Melbourne psychologist Marcel Saxone denies allegations he transgressed sexual boundaries

A Melbourne psych is accused of using his stepson’s room while his wife and kids were out to carry out a sexual relationship with a patient.

Psychologist Marcel Saxone fronted VCAT to face allegations of he transgressed sexual boundaries with a patient. Facebook.

A patient of a Melbourne psychologist said she felt “deceived” when she found out she wasn’t the only patient he was allegedly sexually involved with, a tribunal has heard.

Marcel Saxone fronted VCAT on Wednesday to answer allegations he was involved sexually with a patient which led to her having a mental breakdown.

The woman, who can’t be named, gave evidence and described “falling in love” with Saxone after only two months of being his patient.

“Already in April 2013, I realised I had feeling for him and I started to fall in love with him,” she said.

She said she started getting confused about their relationship and told him she was beginning to experience transference.

“It was therapy, then friendship, then gradually we developed a sexual relationship,” she said.

“I just dived deep into my feelings, I was very much attracted to that person and openly admitted it to him, and he responded.”

The patient described visiting Saxone’s home consulting room, gave detail on the layout of his house, and told the tribunal they would often go to his stepson’s room to engage in sexual activity when no one was home.

After discovering Saxone was allegedly involved with another patient, she said that was when she realised the “whole experience was deceit”.

“I realised ... (Saxone was) a very unconscious person pretending to be a psychologist and pretending to help people when he was actually just taking advantage of women with low self-esteem and a very open and trusting heart,” Saxone’s patient said.

The woman, who first contacted Saxone in late-2012, emailed the psych, expressing her desire to pursue a career in psychology and asking for his help before beginning therapy sessions with him in February 2013.

She visited him and the sessions became more frequent — on one occasion she saw Saxone twice in four days, the tribunal heard.

Saxone’s clinical notes from that year revealed his client confessed to having “sexual fantasies about her therapist”.

Saxone allegedly told the patient the fantasies can have “positive benefits” as long as there were “boundaries”.

The tribunal heard how the woman later emailed Saxone and thanked him for “keeping her safe” and “not rejecting her”.

“I am thankful that you keep me safe and do not reject me, taking into account a quite intensive influence generated by as I think erotic transference …,” she said.

“This is just amazing to experience with you … I feel progressed in my journey already.”

By mid-2014 their relationship was personal, they took tai chi classes together and the client attended mindfulness classes hosted by Saxone and their sexual relationship began.

The client said she became “hooked” to Saxone before he digitally penetrated her, the tribunal was told.

Immediately after, the client said she felt no pleasure from it but Saxone explained that was “women’s grief” as a result of transgenerational trauma.

Their relationship intensified after Saxone had a stroke and continued until the end of 2016, when he told her he wasn’t in love with her.

“Excellent question regarding love … I am in love with my wife … I have a physical relationship with her where lust and love meet,” Saxone said.

The patient then told her husband about their relationship after reportedly having a mental breakdown.

Her husband then texted Saxone saying: “Hi Marcel, I know what has been happening between you and my wife. No calls, no contact otherwise I will tell everything to your wife”.

Emily Latif, for the Psychology Board of Australia, told the tribunal Saxone used his power to develop and engage in an “inappropriate relationship”.

Ms Latif also accused Saxone of failing to establish and maintain clinical boundaries with the patient.

“Mr Saxone’s response, in the context of a clinical relationship managed and controlled by him … actually fostered and cultivated (his patient’s) feelings of transference,” she said.

Saxone, who denies the allegations, said it was his client who made sexual advances because she was besotted with him, and her behaviour now is consistent with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

“(The client) has never been diagnosed with BDP and her behaviour is completely consistent with the damage done by being in a clinical relationship which lacked boundaries, including sexual misconduct, for number of years,” Ms Latif said.

The matter continues.

[e-mail]