Do NO Harm: Paediatric Safeguarding Failures
Book: 'Outbreak D-Trans: Ideology, Gender, Paediatric Psychology, Ethics & Health Professionals'. Created August 13th, 2021
Welcome, thank you for being here and reading my story. I am writing a book. The word extreme Ideology/TransIdeology refers to radical activists and/transactivism. This is a whistleblowing book documenting the history of medicalising children, in particular Autistic, Aspergic, twice-exceptional or other neurodevelopmental conditions, including FASD, in Australia. The book documents the safeguarding failures, health risks, physical, psychological and emotional done to minor who were unable to five full informed Gillick consent. Their stories will be included in this book. they are all under the age of 18, and are aged as low at 8 years of age.
We are are creating Australia’s first on-line Detransition clinic, providing specialist psychological and medical treatments to detrans children, teens, and adults. Specialist therapists and medical professionals are needed for the growing groups of patients who are choosing to desist, have come to the realization that they are Lesbian, Gay or Bi-sexual and want to de-transition. It is not against the law to provide treatment to 'detransitioners'. This group of children teens and adults exist and there are thousands of desisters and de-transitioners.
In Australia, there are growing concern over the legalities, court judgements and lawsuits. There are calls for a National Inquiry, a Royal Commission, and class actions. It's not a question of IF they will happen, but WHEN they will happen.
There is a clear need for medical healthcare for detransitioners as evidenced by the research.
1. A Typology of Gender Detransition and Its Implications for Healthcare Providers
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2020.1869126
One particular subcase within core detransitions concerns people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Anecdotal reports (e.g., Barnes & Cohen, 2019; Post-Trans, n.d.; Prestidge, n.d.) indicate that the rate of detransitioned individuals who fall within the autistic spectrum is higher than one would expect in the general population. In this regard, emerging evidence suggests a co-occurrence of GD and ASD (de Vries, Noens, Cohen-Kettenis, van Berckelaer-Onnes, & Doreleijers, 2010; Glidden, Bouman, Jones, & Arcelus, 2016; van der Miesen, Hurley, & de Vries, 2016), which may be related to an elevation in intense/obsessional interests around gender-related themes (VanderLaan et al., 2014; Zucker et al., 2017). The high number of individuals with GD who appear to fall in the autistic spectrum may explain why a significant number of core detransitioners also present autistic traits.
2. Detransition-Related Needs and Support: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2021.1919479
The results showed important psychological needs in relation to gender dysphoria, comorbid conditions, feelings of regret and internalized homophobic and sexist prejudices. It was also found that many detransitioners need medical support notably in relation to stopping/changing hormone therapy, surgery/treatment complications and reversal interventions.
I join the UK Tavistock GIDS clinicians who first broke the safeguarding issues in the UK. To my knowledge, I am the only Australian clinician raising safeguarding concerns and whistleblowing about the serious safeguarding issues here in Australia. Both Sweden and Finland have left the WPATH Guidelines, the UK high court judgement was made, a West Australia Gender Clinic (Perth) was put in review, all Australian GO's have been warned NOT to prescribe puberty blockers to minors.
I join Professor Christopher Gillberg who testified on behalf of Keira Bell and said that the medicalisation of children is a "live experiment".
Since I started speaking about the issue of a new type of Gender Dysphoria and the medicalisation of children and adolescents, several people on Twitter have asked how they can donate to help me continue speak and write about the issue. I thank them for this. I invite you to join me in learning more about my story and those of other health professionals, around the world. tTe public at large are unaware of this. I am fundraising to write our stories and have them published. This is a book about one of the largest medical scandals in my career and lifetime. This book is tentatively titled at the moment. It may be titled, 'Do No Harm: TransIdeology, the War on Psychology & Children'. Other potential titles could be: 'TransIdeology'': The Silencing and Corruption of the Psychology Profession' or 'TransWars: the Battle for Professional Practice in the Era of Trans Ideology' or more succinctly, Trans ideology: The Silencing and Capture of the Psychology Profession”. I am sure the title will be revised numerous times. To be clearer, this books seeks to understand what happened to the health professionals?
This book was inspired by the brave Keira Bell. If you do not know who she is, please learn about her story here
This book is dedicated to Keira Bell, my GoFundME & PayPal donators and, of course, those who cancelled me.
You can also donate via PayPal here, if you would like: paypal.me/TaniaMarshall
Who am I?
My name is Tania Marshall and I am a Clinical Consultant Psychotherapist with close to 30 years of experience, training, and education. My experience and training lies within the fields of: Child development, Psychopathology, Developmental Psychology, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Giftedness, Twice-Exceptionality, Intelligence, Assessment, Forensic psychology, Trauma, Educational Psychology, Neuroscience and Psychotherapy. I am also the best-selling author of two award winning books, I Am AspienGirl (2014) here and I Am AspienWoman (2015) here , available on Amazon USA, and regularly in the Top 100 in the 'Autism Category'. In 2016, 'I Am AspienWoman' was awarded an IPPY eLit Gold Medal in the 'Women's Issues' Category. I Am AspienGirl was awarded an IPPY eLIT Gold Medal award, in 2015. My Amazon USA author page is here
I wrote my books and my initial 2013 blog here (went viral) to detail the emerging Autistic female profile as it presents itself in females who are Autistic, have Asperger Syndrome, are Twice-Exceptional (Gifted & Talented and have challenges, some of which include Autism, ESSENSE, Aspergers, ADHD, OCD, highly sensitive individuals (HSP), other mental health conditions and learning differences). This is because they were (and still are) going undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, mismedicated and mistreated. Social Camouflaging is a factor. Some males naturally identify with this profile and they, of course, are included. They are bright males with feminine, more empathic personality characteristics, high sensitivity and temperaments. At the time, I felt there was a female 'Autism crisis', one of not enough services for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder/condition. Due to the male bias in research, females had been left out, and little was known about how Autism or Asperger Syndrome, (more specifically Twice-Exceptionality) presented in females. Today, we suspect the ratio of male to females is 4:1, but more likely 2:1 and may be closer to 1:1, in the future.
Back then, I had hoped the 'crisis' would abate. However, since 2013, I have found that this crisis has only become worse. I find myself here because I have been unwittingly brought into the highly politicised ideological debate over the safety, ethical and moral issues and safeguarding concerns related to the fast tracking of medicalising Australian children (and around the world) as the only medical treatment for Gender Dysphoria. My regulatory board, trans-activists and other health professionals have tried to cancel me. Health professionals are only one of their many targets. I do not want to be here. I worked with autistic/twice-exceptional individuals with dysphoria, years before the ROGD debate began. I am calling for the establishment of an Australian Independent national inquiry into the management of child and adolescent Gender Dysphoria.
What happened?
I started writing about my observations and experience of how Autism or Aspergers presents itself in females back in Canada in 2005. I started writing about it publicly on my blog in 2013. In my books (2014, 2015) and blog (2013), I alluded to the intersection of Autism/Aspergers/Twice-Exceptionality (2e), the core features (social-communication, sensory processing, fine and gross motor issues, restricted obsessive interests, and language), giftedness, ADHD, Gender Dysphoria, identity, self-esteem, high sensitivity, sensory processing issues, synesthesia, alexythymia, the 'self', eating disorders, self-harm, the systemetizing neurotype, non-conformity, social naivety, social camouflaging, and the common parental reports of a child who had never being assessed or diagnosed, as "going off the rails". A proportion of Autistic children have Gender Dysphoria that begins in childhood and/or adolescence and is NOT the same presentation as other types of gender dysphoria or previous understandings. My work is being misinterpreted by others. I am hearing claims by other professionals and/or the community that Autistic children are being misdiagnosed when they are actually trans-gender. Claims are being made that all Autistic people are really just transgender. That Autism is just a made up diagnosis to 'oppress' transgender individuals. That autistic children and adolescents are oppressed by Autism and should be free to be transgender. That transgender is the new human evolution and all children and adolescence should be medicalised as soon as possible and as young as possible. No, this is blatantly false, irresponsible and and inappropriate. I will not allow others to misquote, misinterpret or use my books or my work to suggest otherwise. This is a false narrative and I aim to correct this.
In 2019, I was reported to my regulatory board numerous times by trans activists (none are professionals, two live in other countries) for discussing Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) and for defending myself against their harassment. I explained to the board the history of trans activists harassing heath professionals. I also raised multiple safeguarding concerns to my licensing board, and responded to them by pointing out the research, my own clinical experience, my books and writing, my videos, of this newly observable condition, now known as ROGD, (Lisa Littman), neurodevelopmental conditions, and Gender Dysphoria, which were ignored. Not only did the safeguarding of children go unaddressed, but my own personal and professional safeguarding went unaddressed and ignored by the board. To make matters worse, the board actively silenced and coerced me, for raising those safeguarding concerns and for defending myself throughout the investigations and for defending myself on social media. At that time the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the largest professional body in Australia, announced that the 'affirming' model of medical treatment was the only pathway for children and adolescents. I do not support this and I am not the only health professional who thinks so.
I was silenced by 1). the regulatory board, 2.). by trans activists who silence and cancel health professionals for speaking up about safeguarding and the topic of ROGD. and 3. by other health professionals who believe medicalisation is the only 'treatment for Gender Dysphoria' and actively participate and facilitate trans activists to make notifications and vexatious complaints about other health professionals, regardless of country. In Australia, it is a mandatory requirement (by law) to raise child safety concerns.
On the 12th, 2019, the Australian Psychological Association (APS) released a statement here stating that only the 'affirmation' medical pathway is appropriate for children and adolescents. This caused many psychologist to leave them for other organisations. Current research suggest otherwise and the APS are irresponsible in ignoring the latest research. I had previously resigned from them for causing division amongst the psychology profession, by sanctioning the two-tiered pathway. This caused thousands of psychologists to leave the APS to the AAPI. More recently, the APS has published statements in relation to women, gender and biology, again causing many psychologists to leave the organisation. These are all points in time that have contributed to the field of psychology being in disarray.
Around this time, a brave woman, Keira Bell sued the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), and won. You can read her story here This was an important case, because the UK High Court made a ruling in relation to Gillick informed consent. What is happening to Keira, is happening here in Australia, and in countries all over the world. It needs to stop.
I have followed Swedish Autism specialist, and referred to his work, for many years. It informed my two books and the way I practice. Dr. Christopher Gillberg is a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Gothenburg University in Sweden . He specialises in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders/conditions, and was an expert witness for Kiera's case. Gillberg said in his court statement that over his "45 years of treating children with autism, it was rare to have patients with gender dysphoria, but their numbers started exploding in 2013, and most were biological girls". Gillberg also told the court that what was happening at the Tavistock was a “live experiment” on children and adolescents.
I agree with Professor Gillberg. In my career and Autism clinic, I also found it rare to have clients with Gender Dysphoria. What I also saw was a massive increase, over the years, of biological girls, who were diagnosed with Autism, misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. The vast majority of them that I saw, and see now, are undiagnosed Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, or what Professor Gillberg calls ESSENCE, also know as neurodevelopmental conditions or disorders. This the 'crisis' I spoke about in my books and blog back in 2013-2015.
Fast forward to August 2021, and here we are, with a lot more research, understanding, books, writings, groups, organisations and non-profits forming around the concept of ROGD and a growing scientific evidence base, with researchers actively researching ROGD, as they should, for this is what science and research is. Professionals in the field of ROGD, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity continue to be silenced, bullied, harassed and cancelled for discussing the issue of ROGD. This cannot continue, because it is the silencing of an important discussion. Health professionals who are acting on safeguarding principles should never never cancelled, for doing so. Vested interests do not want people talking about this issue. Why is it impossible to have a conversation about ROGD? Why is research on ROGD being shut down? Since when does the field of science allow activists to enter into the conversation and shut down research? Since when do activists speak on the behalf of professionals? Since when do activists get professionals cancelled and their livelihoods taken from them? Since when does the field of health care and regulatory boards align themselves with activists and ideology and be complicit in the harassment and abuse of a large group of health professionals? Since when does a regulatory board and the field of psychology allow psychotherapy to become psycho-activism? Since when did 'affirmation' become 'therapy'. Affirmation is not 'therapy'. Is it 'medical treatment', 'medicine' and 'surgery'. The field of psychology has gone wildly astray.
My concerns are: 1. all children, and 2. the professionals who practice ethically, safely and morally. I am deeply concerned about the high number of children and adolescents (Autistic, twice-exceptional (2e), ADHD, Neurodivergent, ESSENCE) who are being fast-tracked, affirmed and medicalised in Australia (and other countries), and specifically Autistic girls. I am deeply concerned about the high number of health professionals, researchers, authors, scientists, doctors, who are being punished and/or cancelled for merely discussing it. For me, as a professional, I never thought I would be here and I feel this is one of the biggest medical scandals in the history of my career and my lifetime (apart from Lobotomies, Recovered memories, Amygdalotomy's, the mistreatment and/or experimentation on mentally ill and/or Autistic or disabled individuals). I am deeply ashamed of my field. We can and we must do better.
I resigned in November 2020 and will be posting my resignation letter and open letters to my board and the APS, online, in due process. I have since became "re-educated". In the time preceding, up to and after my resignation, the now famous UK de transitioner Kiera Bell successfully sued the UK Tavistock Gender Clinic (GIDS), the UK high court decision was made, both Finland and Sweden left WPATH (guidelines only), Autism/ESSENCE world expert Professor Christopher Gillberg (Sweden) testified in the Kiera Bell case, world expert Professor Ken Zucker's (Canada ) was famously cancelled (then apology and restitution made) along with many other experienced professionals. Now, the Australian Perth Children's Gender Clinic has been put in 'review' (all new child patients now have to have their own independent counsel and seek approval from a judge), there is NO question, that I might have been onto something happening here. In Australia, the public at large does not know about the gender clinic being put in review and the Australian medical doctors being given a warning. Why is this?
I am not just concerned with Australia and what is occurring in our gender clinics. I am concerned about ALL children and adolescents, in every country. This is why I went into this field. I am concerned about what has happened to the field of psychological science. I am concerned about professionals being cancelled, 'doxxed', harassed, bullied and/or silenced. This is serious business. It is big business. When health professionals lose their livelihoods for mandatory safeguarding, we should all be questioning WHY? When health professionals raise safeguarding concerns and/or are investigated and told they need "supervision", that they need to become "re-educated", or they lack "insight", we have a serious problem. Why don't regulatory bodies and organizations want clinicians or therapists speaking out? Why do the boards actively silence and sanction psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, medical doctors, speech-language therapists, occupational therapists, among others, for speaking out on this topic.? Most of us are silenced, so the general public forms the belief that ALL health professionals think and believe the same thing, which is what, in my case, the field of Psychology, the psychology board and the psychology associations are saying and because most tend to agree, the belief is that psychologists surely must agree on this issue. This couldn't be further from the truth.
So what do the actual health professionals think? Publicly, the impression or perception is that we are all in agreement, because if we are not, we risk placing psychology into 'ill repute' or bringing the profession into disregard or a bad reputation. Privately, health professionals have a wide variety of opinions. Some health professionals are unaware, however many health professionals are aware. Some are aware and don't care, some stay and quietly resist, some stay and are making some noise, despite the risks. Some of us leave our careers. Some of us sue and some of us win. Some of us sue, win and are forced to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements. You don't usually hear about those cases. They are paying some of us off, to stay quiet. Some of us are reorganising, forming new groups, organisations and staying true to ethics, evidence-based research, biology and science. Some of us have had enough and are speaking out. Many of us think this is a public health concern. Many of us think this is a complete medical disaster.
Why are you writing this book, and subsequent books?
I am fundraising for the first book only at the moment
This book is about one of the largest medical scandals in recent history, and how the field of psychology was affected and how it is reorganising itself. It gives a voice to my story, yes, but since resigning I have researched more about why it happened to me and why it happens to other professionals. Health professionals have emailed, DM'd and messaged me from all over the world. They are professionals who performed their duty of care, raised safeguarding concerns and did no harm. In fact, the vast majority of them are doing their job, as they were trained, educated and their supervisors ensured. They all been been hurt, in varying degrees, by their boards, organisations, supervisors, mentors, bosses, colleagues and/or peers. In Australia, it is LAW to make a mandatory notification if a professional believes a child may be in danger or harm. It is also law to make a notification about another professional if you believe that professional is doing harm to a client, who may be a child, adolescent or an adult. To be punished by the health regulatory board and psychology associations for doing so, needs to be written about and discussed. This is a book about a large group of professionals who stood up, stated DO NO HARM, did their DUTY OF CARE, did what the law said, were compelled by the regulators own ethical guidelines, and their moral duty, YET were punished, and still are, punished for doing so. Have you ever wondered why so few of us speak up? Why is it that only those of us who have little to lose are speaking up? Those of use who no longer care what our unethical boards and organisations say or do to us, because we decided to draw a line.
The fields of academia, medicine, science and psychology are in disarray, broken and collapsing, having succumbed to a political ideology in favour of evidence based science, research, biology, ethics and safeguarding. How has this affected health professionals, specifically psychologists? The way they practice or not? How has this affected trainee psychologists or therapists? I believe this book needs to be written, for many reasons. I believe evil is cloaked in secrets. I believe when people are censored, silenced, shut up or paid off, something is going on. I believe this book will be met by people who will embrace it and people who will be triggered by it. Those people will behave as they have behaved ever since I started talking about ROGD. Professionals, activists, organisations, agencies or individuals will likely actively attempt to, or will, have this book banned, cancel or de-platform me, much as they have tried to do to Abigial Schrier, (for her best selling book 'Irreversible Damage'), Dr. Lisa Littman (for publishing her infamous research paper on 'ROGD'), Dr. Ken Zucker (for practicing safe evidence-based therapy), Dr. Debra Soh (for writing the best selling book 'The End of Gender' and Dr. Simon Baron Cohen for supporting her work), Helen Joyce (for her best selling book, 'Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality '), Kathleen Stock (for writing 'Material Girls'), Dr. Ray Blanchard (for telling it like it is), Dr. James Cantor (for keeping it real), James Esse, (for safeguarding children and sex-based rights), and many others (will update).
Publishers will be harassed if they want to publish my books because it's just too much drama. Libraries will be harassed because my book will be deemed as "violent". Activists won't want it published because only they can control the narrative. Professionals and politicians with vested interests won't want it published, because "therapists all agree", "what will the public think of us now?", and they may receive monetary incentives, funding, trips and money, from Big Pharma. The growing number of gender clinics won't want this to be published because it threatens their bottom line. the psycho-activists wont want it published because they have the world believing in a new type of psychotherapy, one that is all about the therapist and not the client one that it based in "bias" and steeped in the therapist's own agenda. That is not ethical therapy. The health regulatory boards won't want this book published because then the health professionals under them might gain an understanding that not all Australian health professionals agree on this issue and might have to be faced with yet another public embarrassment. Or, the public will lose even greater faith in psychology.
Psychologists in a variety of countries are divided and the field is a mess. The public has lost trust. Big Pharma, health professionals regulatory boards and associated organisations, trans activists, researchers and medical professionals with biased vested interests, have hijacked the field. Naive health professionals believe the majority of health professionals believe this 'one size fits all' approach and support the 'medicalisation' under 'inclusivity', unaware of the history of the trans movement and/or Queer ideology and disregard the grooming and sexualising of children, calling themselves 'allies' and virtue signalling. Again, another safeguarding issue. Inclusivity to the detriment of children has 'peaked' and is 'peaking many.
This book is about the medicalisation of all the children with Gender Dysphoria. It is the culmination of the confidential de-identified stories of a large group of health professionals, therapists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, sexologists, mental health clinicians from a variety of countries; the therapists, the clinicians, the researchers, the scientists, the youth workers, the nurses, and the child protection workers, who are/were brave enough to share their stories with me about the safeguarding failures, the safety concerns, the failures in assessment, diagnosis and treatment, the ethics violations, the violation of health health professionals, the human right violations, the toll on their lives and their health, the medicalisation of children with Gender Dysphoria and the ensuing fall-out. These are the professionals who work in less than ideal conditions, day in and day out, faced with serious psychological, ethical and moral distress, who are unaware that there are other professionals out there like them, with the same kinds of safeguarding concerns and dilemmas, similar stressors, similar experiences, whose voices have not been heard, who felt they could not raise safeguarding because they were/are silenced and/or fear they will lose there careers. Their fears are relevant.
This book is one of the first to reveal the inner lives, thoughts, feelings and experiences of health professionals, including their concerns, their fears, their distress, their decisions, their regrets, their victories, all who have been negatively affected by those that silenced cancelled or de platformed them. It reveals the depth and breadth of the safeguarding concerns, from country to country, the various reasons and ways professionals are being silenced (when mandated by law to report their concerns,) in light of the fields of medicine and psychology leaving behind science and research and bowing down to ideology and politics. It details the fallout for the professions and professionals involved, how psychotherapy turned into psycho-activism (and the differences), and uncovers and reveals the ethical and moral concerns and the secrets that were covered up. The overarching role of Big Pharma, the events leading up to this crisis, the top of the iceberg and the growing group of detransitioners. It will conclude with a discussion about the future and what, if anything, can be done about it. This book explains the complex factors that came into play affecting a large group of professionals in Canada, the United States, The United Kingdom, Europe, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia. This happened to me. My story matters. Each story matters. Our stories matter. Research matters. Science matters. Ultimately, child safe-guarding...matters.
What is your second book about?
The second book in this series focused on ROGD, as it presents itself, from the voices of children and adolescents with it. Over the years, a large group of clients have discussed gender dysphoria with me. I pointed to Gender Dysphoria in my first two books, as it related to Autistic children, adolescents, and adult women who are Autistic, Aspergers, Gifted and/Twice Exceptional. It focuses on the possible explanations for Gender Dysphoria, from their perspectives. Ultimately everybody is talking, writing and discussing these children adolescents and adults, but little focus is on their voices. What are their thoughts? What are their feelings? What are their experiences? What have they experienced by the adults around them? Who helped them? Who failed them? How can this area be researched when activists shut down the research, the conversations, the voices of children? How can ROGD be discussed if we don't also ask the children? If we don't allow the children to speak? Seldom do they receive therapy. Seldom do they get a chance to explore their identity, their 'self', their feelings and thought as they proceed through a rite of passage: puberty. I have assessed, interviewed, worked with hundreds of children and adolescents, male and females with Gender Dysphoria. This GD is a different type of GD and is known as ROGD and experienced by many undiagnosed Autistic females (and males). It's time for the world to hear from them, straight from their mouths. This book will highlight the perspectives, experiences, thoughts, feelings, triumphs and tragedies of a large group of Gender Dysphoric children and adolescents from the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States, Europe and New Zealand. They discuss their dysphoria, social media, their thoughts on therapy and treatment, the law, child protection, therapists. They are all in various stages of transitioning, social transitioning, stages of de transitioning. It aims give voice to the children and adolescents that are also often either silenced, deified or demonised, depending what stage of transition or de transition they are at.
What is your third book about?
D-Trans: The stories of the Desisters & de-transitioners
My third book focuses on the tip of the iceberg that is occurring now, the crisis and the fall-out, which had begun and I believe will continue over the next 10 or so years. The fast-tracking and medicalisation of children and adolescents, without the research, has consequences. Serious, damaging and long-lasting consequences. This book gives voice to an ever-growing group of de transitioners. It asks the complex questions and seek to find the answers and possible solutions. Why are those with gender dysphoria initially embraced, loved, platformed, celebrated, supported and included, but then when they decide to de transition (however they choose to), they are then attacked, ignored, harassed, abused, insulted, slandered, by the very same people, who supported them, causing further trauma. Detransition stories can be witnessed occurring in real time on Reddit and subreddits, Twitter and other social media platforms. What do they think? What did they experience? Why are so many support groups now being created? Where are the detransition clinics? The detransition therapists? Where do detransitioners go for treatment for their trauma? Who are the professionals treating detransitioners and what therapies have they found useful? Where are specialised detransition trauma specialists? Do they even exist? Do we now need a new field of healthcare and health professionals trained as 'detransition trauma specialists'? Were they assessed properly? Did they know they had Autism? Why didn't their parents tell them? I fear, we do. Where can detransitioners be given assistance, support and treatment? Where can their families go for detransition support and therapy? What do they all now think as they reflect back on the events, the adults, the professionals, their parents, their friends, their family members, who were involved in their lives? What do the reveal were the factors that either helped or hindered them? Where did they go for support and therapy? What kind of therapy is helpful and what kind is harmful? Ultimately, what would detransitioners have said to them younger 'selves'? What do they wish the adults in their lives would have said/not said, did/not did, acted/nor acted?
What did/does your career/training/experience involve?
I have worked and currently work in 5 specialised areas:
1. The assessment, diagnosis, treatment and support of Autistic/ADHD/Aspergers/Twice-Exceptionality in females and males, across the lifespan. I wrote the award-winning books I Am AspienGirl and I Am AspienWoman, detailing the the Autistic (formerly known as Aspergers) Twice-Exceptional female profile.
2. Supporting individuals with Gender Dysphoria who have chosen to desist or detransition, family members, loved ones of Autistic Children with or without a diagnosis or gender dysphoric children, in addition to running a Weekly Gender Dysphoria Desistance Support Group for parents of loved ones. I am a member of several organisations and groups who are concerned about the unethical practice of the medicalisation of children. Supporting de-transitioners and providing trauma therapy.
3. Providing on-going trainings and courses to professionals and professionals-in training in relation to the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Autistic and/Neurodivergent females, across the lifespan.
4. Supervision, mentorship and therapy for Australian health professionals under AHPRA, who have/have had 'vexatious' notifications and/or complaints made against them by trans activists, competitors, mentally unwell clients, and/or undergoing investigation(s). AHPRA is undergoing its' third Senate Inquiry investigation into ongoing concerns of how it treats health professionals across the 16 professions
5. Safeguarding Supervision and Mentoring to health professionals/trainee health professionals, who are in ethical and moral distress
6. Because I work in the area of ESSENCE, the issue of forensics comes into play. I have assisted intelligence, private or government agencies, including recruitment agencies, detectives and law enforcement on a wide variety of cases. My experience is in body language, micro-expressions, Autistic body language and facial affect, social-communication, social camouflaging, facial affect, behaviour, language and psycho-linguistic analysis as it relates to forensics. I am currently engaged in on-going training statement analysis training and psycholinguistics.
Did you work as a psychologist? I have worked in this field, in a variety of roles, placements for 30 years. I was a licensed psychologist in Australia from 2009-2020. Before that I worked for many years in psychology in Canada. I had an Autism clinic from 2012-2020. I resigned in November 2020. My resignation letter will be published in my book and online, in addition to three open letters.
Why would a psychologist with a successful and lengthy career resign?
I resigned in November 2020, from my licensing board and related psychology organisations, after the way I was treated after I raised safeguarding concerns. I resigned for the following reasons:
The psychology field leaving evidence based research, biology, science, and ethical psychotherapy, in favour of ideology
The APS ruling on a 'one size fits all' medical approach for children with and adolescents with Gender Dysphoria
The changing definitions on biology, sex, women and gender
The failure at child safeguarding
The boards total failure at dealing with vexatious complaints and investigations
The board total failure at keeping health professionals safe
The board total failure at taking safeguarding seriously
The board who silences and punishes health professionals for maintaining their ethical principles, safeguarding children and adolescents
My concerns, as outlined in my resignation letter, raised serious concerns over the ethics, risks, and safety of the 'affirmation' medical model of treatment, a 'one size fits all' treatment of children and adolescents who are (or may have) neuro-developmental disorders, the unethical treatment and medicalisation of children and adolescents with Gender Dysphoria, who also are, or may be, Autistic, Aspergers, Gifted and/or twice-exceptional (2e). Not only did I raise safeguarding concerns, but I repeatedly raised my own personal and professional safeguarding concerns, and also my repeated concerns about why the board would not respond or act on my own personal and professional safety concerns. At that time, I began speaking about a widely known new phenomenon, known as Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD). I had not seen this in my clinic before and like all researchers and scientists, we begin and are encouraged to observing and documenting our experiences and observations. This is how I wrote my two best selling books. This was unlike anything I had ever seen previously in my career. I began documenting my clients experiences, the parents and family member experiences, other therapists experiences in 2014 and 2015. I had published two award winning books on the Autistic female profile in 2014 and 2015, respectively, available on Amazon, in English and Spanish. They are regularly in the Top 100 in the 'Autism' category on Amazon. I wrote about Gender Dysphoria in both books. I created RODG videos on Vimeo for educational purposes in 2018/2019. The very nature of having a neuro-developmental condition, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, places the individual in an extremely 'vulnerable' position, and therefore, safeguarding should be mandatory, as a part of the diagnosis. AHPRA never asked me to remove my videos my ROGD videos and had no issues with me talking about ROGD.
In my career, as an author, researcher, scientist and psychologist, I had never seen or experienced anything like this. This is not how research or science works. This is not how the complaints system works. We are encouraged to question, think independently, observe, study and research and contribute to the research. We are encouraged to do this ethically and safely, abiding by the Principles and Guidelines of Ethics. We are mandate by law to safeguard children. It ISb the law.
What has happened in the time leading up to and including when you resigned and thereafter to the present?
My experiences led me to begin questioning why would I be treated in this way, by trans activists, by a regulatory board, related organisations, and my own colleagues. I have discovered and learnt much since then. I have discovered:
1. I am definitely not alone. There is a gagging, silencing and concerted effort to keep psychologists "reigned in". There are many health professionals, researchers, and academics in multiple countries, who have or are experiencing similar or worse experiences than I have. They are losing their careers, placements, funding, clinics, education, and/or titles. They want to speak out about their experiences and safeguarding concerns, but cannot speak up, for safety reasons. This occurs on a regular basis, in multiple countries to trained and experienced psychologists, doctors, social workers, psychotherapists, mental health clinicians, nurses, doctors and other professionals working within the field. Some of them have spoken up and faced sanctions for doing so. Some have quit. Some have sued their boards, clinics, organisations and won their cases, had their cases settled with most forced to sign disclosure agreements (NDA). Many are or have been bullied by their own peers, colleagues, supervisors, bosses, mentors; even by those who are junior to them.
2. 'Inclusivity' has collapsed. At one point in time, by witnessing how children who are 'different', 'odd', 'gifted' or otherwise mistreated spurred me toward this career. We advocate for better treatment, better education, better strategies and ways. We advocate for inclusiveness, for acceptance and understanding. However, in doing so, society has reached a crisis point, one in which everything is 'inclusive' and everything goes. Where do we draw the line? Some of my colleagues are waking up, and by that, I mean becoming aware of the agenda, the safety concerns, the inherent dangers of going too far, the softening of boundaries and the inclusion of fetish, kink, porn, the sexualisation of children and much worse. It is a deep, dark and horrifying rabbit hole to go down. More and more paraphilias and abhorrent behaviors are being added to LGBTQI, including beastiality and paedophilia. This is the rabbit hole that more and more children are exposed to, in light of COVID and continual lockdowns.
3. Safeguarding concerns are being raised everywhere, in multiple countries, by health professionals, families, parents, the law, courts, judges, child protection and child safety, advocacy groups, and other individuals or organisation who have become involved.
4. The courts, judges, legal professionals are becoming increasingly involved and lawsuits are being actioned through the courts, law-firms and/or through crowdfunding sources.
5. There exist few support groups, assistance, therapy, mentorship or supervision for health professionals who have had similar experiences happen to them.
6. The fields of medicine and psychology are collapsing and in disrepair. They have lost sight and moved away from their framework of safety, ethics and science to full acceptance of a political ideological movement, that denies biology.
7. The majority of concerned health professionals are only concerned with the area of children and adolescents as it pertains to what appears to be a different type of Gender Dysphoria. That doesn't mean we are not concerned about others, outside this context. We are concerned about what constitutes full informed Gillick consent, the teenage brain (immature prefrontal cortex), the lack of high standards of practice and ethical safe medical treatments, the lack of comprehensive assessment, the high number of individuals with in the range of neuro-developmental disorders (ESSENCE) and the lack of treatment of the common family histories: family violence, FOO issues, divorce, child sexual abuse, rape, sibling abuse, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, DID, ADHD, trauma, and/or learning differences (not limited to). I want it known that I have always supported the availability of a gender identity services for children, adolescents, adults and their families, and staff who deliver these services, but like all professionals, services and practices, in doing its work, it needs to be transparent and open to safeguarding and discussions regarding the delivery of services. For some children, transitioning may be the treatment best for them, however, for many others, it is not. Overarching boards, bodies and organisations need to be approachable, responsible, and accountable to those who raise safeguarding concerns with them and actively be responsible for heath professionals safety issues (caused by notifiers, colleagues and/or extreme activists).
This is not an "anti-trans" issue and neither is it "transphobic". The use of slurs and pejorative name-calling as a response to professionals with safeguarding concerns lacks empathy, concern and understanding. Those are arguments used to derail a conversation or discussion form occurring. An empathic response to safeguarding concerns should consist of honest inquiry and participation in open, transparent discussions, as it pertains to the safeguarding of children. I am supportive of the transgender community and their right to seek services that are ethical, supportive, safe and do not infringe upon the rights of others, including women and children.
8. Duty of Care. Health professionals worldwide are questioning why their regulatory boards and organisations are failing in their duty of care, ethics and safeguarding, to children, their families, health professionals and to larger society.
9. Health professionals are questioning why trans activists are not concerned with ethics, safety, thorough and proper assessment and/or safeguarding concerns? Why do they feel the need to have health professionals, authors, scientists, world experts, researchers and/or doctors, fired, cancelled, harassed, stalked, and worse?
10. Why is only one treatment, a medical model (not therapy), available to children and adolescents, and all others are labelled as 'conversion therapy', and being banned/are banned when current research is showing there are other therapies available and appear to be even better than 'affirmative' medicine. Why would we deny children therapy as a first step?
11. More specifically and pertaining to my specialisation, I am advocating for the creation of a set of 'ESSENSE Informed Consent Guidelines', specific to the core features of neuro-developmental disorders in children that address, but are not inclusive of: context blindness, theory of mind and mentalisation, concrete literal black and white thinking, social communication, sensory processing sensitivities, restricted obsessive interests, language difficulties, commonly co-existing ADHD features (Executive functions involving the ability to plan ahead, make decisions, understand consequences, problem solving ability, make, have flexible thinking, manage and regulate strong emotions, impulsivity, inattention, hyperactivity,) a 'spikey' cognitive profile. I am advocating for the guideline to specifically outline the challenges and feature and how to assess each one in relation to, and how these features, may or may not, impact on the ability to make informed consent. This practice guideline could then to be used by the courts and/or health professionals in detailed assessment of Gillick competence in children with neuro-developmental disorders.
12. The relationship between some trans activists, pornography, beastiality, sexual boundaries, sexual offenders and crime, including the normalisation and sexualisation of children and the normalising of paedophilia and grooming is troubling. The 'allies 'that support them, are troubling. The exposure of children to pornography, fetish, kink, 'furries', and/or paraphilia is occurring in younger and younger ages. This causes addiction, trauma, sexual dysfunction, in addition negatively affecting the emerging developing teenage brain (critical window), negatively. COVID has made this much worse. Children are easily recruited online for both sex trafficking and child trafficking. Autistic children are highly vulnerable in these areas. All children must be safeguarded and all individuals, groups and communities should be responsible for safeguarding children. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
13. There is little support for de-transitioners and they are being re-traumatised
What has happened leading up to and since you resigned?
Much has occurred since I resigned and all cannot be listed below, due to length, however I will list some pertinent events, that frame my experience, the experiences of health professionals and the resulting book I am writing. I have had no response, recognition or apology from my board. I have joined alternative and new organisations, group and boards and have become 're-educated' and grown my level of "insight". The following events form only some higher profile examples of this complex issue:
In 2021, Finland and Sweden removed itself from WPATH treatment guidelines (these are guidelines only)
In 2019, UK de transitioner Kiera Bell sued the Tavistock (GIDS) gender clinic and won her lawsuit. An appeal has taken place with the judgement pending.
In 2019, Christopher Gillberg of Sweden (Gillberg ESSENCE clinic) testified at the UK high Court Appeal on behalf of Kiera Bell
In 2019-2020, a group of trained and experienced professionals resigned from the Tavistock (GIDS) gender clinic, due to safeguarding issues not being raised and/or addressed.
In 2019, Dr. Kirsty Entwisle (Clinical Psychologist) resigned, along with many other professionals, resigned from the UK Tavistock (GIDS) gender clinic, due to safeguarding issues not being raised and/or addressed.
In 2020, Marcus Evans, a UK psychoanalyst in private practice and formerly Consultant Psychotherapist and Associate Clinical Director of Adult and Adolescent Service at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, resigned over safeguarding concerns. He is the author of 'Making Room for Madness in Mental Health: The Psychoanalytic Understanding of Psychotic Communication' and 'Gender Dysphoria: A Therapeutic Model for Working With Children, Adolescents and Young Adults'.
In July, 2021, the West Australian Perth Children's Gender Clinic was recently placed into 'review', with all new child/adolescent patients having to seek independent legal counsel and approval from a judge. Most Australians do not know this because the media does has barely cit and it is shrouded in secrecy.
In August 2021, General Practitioners in Australia are warned that if they prescribe puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to minor, they will face regulatory action and/or lawsuits. Most Australians do not know this because the media rarely covers this.
In 2020/2021, UK Social Worker and psychotherapist Sonia Appleby (UK), (see https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/gids-concerns/), the Named Professional for Safeguarding Children and the Safeguarding Children Lead at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, was forced to crowdfund to have her safeguarding concerns addressed. She awaits the judgement.
In August 2021, UK Trainee psychotherapist James Esse, (see https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/expelled-university-free-speech/), is expelled without notice (three years into his 5 year training and career with Metanoia Institute, accred. Middlesex University) and by email for launching a public petition (safeguard concerns re: therapy and counselling for vulnerable children with gender dysphoria). He now is successfully crowdfunding to sue the Institute and fight for the right of children with gender dysphoria to be treated in a balanced and holistic way.
Retrospectively, in 2015, Kenneth Zucker, a well-known word expert researcher/clinical lead at the Child Youth and Family Gender Identity Clinic in Toronto, Canada, was fired, after being accused of conducting “conversion therapy” by trans activists. The claims proved to have no evidence and were proved false, with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, agreeing to pay Dr. Zucker $586,000 as part of a legal settlement (with full apology “without reservation” for the treatment he had received). Another investigation then completely exonerated Prof. Zucker, and it became clear that the activists demanding his removal, did so because they were angry that he was helping children come to terms with their biology, before proceeding to transition. There are many others.
The Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine was created. This is the place for evidence-based current research in this area. You can follow, support, and/or donate to them here
In August 2021, I was honoured to be invited to attend an inaugural meeting on the Australian Perspectives on Transgendering Children and Adolescents as it relates to Policy and Practice Implications.
In August 2021, a 55 day tribunal investigation onto a UK medical practitioner (GenderGP) is underway. This GP had previously been under investigation found to be operating and practically unethically and she was suspended. The tribunal will also inquire into the allegation that, on 10 January 2017, during an unannounced CQC inspection of Dr Matt Limited where Dr Webberley was the Safeguarding Lead, she was unaware of, and had never seen, the safeguarding policy. Her husband, Dr. Mike Webberley, was previously suspended.
There is a growing group of detransitoners around the world, who have little support, advocacy, assistance, treatment and/or therapy. They deserve better. There are a growing group of parents worldwide who are crowdfunding to pay for lawsuits to get restitution for harm done to them and/or their children.
New and emerging research has been published in favour of psychotherapy over affirmation medical treatment, as best practice. This may be too late for some states or countries, as the laws have first gone into place, without the evidence base, and before research was properly conducted and established. The activists actively discouraged research into ROGD from even taking place. The activists hijacked ethical psychotherapy, turning it into psycho-activism, called it 'affirmation therapy'. The rage directed toward researchers, practitioners, professionals, authors and scientists who discuss the topic (and anything else related to it) is out of proportion and irrational. The fallout is/will be astronomical as the lawsuits, cover-ups, back-peddling, stories and secrets are uncovered.
There exists a large group of health professionals from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Finland and Sweden, who have similar experiences to the cases listed above. Their stories are being told in my book. Many of them have to be de-identified and/or confidential and/or anonymous, due to safety concerns. This should cause us to stop, pause, reflect and consider why health professionals have their own personal safety concerns and/or their own practices, clinics, livelihoods threatened, in the first instance? Why are health professionals safeguarding concerns routinely overlooked in a variety of countries and across a variety of health professions?
What is Child Protection/Safeguarding?
Safeguarding or Child Protection usually involves concerns related to the safety of children and young people and also concerns ensuring there is a sufficiently, healthy family situation that does not also contribute to potential harm to children. One of my responsibilities, as a heath professional, is to ensure that I protect my clients/service users from avoidable harm, to recognise and respond appropriately to situations where any child or adolescent, sibling, under the age of 18, is in need of child protection or safeguarding. In fact, I am mandated by Australian law, to do so. It is also part of a health professionals job to challenge unethical and unsafe practices, which are either harmful or could lead to harm.
What would you like from me?
You can help me by donating. Your donation will go directly towards:
1. MY BOOK: the costs of creating, writing, designing, publishing and the promotion of my book, copyright, trademark, logo, the creation of related social media accounts, and related website/app (for advocating). Any further proceeds will go towards running a FREE parent support group, listing other support groups, an up to date professional referral base, education, awareness, a FREE crisis 24/7 hotline (for parents, children, siblings and the family members themselves), links and resources, lists of health professionals, court judgements, current laws, research and/or other related information). PRO BONO services will be offered to parents, families, children, individuals and detransitioners. I also accept donation via Paypal at paypal.me/TaniaMarshall
2. COSTS OF THE ONLINE DETRANS CLINIC
3. CANCEL CULTURE: assisting me to continue writing, researching, speaking and telling the stories of professionals who cannot speak up, so if I get cancelled, yet again, I can continue talking about ROGD, Gender Dysphoria, child safeguarding and the medicalisation of children, without loss of livelihood. I care little about my reputation, within the field of psychology, at this point. I do care about ethics, evidence-based research, science, biology and child-safeguarding though, and the health professionals who have not caved to political ideology.
How else can I help?
You can help me by supporting, sharing, volunteering, and/or spreading the message of safeguarding and this book to whomever you believe would be interested or could also assist me.
You can help by purchasing copies of I Am AspienGirl (2014) here and I Am AspienWoman (2015) here , taking the chapters on Gender Dysphoria/Identity and sharing them to everyone, everywhere, on-line and off-line.
You can help by leaving helpful book reviews on Amazon, so that others can read the books and chapters I wrote about Gender Dysphoria, Identity, exceptionality, giftedness and Autistic Girls. This is not limited to females. My Amazon USA author page is here
If you hear about the narrative of children and adolescents being misdiagnosed with Autism instead of transgender, please correct them.
You can help by volunteering, in any capacity, to assist this book, and/or associated services, to come to life
. Please email me at [email redacted]
If you are a health professional yourself and cannot or are unable to speak out, you can share you story with me. You are not alone. If you would like to share your de-identified experience with me and/or for inclusion in my book, please DM me on Twitter or email me. Your confidentially and anonymity is assured.
You can also help by following me here, for now:
Facebook: @taniaamarshall
Twitter: @taniaamarshall
Email: [email redacted]
You can help me by following the following cancelled professionals on Twitter (I will update this list on an ongoing basis):
@jamescantor
@zuckerKJ
@drdebrasoh
@rayblanchard
@sbaroncohen
@jamesesses
@abigailshrier
@hjoyceGender
@klbfax
@sashaayad
@segm
My details for your information:
Tania A. Marshall, M.Sc. (App.Psych), B.A. (Psych.)
Clinical Psychotherapist and Author
Forensic Consultant & Analyst
Areas of interest I: Assessment, Diagnosis, Misdiagnosis, Giftedness, Twice-Exceptionality, ESSENCE, Autism, ADHD, Social Camouflaging,Gender Dysphoria
Areas of interest II: Forensics, Autistic profiling, Cults, Crime & Autism, Body Language, Micro-expressions, Statement Analysis, Psycho-Linguistic Profiling
2X IPPY eLit Gold medal winner, I am AspienGirl & I Am AspienWoman
3X ASPECT Autism Australia Nominee, Advancement Category
Best Selling Author, AspienGirl Book Series
I Am AspienGirl
Soy AspienGirl
I Am AspienWoman
Available on Amazon
The Autistic Female Profile Blog
Thank-you all for your assistance. I remain inspired by Kiera Bell. Apologies in advance for any errors.
