A UK judge has ruled that a trainee psychotherapist’s claim that he was treated unlawfully as a result of his gender-critical beliefs can be heard in court.
In 2021, former criminal defence barrister James Esses was expelled from his psychotherapist training course, three years in. He alleges that this was for openly discussing his fear that young children are actively encouraged to transition gender.
He has alleged that the professional association UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) ordered the specialist higher education provider Metanoia Institute to have removed him from his master’s course.
Esses argues that pushing an “affirmation-only” treatment model for gender distress undermines exploratory therapy for vulnerable children and that his course provider is an organisation that ascribes to gender theory….