The Problem

An intolerant and illiberal ideology has been introduced into mental healthcare training programmes and services in the UK.  This ideology is known as Critical Social Justice (CSJ). It encompasses Critical Race Theory (CRT), Gender Identity Ideology, and Queer Theory.  CSJ is anti-therapeutic, anti-scientific, authoritarian and has the potential to cause damage to mental health and, in some cases, physical health.  It is a political project that is completely at odds with professional, ethical and effective therapeutic practice.  

CSJ ideology stems from Critical Theory and has its origins in Marxist thought and postmodernist theory.  It came to the UK from the US and has been widely adopted and promoted by:

●      NHS England which funds clinical psychology training programmes

●     The British Psychological Society and British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy which accredit training courses

●     The Health & Care Professions Council, responsible for registering practitioner psychologists and protecting the welfare of the general public

●     Some psychologists, psychotherapists, and students, who see themselves as political activists whose role is to bring about societal change.

Here are some of the problems arising in mental health care and wider society as a result of this political project:

●      A future generation of psychologists and psychotherapists schooled in identity politics and social justice activism

●      Contested ideas such as microaggressions, intersectionality and decolonisation adopted without debate or discussion

●      Clinical and therapeutic expertise and knowledge deliberately downgraded in favour of ‘lived experience’ and ‘indigenous’ knowledge with no evidence that these approaches work

●      Effective traditional therapies, exploratory assessment, and safeguarding measures undermined in favour of an ‘affirming’ model of ‘care’ that prevents clinicians and therapists from asking the questions necessary to help people with their mental health.

●      People with severe and enduring mental health problems actively encouraged to train as therapists to help vulnerable patients with mental health problems

●      Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, ‘anti-racism’, ‘Whiteness’ and ‘decolonisation’ initiatives leading to exclusion, discrimination, unethical practices and the silencing of alternative viewpoints

●      The needs of those labelled as ‘dominant’ such as men and boys, not being met, despite men accounting for 75% of all suicides in the UK

●      Young people encouraged to think and behave in ways that are harmful to their mental health

●      Victimhood culture leading to many young people seeking status and a sense of belonging through identification with mental health problems

●      Therapeutic terms such as ‘trauma’ widely inflated and misused

●      Innocent members of the public routinely ‘cancelled’, harassed and at risk of losing their jobs, reputations and livelihoods for ‘wrong-think’

Those who dare to raise concerns about these issues are silenced.  James Esses was expelled from the Metanoia Institute, where he was training to be a counsellor, after raising concerns about safeguarding young people with gender dysphoria. Amy Gallagher was bullied and harassed before being suspended from her psychotherapy training course at the Tavistock for raising concerns about a presentation titled ‘Whiteness: A problem for our time”.  There are many others who worry about the direction mental healthcare is taking but cannot speak for fear of losing their jobs or training places.    

Save Mental Health will no longer tolerate the hijacking of mental healthcare services and training programmes by a hostile, divisive and political project that, instead of helping people, harms them.  Sign up and help to bring about change.