It targets intent to change a belief, which is what exploration does  

The Bill defines a conversion practice by the intention behind the conduct. This includes conduct intended to make someone believe they do not have a transgender identity. It does not expressly exclude open-ended questioning or therapeutic exploration. A practitioner who explores whether distress has other causes may therefore face scrutiny over whether the purpose of that exploration was to change the person's beliefs about their identity. The Opposition asked on 25 June 2026: “Can the Government guarantee that exploratory therapy will be explicitly protected in the Bill, alongside appropriate support for those who detransition?” (Mims Davies MP). The draft does not give that guarantee. [Hansard, HC Deb, Draft Conversion Practices Bill, 25 June 2026 ]

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Effects: Evidence from Australia includes psychologists who report withdrawing from work involving gender dysphoria, and detransitioners who report having to travel interstate to obtain psychological or medical assistance.  Detransitioners lose support, since helping someone move away from a transgender identity meets the definition even at their request. These experiences illustrate the difficulties that can arise when practitioners fear their work may be characterised as conversion practices. The concern is that the UK Bill could produce similar barriers to exploratory therapy and detransition support.