The tide might be starting to turn in Australia too

[Femwitch]

www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/now-i-m-hopeful-we-can-we-talk-about-teens-and-gender-20211031-p594q6.html

Deeply sensible sounding clinical psychologist.

Thank you femwitch.

However, it is important to note that this is obviously a NSW paper. Victoria and QLD have passed problematic laws about conversion therapy and I worry about those states.

I particularly liked this

Although there is agreement across all clinicians working with gender-questioning adolescents that they typically report a history of mental health problems, increasingly some clinicians will consider the possibility that the client has come to the belief they are transgender as a way of providing an explanation for and resolving their pre-existing problems. In my experience, gender-affirming therapists strongly disagree, believing that anything other than immediately affirming the client’s expressed belief they are transgender will compound the harm. My view is that it is precisely because of the high rate of mental health problems in this group that a careful and comprehensive mental health assessment is required as a first step. Shepherding all of these vulnerable young people down the same pathway is poor clinical practice.

Shepherding all of these vulnerable young people down the same pathway is poor clinical practice.

It's so blindingly obvious isn't it?

@Helleofabore

Thank you femwitch.

However, it is important to note that this is obviously a NSW paper. Victoria and QLD have passed problematic laws about conversion therapy and I worry about those states.

Yes I think the ACT has as well. I'm hopeful that at some point there will be a very sensible view taken that therapy to explore whether someone actually has or should have an diagnosis of gender dysphoria cannot be 'conversion' therapy for gender identity, because it is the step logically prior to establishing whether there is a genuine (ie clinically diagnosable) gender identity issue at all.

You are right. I forgot ACT brought this in too last year.

It is, as you say, not so much the ban on conversion therapy as such. It is the enforcement of affirming only treatment and that anything else is conversion therapy, that is the issue. And it is a very pertinent topic for the UK at the moment of course.

Yes exactly. I'm not familiar enough with how conversion therapy is defined in the various pieces of legislation to know whether my hopeful interpretation has any likelihood of success. But in the ACT I think I read it was rushed through quite quickly and full of holes , so hopefully it won't be possible to actually take action against a psychologist who is doing proper clinical therapy.

Just looked briefly at the ACT legislation, which says one of the purposes of the act is to 'affirm that all people have characteristics of sexuality and gender identity'.

Jesus. That's a pretty controversial statement that is now enshrined in law.

The ranzcp paper it refers to is relevant australia wide not just nsw. It is in conflict with the rch (royal childrens hospital- melbourne ) position who I think they might be the most influential group for gender therapy for children. Great to see some sanity creeping in to provide genuine holistic client centric care.

We are starting to see slightly more light in Canada too. Though I think it is going to be a long haul, we are five years behind the UK.

I am really grateful for the spill-over from the UK.

NSW paper meaning the SMH to be clear. The RANZCP paper is of course covers Australia and NZ.

And yes, Timeisnotaline I picked up that people such as Michelle Telfer in Victoria is likely to now be contravening the Psychiatric guidelines for best care if they don't offer a range of treatments that reflects the RANZCP guidelines, and posted as such on a thread lauding Telfer's work from earlier this year.