Press Release: PSYCHOTHERAPY EDUCATION INSTITUTE ACCUSED OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM

 

Press Release: PSYCHOTHERAPY EDUCATION INSTITUTE ACCUSED OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM

Immediate Release

 

Date: 12^th of February 2026

 

One of the leading institutes for the training of psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors is facing a raft of claims from former members of staff of victimisation, whistleblowing and constructive dismissal because they stood up to racism.

 

The Metanoia Institute in West London has 1,500 students in its undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes.

 

It claims on its website to be 'known for delivering relational, high quality, part-time, university-validated and professionally accredited training in counselling, psychotherapy, counselling psychology, and related disciplines'. Many of its former students go on to work in NHS services.

 

Five former members of professional staff, Dr Eiman Hussein, Dr Maya Mukamel, Dr Malgorzata Milewicz, Dr Jane Hunt and Cathy Lasher, will commence their legal challenges against Metanoia Institute in a hearing at London Central Employment Tribunal on February 24th, 2026, which is expected to last for 18 days.

 

A further claim of racial discrimination was ruled out of time at a preliminary hearing, because the Claimants did not originally have expert representation. But the five Claimants, psychological therapists, researchers, and trainers, will give evidence that during their time at Metanoia they raised serious concerns about practices that they 'believed and experienced as harmful to students and staff of colour'.

 

Dr. Eiman Hussein, Psychotherapist and Claimant said:

"Despite our efforts to address the racism that exists in Metanoia Institute internally, the responses we received were profoundly disappointing with devastating impacts. This Employment Tribunal is our last option to ensure what happened is truly seen, heard and legally tested"

 

Dr. Maya Mukamel, Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Claimant said:

“What we both experienced and witnessed at Metanoia Institute speak to a broader pattern within psychotherapy training institutions, where racism is rife but where the realities and impacts of it are rarely named openly and too often denied or  swept under the carpet in an attempt to isolate and silence those who speak up about it.”

 

Dr Malgorzata Milewicz, Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Claimant said:

“Our group of Claimants which includes some of us who are white and white presenting, recognise our responsibility to challenge racism within our institutions and professional communities. Standing alongside our Black, Brown and colleagues of colour is an ethical obligation grounded in anti-oppressive practice. We must examine power, confront our own complicity, and listen when harm is named without defensiveness or retreating into neutrality.”

 

Zita Holbourne, Chair & Co-founder of BARAC UK said:

"The tenacity and determination of these five courageous women in the face of the most horrific treatment by their former employer because they 'dared' to stand up to Metanoia Institute is to be applauded. But this case is about more, it is about putting psychotherapy training organisations on notice that we will not allow them to create discriminatory and hostile environments for students and workers and they must be accountable and take urgent action to root out and prevent harmful discriminatory practices."

 

The Claimants are supported in their legal challenge by their trade union; The Psychotherapy and Counselling Union (PCU), Black, African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN) and Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK and have gained widespread support from others.

 

A crowd funder towards legal fees has generated over £30,000.00 towards legal fees to date, an indication of the shared concern about racism at Metanoia Institute and interest in this case.

 

*Ends*

 

Press Contact:

Jane Hunt

Tel.: 07884471425

Email: jane.a.hunt@sky.com

 

Further info:

 

·         E Hussein and Others v The Metanoia Institute, Case number 2217082/2023 main hearing will be held  virtually from 24th February to 19th March 2026 . For media or public access requests contact:

           CentrallondonETpublicaccess@justice.gov.uk

 

·         To donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/challenge-institutional-racism-in-psychotherapy-training

 

·         BAATN social media post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1144289291214186&set=a.552119273764527&id=100068993784451

 

·         PCU statement: https://pcunion.org.uk/news/update-metanoia-institute-legal-case/

 

·         BARAC UK support:

      https://blackactivistsrisingagainstcuts.blogspot.com/2025/11/challenging-racism-at-metanoia-institute.html?m=1

 

Challenging Racism at Metanoia Institute

 

Challenging Racism in Psychotherapy Training 

BARAC UK is supporting a campaign and legal challenge by former employees of Metanoia Institute.

Dr Eiman Hussein, Dr Maya Mukamel, Dr Malgorzata Milewicz, Dr Jane Hunt, and Cathy Lasher have brought claims of constructive dismissal, whistleblowing, and victimisation to the Employment Tribunal.

These five psychological therapists, researchers, and trainers raised serious concerns about racial dynamics and harmful practices affecting both students and staff of colour during their time at Metanoia. Despite their efforts to address these issues internally, they were met with disappointing and dismissive responses, leading to what they describe as an untenable working environment.

Their ongoing legal action seeks not only accountability but also lasting structural change within psychotherapy training.

More details    here  via their trade union, Psychotherapy and Counselling Union (PCU).

The group of Claimants have a crowdfunder to raise funds needed for their legal fees. Please donate if you can or share. 

Click here to support

If you would like to send a solidarity  message or invite a speaker please contact us: 

barac.info@gmail.com 

You can also follow this page on Instagram 

Renewing the call for an Independent Public Inquiry into the Windrush (Home Office) Scandal

 

In 2019 we started a petition calling for an Independent Public Inquiry into the Windrush Scandal.  There have been new calls for such an inquiry and because the matter is now urgent due to the age of  the Windrush Generation, we are renewing our petition call with the update below, setting out why we think this is needed now, which you can also access via the petition  site.

Click here to sign 

It has been a long time since we started this petition with a global pandemic between then and now.  I first called for an Independent Public Inquiry into the Windrush Scandal via the government petition site at the start of 2019 but it failed to gain the required number of signatures to trigger a debate in Parliament within the set six months permitted for such petitions, so we launched this one.

 We at BARAC UK have continued to call for an independent public inquiry since then and feel that we  should continue with this petition to call for one for a number of reasons.

 

The long awaited and delayed Windrush Lessons Learned review, which was published in 2020, had a  narrow and limited focus and did not have the powers or scope of a Public Inquiry with a failure to implement the vast majority of recommendations in any meaningful way.

In 2024 the Home Office came under criticism for failure to release a report into the roots of the Windrush Scandal, spanning thirty years of  racist immigration legislation which continues to this day.

“The Home Office has been forced to release a suppressed report on the origins of the Windrush scandal by a tribunal judge who quoted George Orwell in a judgment criticising the department’s lack of transparency.

For the past three years, Home Office staff have worked to bury a hard-hitting research paper that states that roots of the scandal lay in 30 years of racist immigration legislation designed to reduce the UK’s non-white population.

The 52-page analysis by a Home Office-commissioned historian, who has not been named, described how “the British empire depended on racist ideology in order to function” and explained how this ideology had driven immigration laws passed in the postwar period.

The department rejected several freedom of information requests asking for the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal to be released, arguing that publication might damage affected communities’ “trust in government” and “its future development of immigration policy.”

When we were campaigning to expose the Windrush Scandal several freedom of information requests we made to the Home Office were ignored and  had to be escalated multiple times to the highest levels with the Information Commissioners Office to force some sort of response.

 

This year there have been calls by prominent campaigners we have worked alongside with for a public inquiry:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/22/campaigner-calls-for-judge-led-public-inquiry-into-windrush-scandal

https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/news/2025-news/windrush-generation-lawyer-jacqueline-mckenzie-calls-for-home-secretary-to-launch-statutory-inquiry-into-the-windrush-scandal/

You may also be interested in reading this community led inquiry report:

https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/x15qv/the-windrush-justice-inquiry-report

 

We have quite rightly  seen public inquiries take place into the horrendous Infected Blood Scandal and Post Office Scandal  and we send our full solidarity to everyone impacted by those scandals. But that lead to the question of why has there not  been a public inquiry into the Windrush Scandal? Why are we still having to demand this. Why are we still being treated like third class citizens.

 

Why is this urgent?

 

Because we have seen too many of those who faced injustice because of the Windrush Scandal, including being made destitute, exiled from the UK for decades,  losing homes, jobs, livelihoods, torn apart from loved ones and families for years, stripped of their dignity and human rights, detained and deported, refused entry back into the UK, made stateless and so much more, impacting on mental and physical health and because we have already lost too many people die and because of  time is running out before many more will pass away.

According to the government’s own records, 8,800 claims have been made for compensation, of which disgracefully, only  2,600 have received payments (up to the end of July 2024).  We believe that there are  many more who are eligible  but have not made claims because of how difficult and stressful the process. We know that initial offers have usually been insultingly low and this has meant that people have had to go through appeals too.

In June this year a Windrush Commissioner was appointed, Reverend Clive Foster, the government describe  the role of the commissioner is to ‘provide independent oversight of the government’s  work to address the Home Office Windrush Scandal and ensure the voices of victims remain at the heart of efforts to deliver justice.’

We wish the Reverend well in their new role but this does not address the issues a public inquiry could address, which are to address key questions about what happened, why it happened, who is to blame and what can be done to prevent the same happening again. The latter is crucial because descendants of the Windrush Generation are still being targeted by the Home Office, with no amnesty agreed, there are still deportations of migrant people happening, refugees arriving in the UK, because they have had to flee climate change, persecution, conflict and poverty can be subjected to the new ‘one in one out’ policy  and the deport first and appeal later approach.

 

We would be grateful if you were to share this update with your networks and encourage them to sign the petition so we can grow it  and  that  you ask your local MP to write to the Home Secretary on your behalf calling for a public inquiry into the Windrush Scandal as a matter of urgency giving that time is running out for those directly impacted. If you do not know who your MP is, you can find them here.

 

Many thanks for your support.

#ConductAnIndependentPublicInquiryWindrush

BARAC UK at Glastonbury 2025

A report from BARAC UK Team Member Natalia Levene, about their second year volunteering for us at Glastonbury Festival for Workers Beer Company. We are grateful to Natalia, team leader Leroy and the entire team for all their hard work raising funds for us while enjoying Glasto.

This was my second year attending Glastonbury as part of the BARAC UK team, volunteering with Workers Beer Company and it felt so good to be back.  One of the things I was most looking forward to, was being reunited with my teammates from last year. We were an inter-generational team aged between 20-60, and we travelled from Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, and Newcastle. 

A gorgeous blend of accents, from all walks of life united in our love for music and our commitment to fundraising. It was also great to see some of the volunteers from other organisations returning to the festival.  As volunteers we had a dedicated campsite, and the feeling of being surrounded by new and familiar faces, excited about what the week will bring is quite hard to put into words. There is a real sense of pride and purpose in the small roles we all play in contributing to the Glastonbury experience for over 200,000 festival attendees.

 This year the BARAC team worked at the Solstice Bar, which was next to the Other Stage. Positioned perfectly to listen to the live performances and catch a glimpse of the stage on our breaks. Although being so close to a main stage meant that we were put through our paces in between acts with lots of thirsty customers queuing at the bar. You don’t find out your shifts until you arrive at the farm, so we prayed to the festival gods that our rota would align with the acts we wanted to see. There was some heartbreak for our team missing out on Charlie XCX, but I was so grateful to be able to see Busta Rhymes, Fabio & Grooverider’s history of drum & bass set with a live orchestra and the performance I waited all weekend for, The Prodigy. I still get goosebumps when I think about the atmosphere during their performance of Firestarter. 

This year it was also great to see the Black at Glasto presence in Silver Hayes, a hub of connection for festival attendees of black heritage. I had the honour of facilitating an African-centred healing circle in the space and another teammate Jodie, led a yoga session. It was such a gift to share our skills and offer a moment of solace and connection to our community. 

Glastonbury really is the festival of all festivals, and to be able to enjoy it with a great group of people whilst fundraising for an incredible organisation like BARAC UK made it even more special. Thank you, BARAC UK, for the opportunity and thank you to Amos, Ettie India, Issy, Jodie and our team leader Leroy for being the team of dreams.

BARAC UK at Glastonbury 2024 - A Great Time Was Had and Big Thanks to Our Brilliant Team

For several years BARAC UK has been pleased to work with Workers Beer Company to send a team of volunteers to Glastonbury and other festivals to raise funds for our work. Many thanks to our team for 2024 for volunteering this year.We appreciate you. 

Report by Isobel Abatan, first time volunteer on the BARAC UK team for Workers Beer Company at Glastonbury  2024

Isobel Abatan

 I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to volunteer at Glastonbury festival this year but a bit nervous going on my own. I didn’t need to worry, because as soon as I got on the coach at Clapham Junction everyone was very friendly and happy to chat. I was regretting overpacking and it is   definitely a lesson for the future to not overpack but the organisers were very good at making sure that the staff were looked after.

I thought working five shifts at Glastonbury Festival would limit my ability to enjoy the music and events, but the shifts were fun and went by quickly. The other BARAC UK volunteers were extremely welcoming and always happy to help when I was unsure of something. Everyone was so friendly, it hardly felt like work. I was nervous about having to pull pints as my bar experience was limited, but the bars had machines that pulled pints for you. This meant that all I had to do was pour the spirits and place the orders on an easy handheld device. The organisation for workers at the festival  made the whole process very easy and stress free for volunteers.

Being part of the crew at the festival meant that I had access to crew bars dotted around the festival site. The crew bars had toilets for staff to use, our own bar, comfy seating areas, DJs and our own pizza van. This meant that when the acts finished and the queues for the toilets were getting longer, staff had an area they could go to without having to wait. This alone has made me want to pick volunteering over getting a normal ticket as there are  so many perks! Not to mention the two free meals  per day at the campsite, which felt like luxury waking up to a full English breakfast and a cup of tea whilst my friends with normal tickets woke up to stale, squashed chocolate brioches. The campsite also had lots of toilets and hot showers which were frequently cleaned. 

I don’t think anything could have quite prepared me for how big Glastonbury is and the sheer amount of walking. Although my feet are still recovering, the 45 minute walk back from the South East Corner at 5 o’clock in the morning was merely character building. 

When I signed up, I made sure not to get my hopes up about seeing certain acts as I didn’t know what the rota would be. This actually made the experience more carefree and relaxed as I was open to seeing new people and enjoyed wandering around different stages. However, I was very happy that I was able to see Coldplay, as I’ve never been able to secure tickets for their concerts. Their set was amazing and everyone there was enjoying themselves, including Stormzy who passed me in the crowd. 

Thanks to BARAC UK, I got to experience Glastonbury, which is a memory I will cherish. I met amazing people volunteering for BARAC UK and couldn’t have asked for a better group to experience the festival with. Volunteering at Glastonbury Festival allowed me to have fun whilst raising money for a good cause. BARAC UK have been such a valuable support to my family so it was nice to have the opportunity to help them raise money. I would love to volunteer again… once i get the feeling back in my toes.

BARAC UK team, from left to right: Leroy Boateng, Team Leader, with India Smith, Amos Walker, Cameron Brown, Isobel Abatan, Ettie Smith, Natalia Levene

Donna Guthrie, BARAC UK Women's Officer and our Workers Beer Company / Festivals coordinator says:

Teaming up with Workers Beer Company to provide volunteer servers at Glastonbury Festival allows us the opportunity to raise much needed funds for BARAC UK to campaign and challenge racism and injustice.

Our volunteers are able to build relationships with other social campaigns and trade union groups in camp and are very well looked after by the WBC staff and infrastructure at the festival.

It is extremely rewarding to provide this fundraising opportunity to our volunteers, who may not otherwise have experienced one of Europe's largest music festivals, and their feedback is always positive.

It's literally a win win for BARAC and our supporters. 

Six Steps Towards Migrant Justice by BARAC UK and 44 other organisations

 

The rights of people who move have been under attack for too long. Our media and our politicians want to make us forget one simple truth: that people move. We always have and always will. We should be welcomed and supported when we do.

We all need rights. We all need safety. We all need dignity. We all need justice. We all need privacy. We all need community.

These are the six steps towards achieving justice for people who move, and a fairer society for us all. These basic principles have been jointly drafted by 45 organisations, including BARAC UK that work with people who move on a daily basis, and with allied organisations. We see how deeply the hostile policies and statements targeting migrants impact people and their communities. We’re proud to stand behind these six steps towards migrant justice, and a fairer society for all of us.   

 

 

Make Equality Real Campaign

 BARAC UK is part of Make Equality Real campaign, coordinated by the General Federation of Trade Unions which we are pleased to announce are affiliated to BARAC UK.

Please join the campaign and sign up to support here:

Join the Make Equality Real Campaign