An English nurse who is studying at one the country’s most prestigious mental health clinics says she was forced to listen to lectures and to read essays that called Christianity a racist religion. They also accused Christianity of being racist for its references to light and dark.
Amy Gallagher is a South London Christian who plans to sue the Portman Clinic, North London. She claims that there was religious and racial discrimination during a course she took as part of her clinical psychotherapy training.
Ms. Gallagher asserts that
- It was suggested that she watch an online lecture which stated Christianity was part European oppression for blacks.
- She was asked to attend an online seminar called Whiteness – A Problem For Our Time, which claimed that all white people are racist;
- The Criminalisation Of Blackness, which alleged that the Bible created unconscious bias was sent to her.
- She raised concerns and was then threatened with her last year of university.
Ms. Gallagher said, “Based on what I have experienced, they refer to anti-racism in racism.
Amy Gallagher (above), is a South London Christian who plans to sue the Portman Clinic in North London. It’s part of Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. Her complaint stems from what she considers religious and/or racial discrimination she experienced in an internship in psychotherapy.
Ms. Gallagher says she was made to listen to lectures and to read essays that called Christianity racist. She also blamed Christianity for its racism due to references to darkness and light.
“What they call tolerance is intolerance.”
She launched Stand Up To Woke, a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the legal fight against The Trust.
Ms. Gallagher (33) enrolled on September 2020’s Forensic Psychologydynamic Psychotherapy Course at the Portman Clinic to receive clinical training which would allow her to establish a psychotherapy clinic.
Concerned by the fact that Dr Anne Aiyegbusi, a forensic psychoanalyst, had given students a mandatory online lecture about race and racism, she became more concerned.
Standing Up to Woke is a crowdfunding campaign that Ms Gallagher started this weekend to pay for the Trust’s legal fight against her. She plans to sue them for harassment, discrimination and bullying.
Ms. Gallagher stated that the lecturer had spoken negatively about Christianity while ignoring other religions. I inquired about this and was informed that the Trust believes Christianity is responsible for racism since it is European.
Ms. Gallagher asserts that the lecture was biased politically and had ‘little to no psychotherapy reference’.
Forensic psychological psychodynamic therapy course at the Portman Clinic in September 2020 was taken by Ms. Gallagher (33) to get her training as a clinical psychologist that will allow her to start a private practice. (Above: The Portman Clinic in northern London
Helen Morgan, a psychoanalyst, asked her to join a webinar called Whiteness, A Problem For Our Time. This seminar concluded that people of color are unconsciously racist.
Tavistock promotes the lecture by examining white privilege and white fragility as a seminar marking its centenary.
According to the online description, “This presentation assumes that racism is an issue of whiteness.”
It stated: “The colour-blind attitude and the suppression of disavowal which develops during childhood in white liberal families is a way to maintain white privilege and racism.”
Ms Gallagher explained she did not consider herself racist and that she took a ‘colour-blind’ approach – she did not judge people by their skin colour – but was told that this was ‘outdated’. “I felt that I was being asked to adhere to a racist ideology,” she stated.
Then in March of last year she was directed toward a text that was on her course reading list, The Criminalisation Of Blackness.
“It spoke about the Bible’s use words light and darkness and stated that this leads people to be more racist in their subconscious,” she explained.
“The Bible uses light and dark in every major religion, so there’s no evidence to suggest that racism is caused by their use.”
She received from the Trust a May letter informing her of concerns regarding her allegedly “vexatious” conduct and threatening to impede your chances of obtaining professional registration.
Ms. Gallagher continues to take the course. She says she worries about radical identity politics “leaking into the healthcare system”.
The Tavistock last night stated that this matter had been resolved through our formal complaints process. It has now ended.
The school insists on the standard psychotherapy approach that requires students to examine their unconscious biases and irrational beliefs in order to assist patients.
In October, Ms. Gallagher’s final complaint was investigated by the Trust.
It was reported that Dr Aiyegbusi realized that her lecture had been “intense” but stated that she believed it was true that Europe, in the name Christian, was responsible for racism slavery colonialism and other forms of oppression that have a direct link to today’s forensic services.
It upheld the Trust’s view that Ms Gallagher had been ‘excessively and inappropriately confrontational’ when raising concerns – something she rejects.
They denied that she had hindered her progress by holding her opinions.
Mail on Sunday has not heard of any other complaints like this.
Ms Gallagher is continuing to take the course and says that she worries about radical identity politics ‘leaking into health services’. She added: “To be told that I may not be able become a psychotherapist, because I don’t believe Christianity is racist, or all white people in general, is very extreme.”