UKCP welcomes the new draft conversion practices bill

UKCP welcomes the publication of the government's draft conversion practices bill. UKCP is against any form of conversion practices, which seek to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity through coercion, abuse or pressure. Conversion practices have no basis in evidence, cause serious and lasting harm and have no place in ethical therapeutic work.  

Drawing a clear line between legitimate, ethical therapy and conversion practices is crucial. UKCP's Code of Ethics and Professional Practice already requires psychotherapists to support clients in exploring and making sense of their own experience, rather than directing them towards a predetermined outcome. We are currently working on an important project alongside our PCPB partners to define conversion practices and explore good practice in working with gender, sex and relationship diversity to support therapists in this understanding. Ethical psychotherapy is clearly distinct from conversion practices.  

This distinction needs to carry through into legislation. As this is a draft bill, its final wording and scope may change during scrutiny. It's important that safeguards for ethical therapeutic practice are preserved and, ideally, strengthened as they progress. 

As part of our ongoing work with organisations across the psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling professions, we will continue to engage with the government and parliament as the bill undergoes pre-legislative scrutiny. We will work together to help ensure the bill translates into legislation that protects the public from harm while upholding people's ability to access safe, ethical therapeutic support.