Kathleen (Kali) Hewitt-Blackie

In a professional discipline proceeding, the tribunal found professional misconduct where the registrant administered a potent psychedelic substance by inhalation to clients at a retreat, despite lacking authority to perform that controlled act.

The tribunal held that the conduct contravened the registrant’s statutory scope of practice, failed to maintain the standard of practice, and amounted to disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct.

Applying the Anthony-Cook framework, the tribunal accepted the joint submission on penalty because it met the objectives of public protection, deterrence, remediation, and maintaining public confidence in the regulator.

The tribunal imposed a seven-month suspension, a reprimand, practice restrictions, mandatory education on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and costs.

In an uncontested discipline hearing, the Tribunal found that a psychotherapist committed professional misconduct by engaging in sexual abuse and multiple boundary violations with a vulnerable client during an ongoing therapist-client relationship.

The misconduct included sexualized communications, physical contact, sexual touching, oral-genital contact, and sexual intercourse, alongside conflict of interest and conduct unbecoming the profession.

Applying the Anthony-Cook framework in the professional discipline context, the Tribunal accepted the parties’ joint submission on penalty.

The registrant’s certificate of registration was revoked, a reprimand was delivered, costs were ordered, and reimbursement plus security for therapy and counselling funding were required.

The College prosecuted a discipline case arising from the registrant's criminal guilty plea for recording images and videos of an individual without knowledge or consent.

The registrant admitted professional misconduct based on a finding of guilt for an offence relevant to suitability to practise and conduct unbecoming a psychotherapist.

Applying the stringent joint-submission standard, the tribunal held the proposed penalty was not so unhinged from the circumstances as to bring the discipline system into disrepute.

The tribunal imposed a two-month suspension, ethics-related educational terms, a reprimand, and costs.