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An award-winning Victorian psychologist has been banned for six years after he had sex with two vulnerable clients he had been treating, and told a third where to self-harm so the scars wouldn't show.
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scars → see → third
Mohammad Yousuf also admitted revealing confidential information about other patients and 'grooming' a client into a job at the clinic where she was being treated.
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she → admit → clinic
The incidents happened while Yousuf - who was married – was working at his parents' medical practice in Gippsland between March 2021 and January 2022.
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who → happen → March
He won a Rising Star Award at the 2021 Victorian Rural Health Awards, but the article about it has since been removed from Gippsland Public Health Network's website.
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article → win → website
His registration was suspended after the incidents came to light and was eventually surrendered, before the Psychology Board of Australia took the case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
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Board → suspend → Tribunal
Yousuf now works in human resources for a government department in Canberra, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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Yousuf → work → profile
During sessions with one client, identified as YFX, Yousuf suggested she consider an open relationship and directed her to sexually 'kinky' websites, the tribunal was told.
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tribunal → identify → websites
He also speculated about how his wife would react if she caught him on such a site.
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she → speculate → site
Award-winning Victorian psychologist Mohammad Yousuf has been banned for six years after he had sex with two vulnerable clients he had been treating
He encouraged YFX to wear a bikini and told her to apply for a peer support worker job at the clinic where she was receiving care, and she was hired, the tribunal heard.
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tribunal → win → care
After the treatment ended, he engaged in sexual activity with her on three occasions between September and November 2021, at her home, in her car and at his home.
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he → end → home
On August 30 2021, he messaged YFX about his sexual fantasies involving his sister-in-law.
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he → message → law
The next day he asked her to delete the messages because he might 'get in trouble with the Board'.
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he → ask → Board
Three days later he told her his wife had left him, he was suicidal and 'had nothing good in his life' and that for ethical reasons they could not be friends for two years.
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they → tell → years
He said they should meet in secret, gave her his home address and said they could not use the messaging app because people 'may see the messages', the tirbunal was told.
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tirbunal → say → messages
A second client, identified as NUJ, who sought treatment between August 2021 and January 2022, was given his personal email address and Snapchat username during sessions.
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who → identify → sessions
She said he told her he had wed his wife in an arranged marriage because he wanted to have sex and that as a Muslim he could not have sex unless he was married.
He also told her he 'liked to please women' and had sex with her on five occasions after treatment ended, the tribunal heard.
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tribunal → say → occasions
Mohammad Yousuf told a third where to self-harm so the scars wouldn't show and has been banned from practising psychology for six years
A third client, IDV, was told by Yousuf to start using marijuana again, despite her refusal, while being treated for depression between June and November 2021.
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client → tell → June
When she mentioned self-harming, he showed her where on her body to do it 'so people won't be able to see the scars', the tribunal was told.
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tribunal → mention → scars
The tribunal also found he disclosed confidential information about other patients without permission, including that one had an eating disorder and an Asperger's diagnosis, and that he had arranged a job for another client.
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he → find → client
Yousuf did not attend the hearing and did not contest the allegations, instead submitting an agreed statement admitting all 12 counts of professional misconduct.
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Yousuf → attend → misconduct
He was reprimanded, disqualified from applying for registration until August 2031 and prohibited from providing any mental health, psychological or counselling services in any capacity, as an employee, contractor, manager or volunteer, until he is re-registered.
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he → reprimand → employee
The misconduct came to light after notifications to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in April and May 2022.
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misconduct → come → April
Yousuf surrendered his registration in November 2023 rather than face discipline.
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Yousuf → surrender → discipline
Yousuf declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail but said: 'That's fine' when told a story would be appearing about the tribunal's findings.
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story → decline → findings
His parents, who still practise as widely respected rural doctors and are not accused of any wrongdoing, did not respond to requests for comment.
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who → practise → comment
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