Call to Action

9 am, 28 July 2024

Here is an important message from James Esses for therapist supporters of Save Mental Health:

I’m currently looking to set up a venture designed to tackle the politicisation of the therapeutic profession and to offer clients a much-needed alternative. In a nutshell, it will be an association of like-minded therapists who sign up to a series of common principles which will inform their practise. These principles will look something like:

·      Non-Judgement: Our therapists won’t pass judgement on you because of your beliefs, opinions, or viewpoints, political or otherwise.

·      Neutrality: Our therapists won’t preach or push ideologies on you, such as gender ideology or critical race theory. They are therapists, not activists. 

·      Identity-Politics Free Zone: Our therapists will view you as the individual that you are and not make assumptions about you, positive or negative, just because of your skin colour, religion, sex or indeed any other characteristic. 

·      Evidence-Based Practice: Our therapists are guided by scientific and evidence-based theories, rather than nebulous concepts of ‘lived experience’ or ‘indigenous knowledge’.

·      Exploration, Not Affirmation: Our therapists are not nodding dogs who view their purpose as being to tell you whatever you want to hear. They will explore what you bring to sessions openly and may even challenge you, in order to help you get to where you need to be. 

·      Resilience: Our therapists are not fragile, in need of safe spaces or trigger warnings.  Their goal is to build up your strength and resiliency, rather than enabling self-perpetuating narratives of victimhood.

·      Free Speech: Our therapists believe that human beings and societies flourish when they embrace free speech and do not attempt to shut others down. 

There is certainly a demand for this type of therapy. However, at present it is very difficult for clients to source such therapists. 

This venture will help to solve the issue, as it will be a centralised association with brand level recognition, which will enable clients to be referred to therapists within it (almost like a virtual practice or clinic). It will operate in much the same way as a barristers’ chambers, with every member remaining self-employed, and simply paying a percentage of their fee to the association.

At this stage, I am scoping out clinicians who would be interested in joining such an association.  If you are, please contact me: mail@jamesesses.com