A Victory for Equality and Good Practice
Regular readers will be aware of my loathing for the barbaric practice of reparative or conversion therapy. Indeed, not many day’s ago I wrote on how the Derry City Council had a proposal before it to ban the practise. On numerous occasions this issue has come up and thanks to organisations like United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Psychological Psychology pushing the lack of clinical backing for this quack therapy. Additionally, there has been pressure put on by LGBT groups regarding the implications when it comes to diversity and equality issues.
The government has finally listened and as part of a legislative package to promote diversity and qualities in the LGBT community the practise of reparative therapy is to be made illegal. This is a truly great day for the LGBT community, but also a great day for the profession as we have had our position on this pseudo therapy validated. Whilst psychotherapy is still currently regulated via the Professional Standards Authority and not by statute or under an order via the HCPC, this move will at least show that there are limits to what are supposed to do.
