Violent “anti-racist” riots, identity-based condemnation, and professional witch-hunts have become prominent features of Western society in recent years. As Critical Social Justice (CSJ) has proliferated as the new social doctrine across the West, it has brought with it destruction (or “dismantling”), intimidation, reputational damage (cancel culture), and identity confusion—particularly among gender-dysphoric minors—as part of its broader anti-civilizational agenda. Many are well-aware of the Evergreen State College incident, the Maya Forstater tribunal, and the tragic suicide of Richard Bilkszto, all of which illustrate the impact of CSJ activism on our society.
Unsurprisingly, the mental health field has not been spared from this ideological incursion into our private and professional lives. Grievance-based ideologies have firmly established themselves within licensing bodies and academic institutions, and the consequences has been well-documented. Toward the end of 2024, the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) published the LGBTQ+ Special Edition of their Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Unfortunately, this issue was not filled with robust, evidence-based psychotherapeutic theory and practice, but rather with anti-therapeutic ideological activism.
Jaco van Zyl wrote two responses (here and here), to demonstrate the extent to which the IACP has strayed from the core principles, practice and essence of psychotherapy. One of these responses focused on a trans-activist article by Leonie O’Dowd, a psychotherapist and member of Mammies for Trans Rights. In his response, he noted how
“…O’Dowd resorts to libellous slander as a means to discredit those who disagree with her: She depicts SEGM (Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine), Genspect and Genspect’s founder, Stella O’Malley, as hate groups. These two organisations are fully aligned with the Cass Review as well as other reputable guidelines, such as the mentioned Finnish and Swedish guidelines. Stella O’Malley was herself gender dysphoric (GD) as an adolescent, she is a published author and expert on GD and has published several peer reviewed journal articles. This character assassination of the said organisations and individual is one of the most malicious I have seen over the past several years. This tactic has become a favourite modus operandi that radical trans-activists resort to – and get away with – while simultaneously pretending to be victims.”
Due to the seriousness of these defamatory claims, Stella O’Malley and Genspect have separately filed defamation lawsuits against both the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and psychotherapist Leonie O’Dowd. Many see this legal action as long overdue, given the extent of societal and professional damage caused by ideological extremism. The details of the case can be read in full here.
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