UPDATE 13

22 December 2024

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to Save Mental Health’s Update 13.  We would like to thank you for your support over the last year and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

In this Christmas edition we will be reporting on:

  • The British Psychological Society's racist 'Whiteness' training

  • Peter Jenkins' article on Gender Identity Ideology and How it Damages UK Healthcare

  • Jaco van Zyl's presentation Transition: Avoiding Reality

  • How to Think Like Socrates by Donald Robertson

The British Psychological Society accused of racism

In 2020, following the death of George Floyd and the rise of Black Lives Matter, The British Psychological Society (BPS) declared itself 'institutionally racist'.  Subsequent efforts to root out all racism from psychology, far from solving the problem, seem to have inadvertently created more racism, but not quite in the way the BPS might have expected. 

A recent article in the Daily Telegraph, reveals how the BPS part-funded a training module on 'Whiteness', created by Professor Nimisha Patel at the University of East London. This module is now being presented to clinical psychology courses across the UK.  The module claims that "whiteness upholds racism" and calls on trainees to "disrupt whiteness".  Students are told: “White voices need to be careful not to control discussion spaces, given that White dominance and the process of positive White identity development is best fostered by a listening and learning attitude”. 

This discriminatory and divisive module, together with other misguided policies and papers on 'anti-racism' and 'anti-whiteness', have been brought to light by James Esses and his newly launched association Just Therapy.  Like Save Mental Health, James is raising public awareness about levels of ideological capture in the psychological and psychotherapeutic professions. 

Those who are interested in finding out more about the  'anti-racist' approaches being taught on clinical psychology training courses in the UK can read this report produced by Save Mental Health in 2022.  As well as exposing widespread ideological capture of these courses, the report also reveals the major role played by NHS England (at that time Health Education England) in imposing so-called 'anti-racist' policies and 'decolonisation' of curricula. While NHS England's Chief Workforce Officer denies that they encouraged the courses to adopt policies based on Critical Race Theory, it seems that courses, with the assistance and encouragement of the BPS, decided to do it anyway. 

As for the BPS, Save Mental Health finds it perplexing that a professional organisation teaching and promoting psychology, was unable to predict the inevitable adverse outcomes of its so-called 'anti-racist' methods. Supporters may recall the US study mentioned in the last Update, which showed how DEI trainings, based on the writings of Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, far from increasing inclusivity and harmony, actually do the opposite.  Two of the authors of this study – Pamela Paresky and Lee Jussim have spoken about their findings in The Spectator World this week. Lee Jussim was also interviewed by Jordan Peterson in a podcast, titled "When Anti-Racism Becomes Racism".

Other senior US psychologists are now speaking out against the assumption that psychology is imbued with racism. You can read their papers here and here.  If the BPS continues to resist pressure to change its stance on 'anti-racism' and 'anti-whiteness', it will find itself  increasingly isolated.

Gender Identity Ideology and How it Damages UK Healthcare
by Peter Jenkins

Save Mental Health is delighted to publish an article by Peter Jenkins, a highly-regarded member of Thoughtful Therapists, who writes regularly for Critical Therapy Antidote.  Peter is an expert in issues related to gender identity ideology in counselling and psychotherapy. His detailed critique of the Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy (MOU) was published by Critical Therapy Antidote here and here.  This was recently described as being ‘instrumental’ in persuading the Board of the United Kingdom Council on Psychotherapy to leave the MOU in 2023.

Peter's current article Gender Identity and How it Damages UK Healthcare is based on a talk he gave to a group of NHS staff.  It is an excellent, easy to read, explanation of the 'building blocks' of gender identity ideology and the related processes that have enabled that ideology to become embedded in healthcare without challenge.  Peter ends his article on an optimistic note – a rare glimmer of light in the darkness that is most welcome.  If you find his article helpful, do please share it with others, both personally and on social media.

'Transition: Avoiding Reality' by Jaco van Zyl

If you have time to view just one YouTube video over the Christmas break, let it be this one. It is a recording of clinical psychologist and Critical Therapy Antidote co-director, Jaco van Zyl talking about the reasons young people seek to transition, or 'change sex'.  The video has already had over 19,000 views and been shared widely on social media. At 19 minutes 42 seconds in length, it will not take too much time out of your day. 

Jaco van Zyl (MA, ClinPsych) is from South Africa and is now based in Ireland.  He gave this presentation at the Genspect conference in Portugal in October. Genspect advocates for "a non-medicalized approach to gender dysphoria, underpinned by a quality evidence-base".  Those who are interested in the theoretical underpinnings of Jaco van Zyl's work can find his recent paper here.  Those who can't access the paper can read about it in a short article published by Psychreg.

RECOMMENDATIONS

How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World By Donald J. Robertson

Donald Robertson is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist who has a particular interest in stoicism – a quality that seems sadly lacking in our society today.  The focus of his latest book is the philosopher Socrates.  He explains how modern psychology and evidence-based techniques arise from Socrates' insights and shows how to use these in ways that can benefit us in our everyday lives. In fact, one of the methods used in CBT is Socratic Questioning.  This is a form of open questioning that helps clients to access underlying beliefs and assumptions which may be causing them difficulties. 

It is rare to find a psychotherapist who is prepared to talk about or promote resilience and stoicism in today's milieu.  So, we were pleased to discover this book and others by this author.