The UK counseling association condemns actions of reparative therapist

I wrote about it when it was news, and now the case has finally been decided. Lesley Pilkington lost.
The article by Strudwick is intriguing and provides insight into the British system — which may be changing if critics have their way.
I wonder who the US conversion therapy organization is…

20 thoughts on “The UK counseling association condemns actions of reparative therapist”

  1. Meanwhile in America according to the GA Voice:

    A lesbian, Amanda Booker, is suing the Bartow (Georgia) County Sheriff’s Department and others after she alleges her constitutional rights were violated when she was taken to a private residence for ex-gay conversion therapy rather than to a court-mandated psychiatric hospital for her drug abuse.

  2. Richard Willmer# ~ May 28, 2011 at 6:37 am
    “In itself, the BACP ruling does not bar Pilkington from plying her trade. That is a matter for the courts.”
    However, as I understood the set up in England, if Pilkington lost her accreditation with BACP then she would no longer be eligible to receive NHS funds.

  3. In other words, she can still do her stuff, but gets no ‘tax dollars’ – the latter part of which sounds good to me!

  4. Well, Lynn, it shows the often strange nature of ‘English’ English (American English is more ‘standardised’): the verb ‘to sanction’ means ‘to validate’, while the noun ‘sanction’ means ‘punishment’!
    In itself, the BACP ruling does not bar Pilkington from plying her trade. That is a matter for the courts.

  5. Throbert,

    Not so different in US English — the verb “to sanction” pretty much always means “to give or show approval; to validate.” But the noun “sanction” can mean either “approval; validation” or “punishment; disapproval,” depending on sentence context.

    I’m not one to disapprove of a lesson in proper grammar (or word usage), but isn’t this basically what Richard said above? Even though one of your noun examples was used in the negative, it seems to illustrate that the word sanction, at least as a noun, is used more to illustrate a “punishment” of sorts than it is to show approval. I’ll have to look into this more. 🙂

  6. Throbert,

    Not so different in US English — the verb “to sanction” pretty much always means “to give or show approval; to validate.” But the noun “sanction” can mean either “approval; validation” or “punishment; disapproval,” depending on sentence context.

    I’m not one to disapprove of a lesson in proper grammar (or word usage), but isn’t this basically what Richard said above? Even though one of your noun examples was used in the negative, it seems to illustrate that the word sanction, at least as a noun, is used more to illustrate a “punishment” of sorts than it is to show approval. I’ll have to look into this more. 🙂

  7. Well, Lynn, it shows the often strange nature of ‘English’ English (American English is more ‘standardised’): the verb ‘to sanction’ means ‘to validate’, while the noun ‘sanction’ means ‘punishment’!

    Not so different in US English — the verb “to sanction” pretty much always means “to give or show approval; to validate.” But the noun “sanction” can mean either “approval; validation” or “punishment; disapproval,” depending on sentence context.
    Examples:
    (1) The Vatican representative said, “We will not sanction [verb] same-sex marriage.” (= We won’t approve it)
    (2) The Vatican representative said, “We will not give sanction [noun] to same-sex marriage.” (= We won’t approve it)
    (3) The Vatican representative said, “We are prepared to issue sanctions [noun] against priests who perform same-sex union ceremonies.” (= We will show disapproval of it.)
    Although “sanction” is a noun in both the second and third sentences, the preposition “against” in #3 makes it clear that the noun is intended to mean “disapproval” rather than “approval.” Meanwhile, #1 and #2 are synonymous even though the first uses “sanction” as a verb and the second as a noun.

  8. Well, Lynn, it shows the often strange nature of ‘English’ English (American English is more ‘standardised’): the verb ‘to sanction’ means ‘to validate’, while the noun ‘sanction’ means ‘punishment’!

    Not so different in US English — the verb “to sanction” pretty much always means “to give or show approval; to validate.” But the noun “sanction” can mean either “approval; validation” or “punishment; disapproval,” depending on sentence context.
    Examples:
    (1) The Vatican representative said, “We will not sanction [verb] same-sex marriage.” (= We won’t approve it)
    (2) The Vatican representative said, “We will not give sanction [noun] to same-sex marriage.” (= We won’t approve it)
    (3) The Vatican representative said, “We are prepared to issue sanctions [noun] against priests who perform same-sex union ceremonies.” (= We will show disapproval of it.)
    Although “sanction” is a noun in both the second and third sentences, the preposition “against” in #3 makes it clear that the noun is intended to mean “disapproval” rather than “approval.” Meanwhile, #1 and #2 are synonymous even though the first uses “sanction” as a verb and the second as a noun.

  9. In other words, she can still do her stuff, but gets no ‘tax dollars’ – the latter part of which sounds good to me!

  10. Richard Willmer# ~ May 28, 2011 at 6:37 am
    “In itself, the BACP ruling does not bar Pilkington from plying her trade. That is a matter for the courts.”
    However, as I understood the set up in England, if Pilkington lost her accreditation with BACP then she would no longer be eligible to receive NHS funds.

  11. Well, Lynn, it shows the often strange nature of ‘English’ English (American English is more ‘standardised’): the verb ‘to sanction’ means ‘to validate’, while the noun ‘sanction’ means ‘punishment’!
    In itself, the BACP ruling does not bar Pilkington from plying her trade. That is a matter for the courts.

  12. Meanwhile in America according to the GA Voice:

    A lesbian, Amanda Booker, is suing the Bartow (Georgia) County Sheriff’s Department and others after she alleges her constitutional rights were violated when she was taken to a private residence for ex-gay conversion therapy rather than to a court-mandated psychiatric hospital for her drug abuse.

  13. I had the same moment. But I think it lasted longer than yours, Richard. Could have used a different verb than “sanctions.”

    Lesley Pilkington can carry on charging patients and praying for God to “bring to the surface” their non-existent traumas. No one can stop them.

  14. I had the same moment. But I think it lasted longer than yours, Richard. Could have used a different verb than “sanctions.”

    Lesley Pilkington can carry on charging patients and praying for God to “bring to the surface” their non-existent traumas. No one can stop them.

  15. When I read your headline, Warren, I had a ‘momentarily’ moment! The word ‘momentarily’ means different things on each side of the Pond. Here (in Britain) it effectively means ‘for an extremely short duration’; in your neck of the wood, it means ‘very soon’. When I hear the announcement ‘we will be landing momentarily’ being given out towards the end of a flight, I wonder if I will be able to disembark!
    So it was here that I thought the BACP had validated Pilkington’s conduct. But of course you were referring to the fact that she had effectively been reprimanded.

  16. When I read your headline, Warren, I had a ‘momentarily’ moment! The word ‘momentarily’ means different things on each side of the Pond. Here (in Britain) it effectively means ‘for an extremely short duration’; in your neck of the wood, it means ‘very soon’. When I hear the announcement ‘we will be landing momentarily’ being given out towards the end of a flight, I wonder if I will be able to disembark!
    So it was here that I thought the BACP had validated Pilkington’s conduct. But of course you were referring to the fact that she had effectively been reprimanded.

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