when performative allyship goes away, therapy remains real

You may have heard the term performative used more frequently in the news or online lately, particularly in relation to beliefs and actions that appear insincere.

It’s a big word for a simple idea: actions, expressions, or statements done more for show than out of genuine intent or impact. These are often meant to create a desired impression or signal alignment with a group or set of values.

In social and political contexts, performative often implies superficiality. Take performative allyship, for example – when someone publicly expresses support for a cause but fails to follow through with meaningful action, or abandons that support when social or political pressure arises.

Recently, some therapy clients have voiced concern over the growing number of businesses rolling back diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These initiatives were intended to encourage applications from, and support, individuals who are disadvantaged, marginalised, or excluded – whether due to disability, neurodivergence, race, gender, or LGBTQIA+ identity.

There are reports of plus-size models struggling to find work; of women being pressured at work to avoid taking maternity leave or even getting pregnant; of trans teachers being persecuted; and many more examples of people being unfairly treated. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, has relaxed its approach to moderation, allowing expression of false and bigoted beliefs in relation to women, disabled people, and the LGBTQIA+ communities.

When past inclusive measures are revealed to be more about optics than conviction, it’s understandable that people feel betrayed or unsafe. Counsellors can provide space for clients to explore those feelings without judgement – fears, anxieties, and hurts that need room to be spoken and understood. Simply having a place to talk can be empowering, especially when the world feels hostile. When lives are made harder by political shifts or changing business practices, support becomes essential.

Many of the companies scaling back DEI commitments are multinationals, often headquartered in the US. But in the UK, it’s important to remind clients that protective legislation is still in place.

The Equality Act 2010 remains a cornerstone, bringing together various anti-discrimination laws into a single, comprehensive framework. It protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

More recently, proposals such as the Employment Rights Bill aim to strengthen worker protections and limit the ability of companies to dilute their DEI commitments. There is also a growing push to establish a body to tackle pay inequality, especially affecting women, ethnic minorities, and disabled individuals. These developments reflect the UK’s ongoing commitment to building a more equitable society.

That said, this doesn’t mean it can’t happen here. We absolutely do feel the ripple effects of political and corporate shifts in other countries. While expressions of racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and misogyny are on the rise in the UK – especially on social media, which is largely shaped by US platforms – they are also surfacing more in real-world interactions. We still have recourse to legal protections, however: people in the UK can and do face consequences for hate speech, discrimination, and physical attacks.

Even so, many clients express real fear that the trends unfolding in the US may become legitimised and embedded here. In the past, some counsellors may have avoided political viewpoints, relying on a general social consensus about right and wrong. But times are shifting, and so is the ground on which that consensus stood.

To stay true to the values of our profession, I believe we must speak to the wider context affecting our clients’ mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. We don’t break confidentiality, nor take partisan positions – but we do have a responsibility to name the conditions affecting those we support. We work with individuals, yes – but those individuals are part of a larger human collective. And we do not build stronger houses by focusing only on individual bricks.

Get in touch with Xander for a free 30-minute initial assessment and to work out a fee that’s right for your circumstances should you decide to proceed further. Xander has spaces currently available to welcome new clients.

Xander, trading as xph therapy, offers integrative counselling, which means working with multiple therapy types, including CBT, psychotherapeutic and person-centred to develop a therapeutic pathway just for you, whatever outcome you’re hoping to achieve.