Volume 43 Number 1 | March 2015
BABCP signs up to further commitments on tackling harmful ‘therapy’ BABCP has become one of 14 signatory organisations to a new Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK. The memorandum was signed at a meeting with Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb at the Department of Health in January.
offering to change a person’s sexual orientation or control his or her same sex attraction would be likely to reinforce the notion that these feelings are wrong or abnormal.’
Conversion therapy is a form of ‘therapy’ whose function is to ‘reprogramme’ a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) person’s sexual orientation from same to opposite sex attraction. Although it largely originated in the US, it has been in decline there for the last five years yet seems to be increasing from a low base in the UK. In spite of being associated with some religious communities, it is practised more widely within secular society. That said, there is no evidence of efficacy, while there is evidence of harm. In signing the memorandum, BABCP will support actions to end the practice of conversion therapy in the UK, to bolster psychological professionals’ training and improve the emotional support available to LGB clients who seek therapeutic help.
In particular, the memorandum makes clear that NHS England ‘does not endorse or support conversion therapy and will make this clear to Clinical Commissioning Groups’. This commitment, signed by NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, will effectively end the possibility of conversion therapy being provided on the NHS.
The memorandum builds on the groundwork set by last year’s consensus statement on conversion therapy, which BABCP also signed up to and stated:‘We believe that
The memorandum also details how professional therapy bodies will work to develop training and CPD to ensure both new and current therapists are better equipped to handle requests for change from those unhappy about their feelings of sexual attraction appropriately. BABCP President Professor Rob Newell said:‘I am proud that BABCP is associated with this important initiative. Through our accreditation services, BABCP has Continued on page 3