UKCP announcement

[GeorgeOrwellsTurningGrave]

UKCP pull out of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU2) - re: conversion therapy

Thanks for the clarification; it does seem that there's suddenly a number of key studies being released.

One can but wonder if Cass has been waiting for some of these

@Chersfrozenface - thank you!

It should be this one.
Puberty Blocker and Aging Impact on Testicular Cell States and Function | bioRxiv

I know we talk on here about a golden bridge - and this is starting to happen. Every responsible adult knows that children aren't "little adults". Knows that children can't give informed consent to sterilisation, impaired sexual function and life long body modification resulting in being a patient for life. That mentally vulnerable children are particularly vulnerable to being socially groomed.
Watching organisations step away from extreme transactivism involving children will involve sleights of hand, waving away previous statements, ignoring the harm caused by adherence to trans lobbyists demands and so on.

This is going to be an exercise in gritted teeth for many of us.

As a long term on / off therapy user I have to say this whole thing made me lose some trust in both ukcp and bacp. They're the professional bodies you're told to look out for to make sure you have a fully trained, professional, insured practitioner. One who's done the work on themselves first to iron out any bias etc.

It just seemed utterly illogical that therapists would sign up to taking everything a person said about gender ID at face value (eg affirmation) because that's just not psychotherapy! Why would therapists ever agree to not practice proper in-depth psychotherapy on a subsection of society? It's a terrible business model for one thing but it also seemed grossly unfair that anyone mentioning "trans" would not get a good quality service.

These are supposed to be professionals who you bare your souls to, often when pretty vulnerable.

The amazing Couples Therapy series on BBC illustrates this well. The transwoman is the only participant who did not get to explore their early life experience in depth. I don't really blame the therapist, but it felt deeply unfair for the (v likeable) transwoman.

The understanding that the MoU did not relate to children was confirmed by the Chair of the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy with the UKCP Board of Trustees in 2018, which was recorded in the relevant meeting’s minutes. Without the involvement of and full consultation with UKCP child psychotherapists and child psychotherapeutic counsellors, UKCP would not have signed the MoU if it was known to relate to children.

So UKCP were told formally that the MoU didn't cover children, when they signed it. Then:

In 2019, without consultation with UKCP, our Board of Trustees was informed that the MoU relates to all ages.

Pretty embarrassing for the Coalition against Conversion Therapy (who are in charge of MoU). But then:

The MoU was scheduled for a full formal review in July 2021; however, this review did not take place.

Even more embarrassing for the CaCT. And then:

Since November 2023, in light of new and emerging evidence which has raised fresh concerns around child safety, the UKCP CEO and Chair have attempted on several occasions to engage with the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy to discuss a number of important issues and concerns including definition of terms. We have not, as yet, been able to have this dialogue.

I mean I'm no expert in press releases, but it seems that UKCP are being pretty blunt that they were lied to and then their concerns ignored when the lie was obvious. It may well be them throwing Coalition against Conversion Therapy under the bus but tbh I don't much care if they do - CaCT are ideologues who've chosen their religion over therapeutic values and integrity, so they can get run over for all I care. But it seems pointed that UKCP have publicised their version of events like this.

We have James Esses to thank for a lot of the heavy lifting re: UKCP (thank you James and I'm so sorry for the price you had to pay).

I'm a children and young person's therapist myself. Sadly a member of the BACP rather than the UKCP. My experience is that we just don't talk about this, everyone is either too scared or fully immersed in it and it's impossible to tell which side someone is on without showing your hand.

I made the mistake as a trainee of asking my Supervisor about how to handle gender dysphoria in kids and she essentially intimated that I was a thicko who didn't understand what conversion therapy was. I never took it to Supervision again.

I will also say that I HAVE been asked for trans conversion therapy (in fact was outright told that I needed to 'convince' the client that they weren't trans) by a parent and was revolted by the request and made it quite clear that the client (late teen) sets their goals for therapy. Multiple safeguarding issues came up relating to that parent through the course of therapy.

My job as a therapist has always - and will always be - to walk alongside the client as they make sense of their own life. Neither conversion therapy NOR affirmation fit my role and I don't practice either.

On the subject of the BACP they are an absolute shambles, most of their board have stepped down, at least one was forced out, their SLT has mostly changed over. I know from people who have worked there that there is apparently a culture of bullying and a lot of fearfulness around talking about race, I cannot imagine it's a climate where a conversation like the ones that have happened at UKCP can currently take place.

This, to me, is essential reading: Peter Jenkins (Thoughtful Therapists) published this on TransgenderTrend.WPATH and MOU

And hard agree @sacrificeaagain - James has made such a huge difference

Aha...

I see people backing quietly away from WPATH.

I'm wondering when criminal investigations will begin into every 'professional' involved, every single health care professional involved with social and/or medical transition of children.

I'm not sure that there will be any criminal investigations into those providing, on the face of it, 'gender care', but it will be more on the technical (for want of a better word) points, i.e Professional should have done X, but did not, which led to Y, professional did X which led to Y, but didn't follow up with Z.

Capone was known for his brutality, but it was tax-evasion that finally got him charged and put away.

There's a criminal investigation opened in Sicily. Can't recall what thread it was on, sorry. But it was wrt puberty blockers as an unevidenced treatment.

Thanks @ArabellaScott , found it.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5044625-puberty-blocker-scandal-at-florence-hospital-criminal-investigation

This is the one.

Jinx!

Thanks! And Florence, not Sicily ... my memory continues to disappoint.

Good place to add this:

This is an interesting supporting statement for the role of chair of UKCP: www.psychotherapy.org.uk/media/ggwnwgvi/es-sph.pdf

It completely slates UKCP. I've never seen a nomination statement like it!