A Sydney psychologist who engaged in an intimate relationship with her client has had her registration suspended for one year.
Julie Ann Catt admitted she was wrong to engage in the relationship, which spanned several years and included flirtatious emails to her former patient, who is now in her early 50s.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled on Monday that Ms Catt engaged in serious misconduct.
Ms Catt saw the woman as a patient between June 2009 and June 2015, after which they engaged in a personal relationship for several years.
That liaison included at least kissing and hand-holding, the tribunal found.
The Australian Psychological Society requires that any therapeutic relationship must have ended at least two years before a personal relationship between therapists and their clients can start.
Ms Catt infringed ethical boundaries to "satisfy her own needs", the tribunal said.
"Her conduct was shameful and unbecoming of her profession," it said.
Ms Catt said in a statement that she has the utmost respect for the tribunal's decision.
"At a difficult time in my life, I made some questionable decisions and am totally accountable for them," she said.
"I’ve worked very hard to become a better person over these past several years, and as a result a better therapist."
In its submissions to the tribunal, the Health Care Complaints Commission alleged Ms Catt sent a series of flirtatious emails to the woman at a time when she was still a patient.
The commission also said the psychologist failed to terminate the therapeutic relationship between the pair when the patient expressed romantic feelings towards her and asked to be referred to another therapist.
"Shut my therapy with you down because I just can't," the patient wrote.
"Refer me to somebody you trust and have trust in me, I am no risk to you."
In 2019, the patient ended the personal relationship between the two via email, saying she would not report Ms Catt but asking her to "stay away from her neighbourhood".
“I had no idea I was being re-traumatised, rather than loved, and that my need to protect Julie was like my need to protect my childhood abuser due to fear of consequences and abandonment," the patient said in a 2021 written statement.
In oral evidence to the tribunal last year, the patient said at the time of that statement she likely was angry at Ms Catt, while also feeling betrayed and rejected and wanting to see her deregistered for several years.
After her ban concludes, Ms Catt must undergo a period of fortnightly supervised sessions overseen by the Psychology Council of NSW.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
