Betrayal and Repair: How Moral Injury Plays Out in Gender-Affirming Care with Judith Ancer

PATHSA

PATHSA

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The PATHSA CPD event featured a presentation by Judith on moral injury, focusing on its impact on providers of Gender-Affirming Care. Judith explained that moral injury is a psychological wound caused by being unable to act on ethical convictions due to systemic or institutional constraints, and she distinguished it from burnout, PTSD, and vicarious trauma. She discussed how clinicians may experience moral distress or injury when blocked from providing evidence-based care, especially in the context of increasing legal and social barriers to gender-affirming healthcare. The presentation highlighted the role of institutional betrayal, ethical inversion, and the cumulative nature of moral injury, as well as the importance of collective moral repair rather than individual resilience.