Psychologist who had affair with patient may be disciplined

A psychologist may face disciplinary action after being accused of having an affair with her patient.

A woman laid a formal complaint about the relationship between her estranged husband and his psychologist in January last year, a Health and Disability Commissioner's report released today said.

Names and locations have been omitted from the report, which said the man began seeing the psychologist for a depressive disorder in July 2007 but the man's wife said the relationship developed into something more than professional.

The man's wife said friends had reported seeing her husband hand-in-hand with a woman entering a driveway, and when she followed him to the same house she discovered it was the psychologist's home.

When confronted, her husband would not directly answer questions about where he had been , and she lodged a formal complaint with the district health board that day.

Over the following months there were several other instances that suggested a relationship between the man and his psychologist.

In March 2008, the man's daughter invited him and his "girlfriend" to a leaving party at the strip club she managed. The man came with the psychologist, and one of his daughter's friends took photos of the pair.

In an interview, the psychologist challenged the statements made by people who saw her there, saying she had never been to the club and suggesting the photos might have been altered in some way.

However, in a subsequent interview she admitted going to the club, saying the man had turned up at her house and persuaded her to come to a private function for his daughter.

Throughout the investigation the psychologist denied having an intimate relationship with the man, despite a number of witness reports to the contrary.

In the report the commissioner found that, on the balance of probabilities, an intimate and sexual relationship developed between the pair.

"I am also satisfied that, due to the counselling relationship, there was an inherent power imbalance between (the psychologist) and (the man)."

The commissioner said he had grave reservations about the woman continuing work as a psychologist and little faith she understood the importance of behaving ethically and professionally.

The case was referred to the Director of Proceedings to decide whether she would face disciplinary action.

- NZPA