UPDATE 9
7 September 2024
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to Save Mental Health’s Update 9. It’s conference season and not just for politicians. Why not come along to this year’s Battle of Ideas Festival in London on 19th and 20th October? Hope to see some of you there!
Battle of Ideas Festival
At a time when freedom of speech is increasingly under threat, it’s reassuring to know that there is a place where open and frank discussion is still possible and encouraged. At the Battle of Ideas Festival, you can choose from a wide variety of debates and discussions taking place over one weekend. Have a look at the programme here. Among this year’s speakers are: Frank Furedi, Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson of Planet Normal, Alan Miller of Together, Graham Linehan, Winston Marshall, Kathleen Stock and James Esses.
You can also attend a recording of Free Speech Nation with Andrew Doyle or meet the author Greg Lukianoff talking about his recent book on the cancelling of the American Mind.
Carole Sherwood, of Save Mental Health will be on a panel with Dr Ken McLaughlin called: Letters on Liberty: Escaping the Straightjacket of Mental Health The panel will discuss whether our current approach to mental health risks failing the people who need it most.
Book your tickets for the Battle of Ideas here
Please note: Deadline for Early-Bird Tickets extended to Monday 16th September.
Open Therapy Institute (OTI)
OTI is a new venture that, while based in New York, is likely to cause ripples across the pond. Its founder is Dr Andrew Hartz, a clinical psychologist who believes it is crucial to address left-wing bias in mental healthcare. Dr Hartz is particularly concerned about ‘overlooked’ populations that are not well-served by mental health services due to the politicisation of psychology. For example, a psychologist may refuse to see patients who do not share their political beliefs or values, or they may judge a patient based on skin colour, sex, or religion. OTI matches patients with carefully-selected, open-minded therapists to ensure those patients receive compassionate and non-judgemental care.
OTI is now offering workshops for therapists with a discount for those who sign up as members. You can see a full list of current workshops here. Future workshops include Self-Censorship: “Speaking Up: Why It’s Necessary and How to Approach It Clinically”. Another workshop in development is ‘Anti-White Bullying’.
The Open Therapy podcast on YouTube is also worth watching. Dr Hartz discusses his concerns about mental healthcare with Leslie Elliot-Boyce from the Radical Center. Here is a link to the latest episode on ‘Monstrous Empathy’, in which Dr Hartz talks about a distorted form of empathy emerging as a result of identity politics. He explains how empathy is being directed towards certain favoured groups while, at the same time, hostility is directed towards less-favoured groups. Watch it and you will soon discover why Dr Hartz describes this kind of empathy as ‘Monstrous’. It’s an accurate description.
RECOMMENDATIONS
‘The War Against the Past’: Why the West Must Fight for its History’ by Frank Furedi
A war is being waged against the Past. Whether it’s toppling statues, decolonising the curriculum or erasing terms from our vocabulary, a cultural crusade is underway designed to render the past toxic. It is condemned as enemy territory and has become the target of venomous hate. What is at stake in provoking such a strong sense of societal shame towards Western history?
To hear Professor Furedi introduce his book and discuss it with historian Professor Jonathan Clark, book a place at the Free Speech Union’s event on 12th September, 7.30pm in London or online. Tickets to FSU event available here. Book available here
‘Am I Racist?’
Matt Walsh, of ‘What is a Woman’ fame has made a new documentary, due to be released on Friday 13th September. In ‘Am I Racist’ Daily Wire host and filmmaker Matt Walsh transforms himself into a certified diversity, equity, and inclusion expert, only to uncover a world where profit, not principle, drives the agenda. Although the film will be premiered in the US, we hope that, if it proves popular, it will be shown in the UK. Here is a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7PA_kshZh0