Canadian psychiatrist loses license over relationship with former patient

August 23, 2017

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario revoked psychiatrist Dr. Nagi Ghabbour's license for becoming involved with a former patient, who was married with young children, less than a month after their professional relationship ended.

The woman sought treatment from him for problems stemming from work and marital difficulties.  After seeing him for about five months,  she "began experiencing and expressing strong romantic feelings" towards Ghabbour, which was reflected in his notes.  

After about a year of treatment, amid concerns from her family over her relationship with — and her own romantic feelings for — the psychiatrist, she said she no longer wanted to be his patient.  They started to date within a few weeks and began a sexual relationship the following month.

In its decision to revoke Ghabbour's license, the disciplinary committee wrote, "While Dr. Ghabbour’s case is not a case of sexual abuse of a patient, rather, professional misconduct in that he started a sexual relationship too soon after termination, the very nature of the relationship, the profound vulnerability of this specific patient and Dr. Ghabbour's lack of insight into the egregiousness of the misconduct, led the committee to decide that revocation is the only suitable penalty to fully protect the public."

SOURCE: "Toronto psychiatrist loses licence over relationship with former patient," The Canadian Press, 22 Aug 2017, http://rdnewsnow.com/article/549533/toronto-psychiatrist-loses-licence-over-relationship-former-patient.