Psychology Board of Australia v Duangpatra

The case of Psychology Board of Australia v Duangpatra involved a disciplinary proceeding against Ms Duangpatra, a registered psychologist. The Board alleged that Ms Duangpatra had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a client, a fact which she admitted. The Federal Circuit Court of Australia was tasked with determining the appropriate sanction for Ms Duangpatra's conduct.

The legal issues before the court were whether the proposed sanction agreed upon by the parties was appropriate, and if so, what that sanction should entail. The court had to consider the nature of Ms Duangpatra’s misconduct, her admission of the conduct, and the need to protect the public and maintain the integrity of the profession.

In its decision, the court found that the agreed sanction was appropriate and imposed a series of orders on Ms Duangpatra. Firstly, she was reprimanded, and the details of the reprimand were to be recorded on the Board’s register for 12 months. Secondly, Ms Duangpatra was suspended for six months, starting from 1 November 2012, although this suspension was to be lifted after three months if she complied with the conditions that followed. Additionally, she was required to undergo counselling with a clinical psychologist specialising in boundary violation issues to develop insight into her behaviour and professional boundary management strategies. Ms Duangpatra was also mandated to complete a Supervision Plan for 18 months, undertake a professional development activity related to decision making and boundary violations, and pay the Board’s costs of the proceedings. The court refused Ms Duangpatra’s application for a non-publication order.