Santa Clara University is placing graduate psychology students at a transgender clinic that treats children as young as five years old. The Jesuit Catholic university began the partnership in Fall 2024 as part of its LGBTQ+ counseling emphasis. Critics say the program undermines Catholic teaching and exposes minors to irreversible gender ideology without adequate medical or parental oversight.
The practicum partnership is between Santa Clara’s Counseling Psychology program and the County of Santa Clara’s Gender Affirming Care Clinic. Students enrolled in the university’s LGBTQ+ emphasis track are eligible for placement, though assignments are made by the county. According to the university’s official announcement, students will be trained in gender-affirming therapy techniques and work directly with children and adolescents identifying as transgender or non-binary.
The clinic offers counseling, garment fittings, peer support groups, and medical referrals for individuals ages 5 and older. According to whistleblower Naomi Best, a former student and intern, services provided included giving chest binders and working with children without informing parents. She described the internship as rooted in ideology rather than clinical science, stating that therapeutic goals were often replaced by affirming identity without question.
Catholic leaders and medical professionals have raised alarm over the program. John Ritchie of TFP Student Action called the placement “a betrayal of Catholic moral teaching,” arguing that gender ideology contradicts the biblical and biological reality of male and female. Dr. Mike Artigues, president of the American College of Pediatricians, warned that gender-affirming care for children can lead to long-term harm, noting that children lack the cognitive maturity to make life-altering decisions about sex and identity.
The university’s School of Education and Counseling Psychology has not responded to requests for clarification on whether parents are notified or if interns are allowed to opt out of participation based on religious conscience. The university’s announcement frames the placement as a step forward in “inclusive training,” but makes no mention of its compatibility with Catholic doctrine.
Santa Clara University, founded by Jesuits in 1851, identifies as a Catholic institution. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that sex is immutable and created by God. Participation in programs that facilitate gender transition for minors directly conflicts with that teaching. The placement raises broader questions about the integrity of Catholic identity in higher education, especially when publicly funded ideology is allowed to reshape faith-based institutions from within.
