Adelaide psychologist Catherine Alice Soukoulis has been disqualified from practicing for two years after engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient described as 'profoundly vulnerable.' The South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that Soukoulis's behavior constituted professional misconduct.
The patient, who suffered from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, underwent 32 therapy sessions with Soukoulis between March 2017 and January 2019. The tribunal noted that the patient disclosed a recent suicide attempt during his final session.
The following day, the patient visited Soukoulis's home, and he subsequently became a regular guest, staying in her spare room. The tribunal found that Soukoulis and the patient engaged in various activities together, including completing puzzles, watching movies, walking her dog, and cooking, before their relationship became intimate and sexual.
"She engaged in an intimate relationship, clearly for her own gratification, without any due regard to the needs of the client," the tribunal stated in its judgment. "Alarmingly… she appears, in her conflicted role of friend and lover, to have taken on responsibility for his safety and welfare to the exclusion of making appropriate arrangements for his care."
Soukoulis self-reported the relationship to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) after learning that a GP had already been informed. The rules prohibit sexual activity with former clients within two years of the termination of psychological services due to the potential for exploitation.
Soukoulis's defense included claims of 'extenuating circumstances' and that she was making decisions under 'difficult circumstances.' She had previously treated a family member of the patient.
When approached by a reporter, Soukoulis stated she was "still in touch" with her former patient and described him as "the real victim here." She also indicated that there was "so much more to this" and that people had encouraged her to write a book about her experience. She declined a formal interview, stating she wanted the situation to resolve and that she had to take medication.
The tribunal's assessment highlighted Soukoulis's claim of credit for the patient being "alive" without adequately acknowledging the potential harm caused by her actions. The judgment emphasized the exploitative nature of her conduct, noting the patient's trust, his dependence on her as a therapist, and how this dependence and the power imbalance were amplified when she also provided him with accommodation.
The tribunal concluded that Soukoulis's overall clinical care, risk assessment, and treatment for the patient were inadequate. The disqualification prevents her from reapplying for registration as a health practitioner for two years.