Another blow has been dealt to the main professional therapy bodies in the UK. Following recent revelations from Dr Christian Buckland and other former Chairs of the UKCP, BACP and BPS, further criticisms have been levelled at these bodies by current members. On a GB News’ Free Speech Nation episode, Josh Howie talked to Alasdair Stokeld, Terry Patterson and Dr Katie Alcock about the ideological capture of their membership bodies and how activist influence and gender ideology were undermining child safety.
UKCP member and psychotherapist Alasdair Stokeld, described how he found it “utterly impossible to have a serious, reasoned, professional conversation with anyone in the organisation about how the problem of gender identity might be addressed”. He explained: “We had a sudden upsurge of very young people, very vulnerable people, being told, and believing that, it was possible to change sex and we had absolute professional silence on this matter“.
BACP member Terry Patterson, a counsellor, clinical supervisor and part of the campaign group Thoughtful Therapists, explained that the BACP “promote a very pro- trans narrative. They expect you to believe in gender identity and to believe in the ideology and they will push this non-stop through all their publications, through their training events, through their guidelines and policies, through their public statements, and at the same time they completely suppress any alternative viewpoints”.
Terry explained that despite repeated efforts by Thoughtful Therapists to raise concerns with the BACP about the impact of their policies on vulnerable children who are at risk of following a medical pathway to transition, “They still won’t look at this. They won’t even comment on the Cass Review. That’s how bad it is.” She added: “One of the recommendations of the Cass Review was that professional bodies need to come together and show leadership and provide guidance on the management of this population and they’ve completely failed to do that. None of them have produced any guidance for us.”
BPS member Dr Katie Alcock, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Lancaster University, criticised the BPS for issuing guidelines for “professional psychologists working with clients who are unsure around sex and gender issues” in which “the only thing to do was affirm“. Dr Alcock explained that, together with a group of other psychologists, she had written to the BPS asking: “What is this? This is not what the science says. Why are you doing this?” The response of the BPS was, to “basically shut us down”. While they did take down their gender guidance for children they have not replaced it, despite promising to set up a committee to write new guidance. Dr Alcock is an expert in this area, but the BPS has not appointed her to their committee or produced any new guidance.
Dr Alcock expressed a wish that parents ‘be more aware of how their children develop‘ and “how immature their kids’ thinking is“. She explained that “little kids genuinely think that if a boy puts on a dress he turns into a girl” and stressed the importance of parents becoming “more aware of how their children develop” and “how immature their kids’ thinking is“. Dr Alcock added that it’s not only parents but doctors and teachers who need to understand child development.
Here at CTA, we applaud all those who have had the courage to stand up to these professional bodies and hold them to account. Thanks to them, public awareness is growing and the truth will out. It is sobering to reflect, however, that in June 2024, two months after the publication of the Cass Review, Carole Sherwood, writing for CTA, was asking the question: “Will Activists Hinder its Application?” Sadly, the answer to that question has been a resounding ‘Yes’.
How much longer can these ideologically captured institutions stick rigidly to their indefensible position of ‘no debate’ and suppression of alternative viewpoints in the face of reality and truth? Their failure to protect children and vulnerable young people from harm is a scandal and one for which all the professional bodies should hang their heads in shame.
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