant paediatric endocrinologist has made a complaint about my treatment of a transgender child. This investigation is currently ongoing.

A ‘senior doctor’ from Charing Cross has made an anonymous statement to the CQC which has now ben passed to the GMC. He outlines various concerns he has, none of which he can substantiate.

Thank-you for the list. I've only just clicked that the majority of those 'Doctors' who are prescribing such serious medical interventions, are not even medical Doctors.

I agree with you.

The whole "industry" needs to be thoroughly investigated. All sorts of charlatans pitching up with their grubby hands out.

Well there is an (unsubstantiated - because I haven't been witness to it myself) rumor that Dr James Barrett is actually a transvestite.

I've heard this from a number of different sources that were totally unrelated - so it's an "allegedly" at this point. He has also written this book

www.amazon.co.uk/Transsexual-Other-Disorders-Gender-Identity/dp/185775719X?tag=mumsnetforum-21

To clarify - I saw 3 gender doctors rather than 2. My doctors (Professors) violently disagreed about my diagnosis. One felt I could have full SRS tomorrow, without question. Another that I needed to keep waiting, year after year for a decision, and that no resources should yet be given to me. They openly and violently disagreed. Basically nobody wanted to spend resources, so nobody has given me any therapy for the last 12 years since I started on this road. Christina didn't realise I had learning disabilities, and I wasn't aware either. Its hard when you can't understand things. I'v never understood why she bullied me. I could never keep up when she was talking. She confused me. I didn't know what was going on when she was talking. She always talked really fast, and always was really nasty. She was my abuser. So tomorrow I can get SRS if I wanted to, but nobody has ever been willing to talk to me about gender issues. Do you think its right ?

People need to talk slowly in order for me to understand. This is the way I am. Christina didn't know this. She always spoke very quickly, and I never knew what was happening in our appointments, but she always projected hate towards me. I got tested - and it is a real thing - I can only understand if the other person speaks slowly - otherwise I just can't figure out what's happening. Christina didn't know. Doesn't know today.

That is awful quizical1. I imagined counselling would be obligatory before Surgery. How can they allow anyone to take such a big step without talking about it and the implications of it first? It is no excuse to say they didn’t know you had learning disabilities. I know a few people with learning disabilities, and a few more who I suspect have learning disabilities but whom have never disclosed. I also know people for whom English is not their first language. If you listen to them then it is clear that they do not always understand and you have to say what you want to say again more simply. And it is also clear that agreement is not always understanding or consent. But you have to listen!

I hope you have managed to get therapy since to talk through what has happened to you.

So sorry to hear what you've been through quizical

Listening to patients and having sensitivity to their needs and requirements should be the number one priority.

quizical1, I'm so very sorry. Have you got support now?

Hello, quizcal1

We're sorry we had to delete your comment - it contained details about self-harm that we aren't able to leave up on the boards.

We’re so sorry to hear that you’ve experienced this and we wanted to share Mind's information with you. It has practical tips on what you can do when you feel like this and where to get urgent help.

We hope that this is useful

Thanks. Gender counselling is available to me privately for £30 to £50 per hour, but its too much for me. So, no, I can't get any counselling but I'm approved for surgery. So no support. Its just the way the system is. I really think that people who want to go through this get a dozen hours of counselling straight away.

I was actually diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities before Christina Richards became my doctor, and more after I left her. She never asked if I had any. Never checked for any. I was diagnosed out the country mostly, so they weren't on my record. I was well educated so she just assumed nothing like that was an issue. I had no idea I needed people to speak slowly, and neither did Christina. She spoke quickly. Its really rare, but its possible to be really smart and also have intense learning disabilities - most people assume I'm really smart, but some things I can't do at all. There is no oversight at the gender clinic I went to. Doctors work in teams of two, and each checks the other, but that is it. When both doctors make the same mistake, and miss part of the diagnosis, as happened with me, there is no way to get oversight. You can complain to the GMC, but I don't see doctors investigating doctors as impartial, and even if you win, after years of sending papers back and forward, you're unlikely to win much more than the acknowledgement that you were mistreated. It is a broken system. If two doctors agree then they have created a diagnostic fact, but as happened with me, that diagnostic fact can be none-existent. Even after seeing them for years, they got it all wrong. Learning difficulties and Autism are why most people go to these places. I have both, intensely. This means, even for someone smart, capacity is an issue. Richards didn't realise I was autistic either, and my autism is intense. I think the big problem with gender services is autism infers social blindness, and in gender services blind people are allowed to make decisions, without even guiding those decisions with counselling. Autism infers obsession, and people battling their obsessions are allowed to engage in an exploration of their obsessions over several years or decades. And when misdiagnosis occurs, as happened to me, then the medical establishment gather together and collude to protect the doctors involved from repercussions, irrespective of how many lies need to be told to cover up the facts. Psychiatry, and especially gender services, is fundamentally corrupt. Gender services are an institutionalised attack on the most vulnerable in society. I don't feel its the ontic base which is the problem - that gender services isn't some Freudian tower - but rather that gender services represents the routine exploitation of the vulnerable - nobody has ever actually sat down with me and had a meaningful discussion about gender and I think that's the issue in most cases. GICs are broken machines, and costs will spiral exponentially as long as we support the idea of supporting patients by giving them what they ask for, without ever discussing that with them.

No I don't have any support at all. The medical profession don't like to spend money on counselling. Maybe in a few years I'll win the lottery, and I can get some. Even more than gender issues, I really wish I could get counselling for my autism. I deal with social blindness, and that is massively hard to cope with. Its like, if I go to the gym, I don't know what to say to people, or when to say it, and I don't know what is happening in any social situation I'm in. People just assume rudeness or that I'm deliberately insulting them. I spent 2 weeks explaining autism to all of them but it didn't help, and they just made jokes and thought it wasn't real, so I left. Blindness is blindness. People hate you when you're blind like that. But I can't fix it, and I can't get therapy even if that would help with it. You see non-autistics just never will understand autism, so they always assume you're just trying to insult them. But hey, we all have problems to deal with.

Have you tried this organisation? They offer free counselling for people with autism (not just aspergers):

www.actionforaspergers.org/asperger-counselling/

Wow. That sounds amazing. I'll check out the link tomorrow. Thanks so much.

Just feeling a bit sorry for myself. Its just, I have dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and slow processing disorder. All are learning disabilities to some degree or other, depending on who you ask, and when you have 5 learning disabilities, it effects learning a lot, especially processing social situations, and Christina Richards never realised any of this. She never asked. Never knew. I don't think its right. I guess i'v said all I need to. Just helps to write it down.

The organisation you mentioned charge £40 - £55 per hour rather than being free. I'm going to give them a try anyway.

Oh, my apologies, I thought it was a charitable organisation and provided free support. Hope you can find someone to help - perhaps they can provide advice, if not counselling.

I'm also very sorry to hear you've not had the care you are looking for. I do think there's a terrible lack of support for people suffering with gender dysphoria; I wish there was more help out there.

Unfortunately the political aspects of gender issues seems to be hoovering up all the attention of organisations that one might expect to be working in this area. Too much lobbying, not enough practical help.

All the best, quizical1.

Thanks. I need to be realistic, and spending £2,000 for a years counselling is something I can't afford. They council kids for free I think, but once you hit adulthood you can't get help. I'm just going to give up on trying to get help. Best.