Holding response to UKCP (21/12/23)

UKCP has now published a response to our open letter, which is published on their website: https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/news/response-to-tactt-open-letter/

TACTT will respond in full in the new year. We are publishing this holding response to let everyone who has signed the letter know about UKCP’s response, and also to make clear that we are disappointed with this response and do not believe it satisfactorily engages with the concerns we have raised.

Yet again, any mention of trans, non-binary and gender-expansive clients and therapists are absent from UKCP’s writing. We are still unaware as to whether any therapists with lived and/or working experiences of gender expansiveness were consulted in the process.

We also reject the framing of ‘affirmative’ therapy as somehow lacking in exploration, as opposed to being an approach in which the therapist supports the client’s right to define themselves and continue to explore with and alongside them.

We are confused about UKCP’s confirmation that their original guidance, which prompted TACTT to write its open letter, should not be taken as a change in policy nor position. It is still unclear  what members are supposed to do with the information outlined in this guidance, outside of UKCP’s members being permitted to hold gender critical views whilst carrying out their work.

We continue to view UKCP’s guidance (along with their most recent response) as sitting dangerously close to permitting conversion therapy. This not only puts clients at risk of harm, as this goes against UKCP’s Code of Ethics & Professional Practice, but also negates UKCP’s position as a signatory of the Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy.

We will expand upon these points in our full statement in the new year. We will continue to press for the centering of trans, non-binary and gender-expansive voices in conversations about working with gender.

We believe that no gender or sexuality is inherently better than or preferable to any other. 

We believe that any place across the spectrum of gender identity and expression is as good an outcome as any other. We believe that everyone should be able to explore their gender and sexuality in an open, non-judgemental space when accessing therapy services.