SA psychologist Samantha Angelakis fights lying claims after client relationship exposed

·

A female psychologist in South Australia who began a relationship with a police officer client has denied any intent to deceive the Psychology Board about the timing of their relationship.

Dr Samantha Angelakis, 36, was found by a tribunal to have fallen significantly below the professional standards after she eventually married the client.

However, during an appeal hearing, her legal counsel argued that Dr Angelakis’ state of mind at the time of her self-reporting of the relationship should have been evaluated from a subjective perspective.

In a decision published online in July, the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) found Dr Angelakis guilty of unprofessional conduct on four counts. At the time, Dr Angelakis was a clinical psychologist at PsychMed, specialising in trauma recovery through cognitive behavioural therapy.

Craig Arthur, an Inspector with the South Australia Police, was referred to Dr Angelakis in 2019 for treatment related to work-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

From April 17 to July 19, 2019, Insp. Arthur underwent treatment with Dr Angelakis. The tribunal noted that professional boundaries began to blur starting June 11, 2019, with a noticeable change in the nature and tone of their email correspondence by July 8, 2019.

It was agreed by both parties that on July 20, 2019, they met and spent several hours together, during which they kissed and held each other. Six days later, they had sexual intercourse for the first time.

Both Dr Angelakis and Insp. Arthur reportedly separated from their respective spouses on July 19, 2019, and later married in January 2021.

dr samantha angelakis
Dr Samantha Angelakis, 36, was found by a tribunal to have fallen significantly below the professional standards after she eventually married the client.

Dr Angelakis self-reported the relationship to the Psychology Board of Australia on February 7, 2020, leading to a referral to the Tribunal.

According to the Code of Ethics, psychologists are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with former clients within two years of terminating the professional relationship.

The tribunal found that Dr Angelakis also engaged in professional misconduct by misleading the Board to suggest that no inappropriate conduct occurred during the treatment period.

During the appeal hearing, Dr Angelakis’ counsel challenged the tribunal’s findings, arguing that it had misinterpreted her state of mind, which should have been assessed subjectively rather than objectively. They emphasised that Dr Angelakis had no intention to deceive the Board.

Her legal team further argued that Dr Angelakis did not have access to her emails with Insp. Arthur at the time of her self-report, and therefore may not have fully appreciated how quickly her feelings had evolved in July 2019.

“The tribunal failed to engage with her evidence about a lack of recollection in the absence of the emails,” counsel said.

Counsel representing the Psychology Board stressed that the professional relationship between a psychologist and a client must remain strictly therapeutic, as outlined in the code.

“Of course, the board is proceeding on objective evidence, given the documents,” they noted.

The final decision has yet to be delivered.

Source: The Advertiser.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Earlwood’s Greek spirit centre stage as ‘Plateia’ Festival secures state funding

The City of Canterbury Bankstown will host the “Love Earlwood” festival thanks to the NSW Government’s Open Streets 2025-28 Program.

Greek Consul General honoured at Hellenic Club farewell event in Sydney

Sydney’s Greek community came together on Thursday for a dignified farewell dinner in honour of Greece’s Consul General, Ioannis Mallikourtis

Field of candidates announced for 2025 Greek Community of Melbourne Board election

Greek Community of Melbourne has officially called elections for a new Board of Directors, with members set to head to the polls on June 29.

Australia Cup 2025: Strong Greek heritage club presence as Final 32 locked in

The cast for the Hahn Australia Cup 2025 Round of 32 has been decided following the completion of the Preliminary Rounds.

Apostolakis and Trimis named on Young Matildas squad for upcoming training camp

CommBank Young Matildas Head Coach Alex Epakis has settled on a 32-player squad for a domestic training camp to be held in Sydney.

You May Also Like

Greek hotel pools may use seawater amid drought on islands

Hotels on Greece’s islands could soon be filling their swimming pools with seawater due to worsening drought conditions.

Panathinaikos and Partizan to clash with NBL clubs in Australia for historic tournament

National Basketball League will be hosting the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament which will take place outside of Europe for the first time.

Informative lecture held in Sydney to mark 80 years since deportation of Thessaloniki Jews

On Thursday, April 20 there was an informative lecture by Dr Leon Saltiel on the history of the Jews in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.