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Michelle Mackness vs. transgender people

Michelle Mackness is a Canadian counselor and anti-transgender activist. Mackness is Vice Director of anti-trans hate group Genspect Canada and has been involved with the Killarney Group, Gender Exploratory Therapy Association (now Therapy First), Critical Therapy Antidote, WHO Decides, Beyond WPATH, and Beyond Trans. Mackness also supports Heterodox Academy and Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

Do not go to Mackness for any kind of therapy or counseling. In around 2025, Mackness began identifying as a “former therapist” and an “advocate for ‘detransitioners.’“

Background

Mackness earned a bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in 2006 and a master’s degree from City University of Seattle in 2013.

Mackness has worked at Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health, Edmonton North Primary Care Network, and Community Counselling Centre. From 2020 to 2025, Mackness operated Mackness Counselling. In 2024, Mackness began advertising as a “philosophical counsellor” at Mackness Dialogical Services.

Anti-trans activism

In 2022, Mackness began publishing anti-trans materials with other Genspect members, including Joseph Burgo and Stella O’Malley. Mackness has also co-signed a number of anti-trans open letters and petitions.

References

Nainggolan, Lisa (March 2, 2022). Debate Heats Up on How Best to Treat Gender-Questioning Kids. Medscape https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/969465

Selected writing by Mackness

Michelle Mackness and signatories (March 2, 2026). The Project Nettie statement. https://fondofbeetles.substack.com/p/project-nettie-scientists-and-academics

Michelle Mackness and signatories Meghan Murphy, Bryony Dixon, Niki Fortier, Linda Blade, Mia Hughes, April Hutchinson, Janayh Wright, Magdalena Huston, and Kim Zander (October 3, 2024). Open letter to The Royal Canadian Legion regarding their coerced response to hosting Vancouver Island Speaks. Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2024/10/13/70477/

Michelle Mackness and signatories Pamela Buffone, Susan Bradley, Roy Eappen, and Aaron Kimberley [sic] (February 2, 2024). Letter to the Canadian Pediatric Society and the Alberta Medical Association. Canadian Gender Report https://genderreport.ca/letter-to-the-canadian-pediatric-society-and-the-alberta-medical-association/

Michelle Mackness and signatories (December 28, 2023). Open letter to the American Psychiatric Association. https://genspect.org/open-letter-to-the-apa/

Stella O’Malley, Joseph Burgo, and Michelle Mackness (December 2022). Beyond Transition: A Brief Guide for Therapists. https://genspect.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/A-Brief-Guide-to-Beyond-Transition-1.pdf

Michelle Mackness and Gender Exploratory Therapy Association members (September 11, 2022). [Letter to US Department of Education] Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or
Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance; RIN: 1870-AA16; Docket ID No. ED-2021-OCR-0166. https://www.therapyfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Attachment-1_GETA-Title-IX-Comment.pdf

Media

Awake at the Wheel with Malini Ondrovcik, Oren Amitay, “Lynn Chadwick,” and Michelle Mackness (October 8, 2025). Ep 94: Navigating the Detransition Landscape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyCQ-5bF2RU

Juno News / Disrupted with Melanie Bennet, “Lynn Chadwick,” and Michelle Mackness (October 2, 2025). Trans regret and the growing wave of detransitioner lawsuits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQXZ0NxWOdg

Resources

InfluenceWatch (influencewatch.org)

Mackness Counselling (macknesscounselling.com) [archive]

Conservative Counselors (conservativecounselors.com)

American Philosophical Practitioners Association (appa.edu)

Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com)

  • Michelle Mackness
  • psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/michelle-mackness-courtenay-bc/715968

Substack (substack.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)