Nick Marzo and their company, Modern Path, have gained attention for their self-proclaimed commitment to providing inclusive, progressive care for individuals.
Modern Path, founded in 2017, describes its mission as providing mental health support to individuals from diverse backgrounds in terms of gender, sexuality, and relationships. But certain practices seem to reveal a different focus, one that leans more toward promoting ideologically rigid concepts rather than providing balanced mental health care. There are concerns that the organization might be encouraging young people to pursue major life changes, like gender transitions, without sufficient, careful mental health evaluations.
Nick Marzo, who identifies as a “trans-man, genderqueer, and neurodivergent,” has an array of professional credentials, including being a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia and a certified sex therapist through AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists). Marzo also holds leadership roles within the professional community, serving as Chairperson of the AASECT Ethics Advisory Committee with strong ties to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
Given what we know about WPATH, we should expect something shady to be going on behind the scenes. A deeper look into Modern Path reveals its true agenda, particularly in how it engages with minors and handles “gender-affirming care.”
One of the most concerning aspects of Modern Path’s services is the way it conducts gender-affirming assessments. The company claims that an assessment can often be completed in a single session, thus fast-tracking referrals for gender transition procedures. This directly undermines the standards of care typically expected for such life-altering interventions. Unlike other medical treatments for minors, which typically require thorough evaluations, ongoing therapy, and clear parental consent, Modern Path uses an approach that completely disregards child safeguarding. These quick assessments focus little on the complex psychological and emotional factors involved, especially for young people. It also minimizes the long-term consequences. The lack of parental guidance is very worrisome. It is vital for families to be included in the decision-making process when it comes to their children's healthcare. Their methodology seems to prioritize ideological conformity over the well-being of its clients.
While Modern Path promotes itself as a “queer-owned” organization that advocates for marginalized identities, its approach to gender affirmation appears to prioritize ideology over the mental and emotional needs of its clients. Their use of a so-called "informed consent" model for decisions about gender transition seems questionable when applied to vulnerable people, especially minors, who cannot fully grasp the permanent implications of these procedures. The rush to approve clients in a single session, without meaningful exploration of their psychological state or family dynamics, shows that they are more concerned with ideology and espousing a particular worldview than ethical medical care. Also, Modern Path’s failure to offer a comprehensive, therapeutic approach for its clients proves that the company focuses on identity affirmation rather than true support.
The educational programs offered by Modern Path are another area of concern. While the company does provide legitimate continuing education courses for mental health professionals, one in particular stands out: their “Gender Affirming Assessments & Referral Letters: Foundations” course, which is offered free of charge. Offering such foundational training for free could give unqualified individuals the ability to push children down the gender affirmation pipeline.
Is Modern Path genuinely interested in providing comprehensive training? Offering such easy access to these services, combined with its lack of emphasis on ethical standards, further suggests that Modern Path is eager to push boundaries at the expense of thorough professional education and responsible client care.
Another concerning aspect of Modern Path is the way it handles adult-oriented content, which is made accessible through its website and workshops. The company sells silicone lubricants and a "21-day masturbation journal" aimed at adult clients. Why are these items marketed on a platform that explicitly serves children? While these products may not be explicitly targeted at minors, placing them on a website that caters to young people makes them accessible to an impressionable audience. The commercialized nature of the site, with an emphasis on adult sexual products, gives the impression that this company is more concerned with monetizing its services than safeguarding its younger clients from potentially harmful or inappropriate content.
Perhaps the most troubling, however, are Modern Path's programs and workshops. Tonya Keith, a certified somatic sex coach conducts workshops on “Consent-Based Pleasure.” Tonya Keith describes herself as “autistic, queer, kinky, and consensually non-monogamous,” and pushes a particular worldview that may not align with the clients’ developmental needs or boundaries. While Modern Path currently restricts these workshops to adults, the organization’s willingness to entertain the idea of offering them for teenagers is deeply concerning. In one instance, Nick Marzo was contacted by a Gays Against Groomers chapter member, who was posing as a minor. Marzo seemed open to the idea of creating a similar course for teenagers. The lack of boundaries when it comes to exposing minors to adult topics, particularly those related to sexual consent and pleasure, should send chills down your spine.
Modern Path, under Nick Marzo’s leadership, may not be acting in the best interests of its younger clients. The clinic’s rapid assessments, lack of meaningful parental involvement, and troubling emphasis on adult-oriented content all point to an organization that is more interested in pushing boundaries and spreading their ideological beliefs than providing responsible, ethical mental health care. Its approach to “gender-affirming care” results in kids being pushed down a pipeline to sterilization with no self-reflection, thorough evaluation, or parental involvement.
Modern Path's Contact Form enables clients to select therapists based on characteristics like neurodivergence or relationship style, implying that one’s identity is indicative of their clinical expertise. Focusing on such niche characteristics instead of robust qualifications makes their services seem less about professional competence and more about identity validation. This should never be the therapeutic goal. Modern Path, under the leadership of Nick Marzo, appears to operate in a way that is superficial rather than therapeutic. Modern Path has earned their spot on 2024's RADAR Naughty List for allowing kids to potentially access age-inappropriate content and a clear lack of safeguarding.
References:
Body Bliss: a guided pleasure journal for exploration and self-love. 2nd Edition | RobinDenise. (2023). RobinDenise. https://www.robindenise.com/product-page/my-self-pleasure-journal
Contact Us — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path. https://www.modernpath.net/contact-us
Cost Psychotherapy and Holistic Wellness LGBTQ+ — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path. https://www.modernpath.net/fees
Education and Event FAQ — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path. https://www.modernpath.net/faq
Gender Affirming Assessment & Referral Letters. (2024). Modern Path. https://ondemand.modernpath.net/p/gender-affirming-assessment-referral-letter-foundations
Keith, T. (2024, November 20). Upcoming Class: Consent-Based Pleasure — Modern Path. Modern Path.
Nick Marzo (he/him/none) | AASECT:: American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. (2024).
Partner Products — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path.
Psychotherapy and Holistic wellness for LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent teens and adults — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path.
Terms Of Service — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path.
Tonya Keith, Certified Somatic Sex Coach, ABS & AASS Somatic Sexologist — Modern Path. (2024). Modern Path.
Nick Marzo. (2024). World Professional Association for Transgender Health. WPATH.