Tag: conversiontherapy

New resource: trans affirming therapist checklist

A checklist of red flags and green flags to be aware of when working with a therapist on areas that include trans topics.

Looking for a therapist can be hard at the best of times. With the increasing rise in transphobia and trans antagonism, we know that for many trans and non-binary people, doing so can be risky; it can be hard to know whether a therapist practices in a way that respects and affirms your identity and experience.

That’s why we have developed a new trans affirming therapist checklist (alt text included on image and in a linked file below). The short version is below, and you can also check out the extended version here.

Trans-affirming therapy checklist. The alt text is also linked in a file below.

This is designed primarily as a resource for anyone who is looking for a therapist and wants to be reassured that their therapist is trans affirmative and does not practice any form of conversion therapy.
This resource might be useful to you when you are looking for therapy if you are trans or non-binary, or a loved one is, or you are exploring your gender.

It may also be useful for therapists who are thinking about how to increase their cultural competence when working with trans, non-binary, and gender exploring clients.

You can use these links to download different file formats. They are free – please share them widely!

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Alt text – please feel free to use this when posting the images on social media for people using screen readers. Please note that the alt text may be too long for some sites and you may need to abridge this- it may be worth posting the top few points and signposting people to the alt text link as included here.

The checklist was inspired by the Neurodiversity checklist created by Sonny Jane Wise. It was developed through discussions between TACTT members – drawing on both our professional experiences, and the experiences many of us have searching for trans-affirming therapists as clients.

How to take action to oppose conversion therapy

The current UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) leadership has today (Friday 5th April)  announced its withdrawal as a signatory of the Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy (MOU), and from membership of the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy. (To read more here about their rationale, and our refutation of it, please see our open letter)

This is devastating news for everyone who wants to see an end to conversion therapy and create safe and better therapeutic options for all LGBTQIA+ clients. We call upon UKCP’s board to reverse this decision. UKCP did not consult with its membership or stakeholders before making this announcement, so we are encouraging everybody impacted by this decision to  join us in making your thoughts and opinions known. There are many ways to do so, and every little bit counts!

We have put together this post as a response to questions from people asking what action they can take to oppose UKCP’s move, and to support the push to end conversion therapy for all – whether or not they are a therapist or a member of UKCP.

Below, we outline options for opposing this move by UKCP and supporting the MOU – for all therapists and trainees as well as for clients and other interested stakeholders. 

We will update this with more information and ideas for action as we are able to – please do contact us if you would like to suggest any. And please share these ideas widely and encourage your colleagues, friends and peers to get involved!

Scroll down to read our suggestions for:

  • UKCP members (individual)
  • UKCP members (organisational)
  • All therapists and trainees
  • Members and employees of other MoU signatories
  • Other interested parties (including: clients, potential clients, parents, charities, stakeholders, employees of other MOU signatories)

UKCP members (individual)

  • Call for a vote of no confidence in the board and demand the resignation of board members by signing our petition/letter to the UKCP and share it with your network.
  • Contact UKCP to raise a complaint.
  • Raise your concerns with the UKCP EDI committee, UKCP Ethics Lead, Membership team or communications team. (Contact details and writing tips)
  • You may wish to cancel your membership or you may prefer to remain a member of UKCP and oppose this action. At this stage TACTT are not advising either way – but we do recommend that if you decide to cancel your membership you contact the memberships team and tell them why.
  • Post or tweet on social media your concerns and/or your support for the MoU and the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy.

UKCP members (organisational)

  • Please approach the UKCP with your concerns as an organisational member. 
  • Consider writing a public statement raising your concerns and/or opposing the UKCP’s decision and your support for MoU and the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy.
  • Raise concerns to the Charity Commission.

All therapists and trainees

  • If you are training or working at a UKCP-accredited organisation, you can raise this with the training organisation via your student reps / DEI reps or ask your training institution directly to clarify whether they support this move by UKCP and if not, to publicly oppose it and/or actively approach the UKCP.
  • Raise this / ask your tutors for advice / support if you are a student on placement and this decision by UKCP would impact your work with LGBTQIA+ clients.
  • Speak to your supervisor about this and your concerns about the impact of this decision on your work.
  • Speak to colleagues and peers who may not know this is happening (not everyone reads UKCP mail)
  • Post or tweet on social media your concerns and/or your support for the MoU and the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy.

Members and employees of other MoU signatories

The MoU has been signed by 25 health, counselling and psychotherapy organisations, and supported by another four (see the list). If you are a member or employee of one of these organisations we urge you to write to them and express your support for the MoU and your desire to see a continued coalition of support to oppose conversion therapy.

Other interested parties (including: clients, potential clients, stakeholders, employees of other MOU signatories)

  • Raise a complaint with the UKCP, as someone who is impacted by the service they deliver (this includes as someone who could potentially use their directory to look for a therapist). 
  • Contact UKCP’s communications team (could include your concern about you or relatives finding safe therapists on their online directory)
  • You could raise concerns to the Charity Commission.
  • Post or tweet on social media your concerns and/or your support for the MoU and the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy. 
  • If you are a member of PCU (Psychotherapy and Counselling Union) / PCSR (Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility) or other therapy organisations ask them to pass a motion to write to the UKCP to raise this as a matter of concern.
  • If you are a member of any charity / client organisation that works with clients potentially impacted by this decision, you could ask them to send a letter of concern to UKCP / the Charity Commission. 
  • Let the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy know you are concerned and let them know your organisation supports their work.

Please all take action where you can and open dialogue with allies, colleagues, family and friends!