The psychologist, who has interim name suppression, occasionally worked with inmates.<\/p>\n
While working with a male client between May 2021 and July 2023, the tribunal found she failed to maintain professional boundaries and engaged in an inappropriate relationship with him.<\/p>\n
Over that time, she communicated with the man through social media and text messages outside normal business hours.<\/p>\n
Some of the messages were sexualised and included inappropriate pictures and videos.<\/p>\n
She also sent her client two voicemails with inappropriate content.<\/p>\n
The psychologist engaged in inappropriate physical contact with her client, including sexualised physical contact, hugging him, touching his body and commenting on his physique.<\/p>\n
On one occasion, she had sex with him in her home.<\/p>\n
In 2023, she often provided psychological services to the man in her own home and at his father\u2019s home in a manner that distorted the therapeutic relationship.<\/p>\n
On three occasions she loaned or gifted $100 to the client and in May 2023 loaned or gifted him a mobile phone.<\/p>\n
The tribunal found the psychologist failed to provide safe and competent care and treatment to her client, in that she did not maintain structured, competent therapeutic intervention.<\/p>\n
The tribunal heard she failed to undertake an adequate psychological assessment of her client, failed to develop a treatment plan, failed to assess the client\u2019s progress and failed to keep adequate records regarding their sessions.<\/p>\n
Counsel for the Professional Conduct Committee, Jo Hughson, said the psychologist \u201cexploited his trust and vulnerability\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hughson told the tribunal the psychologist initially denied any sexually explicit conduct and said she was adamant the client should not be believed because \u201che was a drug addict\u201d and had \u201cbad character\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hughson said she did not admit her actions until she was confronted by the \u201cvery compromising\u201d text messages but had not offered any reflection or explanation on what had happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not clear that she understands what was wrong here or what was at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
The client was put in a position where he feared no one would believe him if he spoke out about the relationship, Hughson said.<\/p>\n
Since the end of the relationship, the client\u2019s mental health had declined, Hughson said.<\/p>\n
He had also returned to prison and struggled with drug use.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe received seriously inadequate care from her,\u201d Hughson said.<\/p>\n
The woman did not wish to give evidence during the hearing but her counsel Duncan McGill said she had taken steps to rehabilitate herself, including undertaking supervision.<\/p>\n
Regarding her earlier denial of the relationship, he said she forgot there were messages on her phone between her and the client and what they contained.<\/p>\n
He said she was struggling with personal issues and admitted the text messages when they were recovered and shown to her, and admitted her wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a coming to Jesus moment for [the woman],\u201d McGill said.<\/p>\n
Brianna McIlraith is a Queenstown-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the lower South Island. She has been a journalist since 2018 and has had a strong interest in business and financial journalism.<\/p>\n