Therapy for those who want to change sexual orientation remains valid: yet BACP opens door to secret recordings and breach of confidentiality between a Counsellor and patient.

Issued by the Christian Legal Centre

Press Release

For Immediate Release

23 May 2012

Therapy for those who want to change sexual orientation remains valid: yet BACP opens door to secret recordings and breach of confidentiality between a Counsellor and patient.

A gay activist, Patrick Strudwick, has failed in his attempt to ban Reparative Therapy - a therapy for those with unwanted same-sex attraction. Many individuals are deeply unhappy with their same-sex attractions and seek counselling.

Mr Strudwick tried to use his personal complaint against counsellor Lesley Pilkington to stop any reparative therapy taking place in the UK, yet he was later forced to drop this approach and he told the BCAP in the appeal hearing that he was not seeking to challenge the efficiency of therapy for same-sex attraction. He had no evidence to establish that such therapy is not beneficial to some clients.

The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) held Mrs Pilkington was entitled to hold her Christian beliefs.  The Appeal panel held that Lesley was knowledgeable on the subject matter.

However, in a decision that may open the way for the continued harassment of Christians therapists, the BACP held that Mr Strudwick, an undercover journalist writing for the Guardian newspaper, and a gay activist, was a ‘client’, even though he lied and deceived Mrs Pilkington into believing he was a Christian distressed with his same-sex attraction.

Mr Strudwick originally approached Lesley while attending a Christian conference about sexuality and pretended to be a Christian in need of help over unwanted homosexual attraction. Lesley agreed to help him and they mutually agreed that the counselling would be based on Christian principles.

Throughout the two counselling sessions, Mr Strudwick repeatedly told Lesley that he wanted to leave his homosexual lifestyle, that it had become meaningless to him and that he wanted to change. 

Following the sessions he lodged a complaint to the BACP to have her struck off. He also secretly recorded his two sessions with Lesley, and then sold his story to a national newspaper, maligning Lesley in the press.

The BACP has today informed Mrs Pilkington that, following her appeal, she will still lose her senior accredited status from the BACP.

However, the Appeal Panel reversed much of the original decision and lessened the sanctions against Mrs Pilkington. Yet it noted that it was important that each therapist and client were on the same ‘wavelength’ and held that her accredited status will remain lapsed until she introduces a written contract and assessment session.  In short, she should not have accepted what a client told her.

The original BACP Panel held:-

 “Mr Strudwick was not open about his true intention in engaging the services of Mrs Pilkington and in significant ways deliberately misled her into believing that he was comfortable and accepting of her approach, such as saying Amen at the end of prayers and making statements such as, “I’ve become more religious again recently”, lulling Mrs Pilkington into a false sense of security. In his persistent questioning he manipulated the content of the sessions to a considerable extent in order to meet his own agenda.”

There is shock that the appeal panel found that Mr Strudwick was a real ‘client’, despite him being an undercover reporter who had approached her on false pretences.  Mr. Strudwick’s complaint against Lesley was in fact highly politically motivated and aimed at exposing ‘reparative therapy’ and attacking those who practise it.

He told ‘Pink News’ on 10 Feb 2010: “We want to root out therapists and psychiatrists who are practising these techniques and ultimately bring an end to them through exposing them, as well as disrupting their meetings. The ultimate aim was to prevent religious groups from offering ‘counselling’ which aims to change sexual orientation.”

Because the panel has however decided that Mr Strudwick was a real client, this raises serious concerns for all Christian counsellors as they are now vulnerable to continue to be targeted by undercover journalists pretending to be clients.

The Appeal Panel also held that, despite the fact that 3 years had elapsed and Mr Strudwick could not remember what happened, a fair trial was still possible in the absence of any substantive evidence. 

Lesley Pilkington said:

“I am so grateful that reparative therapy remains available to those who have unwanted same-sex attraction, or to those whose Christian beliefs lead them to want to modify their sexual conduct. There is much evidence to show that this therapy is valid and helpful for motivated clients.

“But who is going to protect Christian therapists from further harassment? My witnesses were not permitted to be called and they were fearful of intimidation by homosexual activists who were making abusive phone calls.

“Regrettably, there is an attempt by some to silence Christian viewpoints on marriage, sexuality and on the upbringing of children. We have marriage conferences banned by the Law Society; and Catholic adoption agencies have closed because of their belief that a child should have a father and a mother. 

“We are supposed to live in an inclusive and diverse society. Does that mean it’s inclusive and diverse for everyone except those who want to leave their same-sex attraction? What happened to client autonomy?

Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said:

“This is more suppression of freedom and totalitarian behaviour from people who think they are ‘liberal’.

“An experienced counsellor who has spent so many years helping people has been put under investigation and dragged through the press following the deceit and aggression of a homosexual activist.

“Lesley has been penalised because she was targeted as a Christian and because she believes that people are free to choose to change their behaviour if they wish.

“For Mr Strudwick to seek to take away her professional accreditation and malign her in this way exposes the more sinister side of the homosexual lobby. It is incredibly intolerant.  I wonder what the BACP would have done if a Christian activist had deceived and bugged a gay affirming therapist”

Mrs Pilkington is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre.

ENDS.

For further information / interview:

Andrea Minichiello Williams (CEO Christian Concern): 07712 591164