A Perth psychologist has been struck off after he admitted having sex with patients in his office – including one encounter when a woman’s husband was next door in the waiting room.
Antonio Graneri had been a registered psychologist since 1986 and ran a private practice in Perth.
The case was heard in the State Administrative Tribunal.Credit: Heather McNeill
Last week, the State Administrative Tribunal handed down its findings that Graneri had engaged in professional misconduct after it emerged he had engaged in sexual relationships with three clients over a 20-year period, in particular with vulnerable patients that were suffering from mental health conditions.
The tribunal found Graneri began a sexual relationship with one woman in 1998 who had a history of sexual assault, prescription drug addictions, PTSD and depression.
The tribunal found the woman disclosed to Graneri that her husband was physically violent towards her and was unfaithful, and also told him about insecurities over her weight and attractiveness, which led the psychologist to tell her he would be interested in having sex with her.
It found at an appointment in Graneri’s consulting room, the psychologist locked the door before putting his hands on the woman’s waist and telling her: “You’re not ugly, you’re beautiful.”
The SAT ruling found the pair had sex in the room, which became a regular occurrence during her weekly therapy sessions.
Four years later, the woman and her husband engaged Graneri as a marriage counsellor, and the husband left the room after the joint session and sat in the waiting room for his wife.
She then proceeded to have sex with Graneri in the consultation room while her spouse was outside.
The married couple separated soon after, and the woman moved states, ending her relationship with Graneri. However, six years later she sought him out again for mental health therapy which ignited another sexual relationship that ended in 2020, according to the tribunal’s decision.
In 2005, Graneri began a second inappropriate relationship with a client that lasted for seven years.
The tribunal found that client had experienced an armed hold-up at work and was referred to Graneri to help her deal with suicidal ideation, self-harm ideation and sexually intrusive thoughts.
Six years later, she engaged Graneri’s services again for marriage counselling, and then again for therapy on her own.
Graneri’s solution to the woman’s sexually intrusive thoughts was to give her a book on sexual fetishes “and short stories about atypical sexual behaviour”, according to the tribunal.
They went on to discuss the woman’s feelings about the book, leading to the pair having sex, which became a regular occurrence during their therapy sessions.
On one occasion, the SAT found, Graneri showed the woman pornography on a laptop in his consultation room while engaging in sexual intercourse with her.
Their relationship ended in 2012 when the woman said she wouldn’t be attending any more sessions because she wanted to focus on her marriage.
A year later, Graneri began a sexual relationship with a third woman that lasted five years, after she was referred to him for help with PTSD, childhood sexual assault, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and alcohol abuse.
Over time, the pair developed a close personal relationship, with the tribunal hearing Graneri invited the woman to a “fetish ball” months after their first appointment.
The pair met at cafes and pubs for some of their counselling sessions, where they both consumed alcohol.
The relationship developed into having sex at the woman’s house and in hotels.
Graneri also kept “wholly inadequate” records of the woman’s history, assessment, diagnoses and treatment.
A year after her first appointment with Graneri, the woman told him she was going to take her own life and was admitted to a mental health facility for seven weeks.
Their relationship ended in 2018.
The tribunal was told Graneri acknowledged his feelings and was remorseful.
“At the relevant time, there were several personal and financial issues affecting the respondent,” SAT documents state.
“The respondent has undertaken some counselling to deal with his actions.”
The tribunal heard Graneri surrendered his registration in 2019, has not worked as a psychologist since, and does not intend to attempt to reinstate his registration.
The tribunal ordered that he be disqualified from applying for registration for nine years and that he pay court costs of $5000.
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