Major British body acknowledges failures as they make commitment to trans folk
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy state they failed to support trans people. (Getty, stock image)
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has affirmed their commitment to trans, non-binary and gender-questioning people (TNBGQ) after admitting they have failed the community.
BACP is the professional association for members of the counselling professions in the UK. The organisation released a statement on their website on Friday (10 July).
“We’re committed to being a fully inclusive organisation… across our roles as an employer, membership body and charity,” their statement reads.
“Our position is that gender and experiences of gender are diverse. Everyone’s experience and views of gender are valid and should be respected.
“We recognise the wider therapeutic field has historically not shown sufficient respect to, or validated, the TNBGQ communities.”
BACP then goes on to acknowledge that they have failed to support TNBGQ in the practices of counselling and psychotherapy.
The statement continues: “We acknowledge our own role in failing to serve the needs of, and demonstrate allyship to, the trans community.
“We’d like to thank all those who over the years have highlighted these inequalities to us.
“While we’ve made positive steps towards increased inclusion, there are still many gaps to be addressed.
“We’re committed to listening to, and learning directly from, those with lived experience to further improve to support and safeguard marginalised groups.”
‘We’re fundamentally opposed to any misuse of therapy’
However, BACP states that they operate alongside the Equality Act 2010. “We acknowledge that some of our membership may hold gender-critical beliefs, which qualify for protection under the Equality Act 2010.
“This protects the rights of the individual not to be discriminated against or harassed due to these beliefs. We work in line with the Equality Act 2010 to ensure fairness for everyone.”
BACP goes on to outline their approach to children and young people exploring their gender, stating: “It’s essential that psychological therapy is available for all young people, including those who are TNBGQ.”
BACP also takes a stance on so-called ‘conversion therapy’, the debunked practice of changing an individual’s sexuality or gender.
The organisation is a signatory to the UK’s Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy. This asserts BACP’s position on banning therapy aiming to change or suppress a person’s gender identity.
“We’re fundamentally opposed to any misuse of therapy to try to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and believe conversion therapy is unethical and harmful,” BACP states.
“Anyone accessing therapy should be able to do so without fear of judgement or the threat of being pressured to change a fundamental aspect of who they are.”
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