As an observer, the psychological field is careening toward an inevitable reckoning—one that will leave a lasting mark on its credibility. Once it becomes widely accepted that gender-affirming care was built on pseudoscience and leaves many patients worse off than when they began, the entire field of psychology will bear the consequences. This will be a black eye for the profession, exposing its failure to uphold its duty to do no harm.
Psychology has long struggled for legitimacy, striving to establish itself as a serious science dedicated to understanding human thought and behavior. Yet, the field now faces a crisis as ideological influence overtakes its institutions, governing boards, and professional culture. This shift undermines the work of countless professionals who have spent their careers legitimizing psychology as a credible science, replacing rigorous inquiry with activism-driven agendas.
Since the election of President Trump, there has been a rollback of some of these policies, signaling a shift away from the most extreme ideological positions. However, the field itself must take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask whether it has been complicit in causing harm by facilitating the medical transition of vulnerable individuals without any real long-term studies on the efficacy of such radical treatments. We are talking about life-altering and irreversible decisions—unproven surgeries with high complication rates that increase all-cause mortality rates. The psychological community must confront the reality that it has pushed these interventions with little scientific scrutiny, placing ideology ahead of patient safety.
The Pseudoscientific Assault on Patients
The most alarming consequence of this ideological capture is the physical harm inflicted upon vulnerable patients through so-called "gender-affirming care." The prevailing model insists that anyone questioning their gender identity must immediately be affirmed, with no consideration for alternative treatments or underlying psychological conditions. Instead of exploring root causes—such as trauma, autism, depression, or social contagion—mental health professionals now push patients toward irreversible medical interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures that can result in permanent bodily harm.
Despite mounting evidence that many individuals later regret these procedures and attempt to detransition, the psychological establishment continues to push this ideology as unquestionable truth. Critics who raise concerns about these unethical practices are silenced, deplatformed, and labeled as bigots.
Psychology's Long History of Ethical Failures
This is far from the first time the mental health field has been complicit in unethical practices. Decades ago, psychology was used to justify inhumane experiments and coercive treatments, such as lobotomies and electroshock therapy.
Now, history is repeating itself, with mental health professionals engaging in another form of sanctioned abuse—this time in the form of ideological medical interventions. The field has willingly sacrificed ethics and scientific integrity to appease political activists who demand compliance with their agenda, regardless of the cost to human lives.
The Need for a Reckoning
It is time for a major reckoning in psychology and mental health. The field must abandon its commitment to radical leftist ideology and return to a foundation of empirical science, open inquiry, and ethical responsibility. The lives of vulnerable individuals—particularly children and adolescents—depend on it.
The mental health industry’s embrace of pseudoscience is not just a betrayal of the discipline—it is a direct violation of its duty to protect and heal. Until psychology rejects ideology-driven medicine and recommits itself to truth, it will continue to be an instrument of harm rather than healing.