California Psychologist Robert R. Kraszewski Surrenders License for Sexual Exploitation of Patient

September 20, 2022

Fullerton, California psychologist Robert R. Kraszewski surrendered his psychologist license to the California Board of Psychology, effective July 6, 2022. The surrender constitutes a disciplinary action, according to the Board’s official document in the matter.

This action is the final result of the charges brought against Kraszewski by the Board for sexual exploitation of a patient, sexual misconduct, gross negligence, violation of ethical standards and other charges enumerated in the Board’s April 19, 2022 official Accusation, the details of which follow:

In or around 2013, “Patient A” sought psychotherapeutic treatment from Kraszewski to address mixed emotional features of depression and anxiety stemming from marital discord.

Between in or around 2013 and in or around 2016, Patient A received episodic treatment from Kraszewski.

On or about January 6, 2017, Patient A presented to Kraszewski for psychotherapeutic treatment after filing for legal separation from her husband. Patient A reported suffering from emotional and financial abuse from her husband and expressed feelings of anxiety over her future.

Between on or about January 6,2017, and on or about May 25,2020, Patient A presented to Kraszewski for weekly or biweekly sessions, for approximately one hundred thirty-six (136) sessions. Throughout these sessions, Patient A repeatedly reported feelings of anxiety, frustration, sadness, and depression over the demise of her marriage, her husband's terminal cancer diagnosis, and the abusive behavior she received from both her husband and her adult daughter. Throughout that time, Kraszewski did not obtain any written or documented oral consent from Patient A regarding limits of confidentiality.

In or around May 2019, Patient A reported feelings of transference towards Kraszewski. Kraszewski told Patient A not to worry about it. Sometime thereafter, Kraszewski began to reveal personal information about himself to Patient A, including but not limited to, his own marital problems and separation from his wife.

Sometime between in or around May 2019, and in or around July 2019, at the conclusion of a psychotherapeutic session, Kraszewski kissed Patient A on the back of the neck before she left his office.

In or around July 2019, Kraszewski asked Patient A to meet him for dinner in Long Beach. After dinner, Kraszewski and Patient A walked to Kraszewski's yacht that was docked nearby, and engaged in sexual intercourse for the first time.

Between in or around July 2019, and in or around June 2020, Kraszewski engaged in a romantic relationship with Patient A while he continued to provide her with psychotherapeutic treatment in his office. Throughout that time period, Kraszewski engaged in sexual intercourse with Patient A in his office, and elsewhere, multiple times each week.

Between in or around July 2019, and in or around June 2020, Kraszewski and Patient A took several trips together, spoke by phone nearly every day, and communicated frequently by way of text message and email. Throughout that contact, Kraszewski and Patient A engaged in sexual banter and said they loved each other.

Between in or around July 2019, and in or around June 2020, Kraszewski discussed some of his other patients with Patient A, texted her a photograph that included another patient's lab results, and provided her with other patients' medications he stored in his office.

In or around April 2020, Kraszewski arranged for Patient A to move into an apartment, and secured a storage unit for her belongings.

In or around June 2020, Patient A learned that Kraszewski had not separated from his wife and called off their relationship. Sometime thereafter, Patient A threatened to report Kraszewski to the Board. Kraszewski then sent a series of text messages to Patient A that included a nude photo of Patient A that he threatened to send to her children and other people in her phone contacts that he had mirrored.

Source: Decision and Order in the Matter of the Accusation Against Robert R. Kraszewski, Ph.D., Psychologist License No. PSY 14044, Case No. 600-2020-000986, Board of Psychology, Department of Consumer Affairs, State of California, June 6, 2022.