The British Psychological Society (BPS) faces criticism for pursuing an ‘anti-racist’ agenda that views ‘Whiteness’ as problematic. A recent news report reveals that the BPS part-funded a teaching module on ‘Whiteness’, created by Professor Nimisha Patel, of the University of East London (UEL). This module is being presented to clinical psychology training courses across the UK. Future generations of clinical psychologists are being told to “disrupt whiteness” and to scrutinise “our theories, methods and practices and training institutions and curricula, for Whiteness and its deleterious consequences for the public”.
The report quotes from the ‘Whiteness’ training module which warns trainees that: “White voices need to be careful not to control discussion spaces, given that White dominance and the process of positive White identity development is best fostered by a listening and learning attitude”.
Other examples of ‘anti-whiteness’ literature produced by the BPS are cited in the report, including a publication titled ‘The Trojan Horses of Whiteness’ in which Professor Patel claims that “Whiteness is everywhere in our teaching content … even when we teach about diversity”.
These materials have been brought to public attention by James Esses, founder of Just Therapy, an association of mental health professionals who are “pushing back against woke ideologies within the profession”. He notes “the twisted irony” that “in adopting an ‘anti-whiteness’ stance” the BPS “are demonstrating themselves to be the biggest racists going”. In response, the BPS claims it wishes to “broaden the diversity of the clinical psychology workforce” and to “widen access” to “under-represented communities”.
From CTA’s point of view, efforts to diversify the clinical psychology workforce may be laudable. However, the BPS is clearly oblivious to the detrimental effects its ‘anti-racist’ policies and training modules are having on members of that workforce. Perhaps they are equally oblivious to how ‘anti-whiteness’ might be perceived by clients seeking help from a clinical psychologist? In the US, psychologists are now raising concerns about the negative effects of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pedagogy and questioning unevidenced claims that psychology is imbued with white supremacy and racism. While the BPS persists in treading the well-worn path of ‘anti-racism’, the rest of the field has parted company and is seeking pastures new. As the largest professional membership organisation for psychologists in the UK, the BPS needs to follow suit if it is to maintain its credibility.
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