“This is highly encouraging,” said Ruth Institute president Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D., referring to a recent statement by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) acknowledging that talk therapy is not coercive and that therapists are fully entitled to believe that children with gender dysphoria should not be medicalized.
“Faulty studies and false testimonies about so-called ‘conversion therapy’ have done a lot of damage,” Morse continued.
A commonly cited study by Blosnich, et al, purported to prove that talk therapy led to suicide. Ruth Institute Research Associate Fr. Paul Sullins, Ph.D., challenged those claims, using the study’s own data. His reanalysis showed that therapy often led to lower suicide rates, not higher.
“The thanks Fr. Sullins received for correcting false data, was being attacked by LGBT activists around the world. In fact, last week in Slovakia, where Fr. Sullins spoke on this topic, a last-minute venue change was needed due to protests.”
“Clearly, gender ideologists are getting nervous. They don’t like facing the inconvenient truth that therapy can help people. Given how Fr. Sullins was treated for honest research, it’s all the more impressive that the UKCP is openly stating their belief in the efficacy of talk therapy.”
In their ‘guidance concerning gender critical views,’ UKCP states: “Case law has confirmed that gender-critical beliefs (which include the belief that sex is biological and immutable, people cannot change their sex and sex is distinct from gender-identity) are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Individuals who hold such beliefs must therefore not be discriminated against.”
“In the U.S., where 27 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have banned talk therapy, this is a monumental statement,” Morse noted.
The UKCP goes on to say that psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic may believe that “the clinically most appropriate approach to working therapeutically with individuals who present with gender dysphoria, particularly children and young people, is exploratory therapy, rather than medicalised interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or reassignment surgery.”
Further, “An important aspect of exploratory therapy is the ability to explore the fullest range of issues that may contribute to the person seeking help … Psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors are free to conduct their professional practice in this way.”
“If only more organizations were this logical,” Morse said. “But it got even better when the UKPC said, ‘This is in line with the UKCP’s values as an inclusive and pluralistic organisation.’”
“Imagine that–using the term ‘inclusive’ accurately. In the U.S., inclusivity has come to mean everything that agrees with gender ideology. If you disagree, you’re excluded. Not only does disagreeing make you non-inclusive, you’re also a hateful bigoted transphobe.”
“The UKCP speaks uncommon good sense,” Morse said. “I can only hope that psychologists in the U.S. will take note. The Brits have it right: Gender identity is complex. Open, honest, non-judgmental therapy is what’s best for the patient. Therefore, therapy bans the world over should be reversed.”
“If others in the therapeutic profession truly care for people, not ideology, they will follow suit. Individuals who want non-biased counselling should be allowed it. The alternative has been children and young adults being pushed into gender-transitioning to their serious mental and physical detriment.”
“The now-outspoken Chloe Cole, whom I interviewed on the Dr. J Show, and several others, are suing their doctors for their manipulative and misleading transitioning practice. How many lawsuits need to occur before doctors realize their methods are no longer worth it? They may need to consider returning to therapy that first does no harm, and actually helps people.”
“The UK has woken up to reality. It’s time the U.S. did too.”