We, the clinical associates, faculty, students and members of Pink Therapy, wish to express in the strongest terms our condemnation of the decision by the UKCP to withdraw from the MOU2. The UKCP, alongside Pink Therapy, were founding members of the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy, which has always included protections for young people. Over recent years there have been several changes in leadership of the UKCP alongside the current climate of threat and hostility to those who are trans/non-binary and gender questioning, those of us who have been involved in the development of the MOU from the very start have always been clear about the need to protect those most vulnerable from conversion therapy – children and young people, and in particular LGBTQAAI+ children and young people.
We are also gravely concerned at the way this withdrawal lets down the LGBTQAAI+ members of the UKCP, trainees, and students, and places both practitioners and clients at risk.
We would expect therapeutic regulatory bodies to stand up for the most persecuted and vulnerable, rather than what appears to be withdrawing support for young people and joining in with the current climate of anti-trans hostility.
Instead of consulting with those who have expertise, both the scientific research and lived experience, or even their own membership, the UKCP has released a regressive response to a shared declaration which has been in existence for 8 years. If the UKCP had issues with the MOU2 surely these could have been discussed and revised in the thoughtful and calm manner, we would expect from the psychotherapeutic profession.
We call upon the UKCP to acknowledge their error here, whilst we agree that there is an urgent need for better training, the MOU2 has explicitly made clear that every therapist should, in their foundation training cover working in an affirmative and exploratory way with clients who seek to change their gender/sexuality. We would invite the UKCP to lean upon our considerable knowledge and expertise to ensure that everyone is protected from conversion therapy.
We further invite the NCPS and BPC to respond to the comment that they are in a joint discussion with UKCP and ask if this collaboration has been shared with their own members?
