'Exploited his trust': Psychologist suspended for having sex with client

Author: Brianna McIlraith,
Publish Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2026, 8:44pm

A psychologist was before the Health and Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal for serious misconduct. Photo / Africa Studio

A psychologist who had sex with her client tried to make out he was lying about their relationship, calling him a “drug addict” with “bad character”.

The psychologist was found guilty by the Health and Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal on one charge of failing to maintain professional boundaries and one for failing to provide safe and competent care to her client.

Tribunal chairwoman Susan Hughes said the tribunal found it difficult to settle on a penalty for the case.

Ultimately, the psychologist was suspended for two years, censured and had a number of conditions to follow when she returns to practice.

The psychologist, who has interim name suppression, occasionally worked with inmates.

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.

Over that time, she communicated with the man through social media and text messages outside normal business hours.

Some of the messages were sexualised and included inappropriate pictures and videos.

She also sent her client two voicemails with inappropriate content.

The psychologist engaged in inappropriate physical contact with her client, including sexualised physical contact, hugging him, touching his body and commenting on his physique.

On one occasion, she had sex with him in her home.

In 2023, she often provided psychological services to the man in her own home and at his father’s home in a manner that distorted the therapeutic relationship.

On three occasions she loaned or gifted $100 to the client and in May 2023 loaned or gifted him a mobile phone.

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.

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’s progress and failed to keep adequate records regarding their sessions.

Counsel for the Professional Conduct Committee, Jo Hughson, said the psychologist “exploited his trust and vulnerability”.

Hughson told the tribunal the psychologist initially denied any sexually explicit conduct and said she was adamant the client should not be believed because “he was a drug addict” and had “bad character”.

Hughson said she did not admit her actions until she was confronted by the “very compromising” text messages but had not offered any reflection or explanation on what had happened.

“It’s not clear that she understands what was wrong here or what was at risk.”

The client was put in a position where he feared no one would believe him if he spoke out about the relationship, Hughson said.

Since the end of the relationship, the client’s mental health had declined, Hughson said.

He had also returned to prison and struggled with drug use.

“He received seriously inadequate care from her,” Hughson said.

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.

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.

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.

“There was a coming to Jesus moment for [the woman],” McGill said.

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.