Prison psychologist cleared to practise after relationship with former inmate

A prison psychologist has admitted to entering into a sexual relationship with a former inmate — but is free to continue practising following a tribunal ruling.

Caroline Gorman began a relationship with a former inmate 14 months after she stopped acting as his psychologist. Picture: Paul Miller

A prison psychologist has admitted to entering into a sexual relationship with a former inmate after his stint in the slammer, but has been given the green light to continue seeing patients.

Caroline Gorman started treating the male prisoner in September 2018 after he was jailed over an aggravated burglary.

She undertook his assessments, facilitated his clinical sessions and signed his psychological reports until November 2019 when he moved correctional facilities.

He was released in October 2020 and contacted Ms Gorman on Facebook in November.

By January 2021, the pair were in an “intimate and sexual relationship”, which remains ongoing.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Monday ruled Ms Gorman had engaged in “professional misconduct” by entering into the relationship and reprimanded her.

However, the psychologist can continue to see patients after the tribunal decided against suspending her registration.

In a September hearing, the tribunal heard the relationship blossomed 14 months after Ms Gorman stopped acting as his psychologist.

Ms Gorman was reprimanded but can continue to see patients. Picture: Supplied

But according to the Australian Psychological Society’s code of ethics, psychologists must not “engage in sexual activity with a former client … within two years after terminating the professional relationship with the former client”.

If a psychologist wishes to do so after two years, they must “explore with a senior psychologist the possibility that the former client may be vulnerable and at risk of exploitation” and “encourage the former client to seek independent counselling on the matter”.

The tribunal heard Ms Gorman did neither, meaning she was in breach of the code of ethics for not only engaging in the relationship but not taking any steps prior to doing so.

In her submissions to the tribunal, Ms Gorman, who has held a senior clinician role since 2018, admitted her conduct was “wrong” and apologised.

She also argued her clinical relationship with the prisoner was not an “extended or consistent one” and no “specific harm” is alleged to have occurred to him since January 2021.

But the Psychology Board of Australia argued Ms Gorman should be reprimanded, suspended for six months and after her suspension ends, have fresh conditions imposed on her registration.

In August 2021, the board imposed conditions on her registration requiring her to practice only in places approved by the board and to be supervised by a registered psychologist in relation to “maintaining professional boundaries”.

Ms Gorman was compliant with these conditions and they were removed from her registration in March 2023.

She said her supervision sessions, which she has elected to continue, have helped her gain “substantial insight into her error”.

She now works for Succoris Psychology in Sunbury, where she sees an average of six clients a day.

In their judgment, tribunal members Judge Caitlin English, Marian Power and Carolyn Manning said there was a “power imbalance” between Ms Gorman and her partner.

“It is not an equal relationship. Ms Gorman’s conduct was a boundary violation of a substantial nature, not a minor or moderate departure of standards,” they said.

“It is a clear violation of the APS code of ethics.”

But they ruled the suspension of Ms Gorman’s registration or the imposition of fresh conditions on her registration will not serve to protect the public.

“It is not in the public interest to suspend Ms Gorman’s registration as it will be disruptive to her patients and not in keeping with the facilitation of access to services, particularly at a time when demand for services is high and the availability and access is low,” they said.

The tribunal heard Ms Gorman and her partner are now in a “stable, happy and long-term relationship”.