Displaying items by tag: counselling

The Trussell Trust runs a network of over 400 foodbanks across the UK, giving emergency food and support to people in crisis. Already this year they have given 586,907 three-day emergency food supplies to people in financial emergencies. Thousands of vulnerable people are finding that they cannot manage their budget when an unexpected extra expense occurs. They are barely surviving. On 7 March Trussell Trust’s Welsh branches called on Christians with knowledge of the welfare system to volunteer to help people, following a new Joseph Rowntree report revealing that a quarter of Welsh people are in poverty. Although overall poverty in Wales has gone down, specific groups, such as pensioners and single parents, have not seen any improvement.

The Association of Christian Counsellors has spoken out against using conversion therapy to try to change a person's gender identity. The association has joined other professional bodies in saying this method of encouraging someone to identify as a different gender (male, female, non-binary or gender-fluid) is not supported by any evidence; whether in relation to sexual orientation or gender identity, it is unethical and potentially harmful. Studies into the use of conversion therapy should be kept under regular review, and healthcare professionals and psychological therapists must be aware of ‘ethical issues relating to conversion therapy’. They added, ‘This position is not intended to deny, discourage or exclude those with uncertain feelings around sexuality or gender identity from seeking qualified and appropriate help.’ See also Europe article ‘Gender: times are changing’.