Kate Green,
Senior Journalist
The
mass
resignation of the Psychotherapists Board came days
after a letter from the associate health minister expressing
concern over accusations from a whistleblower, and
considering removing them on the grounds of neglect of
duty.
But the board members say no formal
investigation ever took place, and they resigned after a
breakdown in trust and confidence between themselves and the
ministry.
In letters dated 18 May, Associate Health
Minister Matt Doocey wrote to each member of the board
saying he had received advice from Ministry of Health
officials detailing concerns about the board collectively,
and certain members individually.
He said he also had
concerns about the way the board responded when the ministry
tried to investigate.
The details of the
whistleblower’s exact accusations have been redacted from
the letter, but in it, Doocey noted the board had denied
what they referred to as “malicious” allegations.
He
wrote that in his view, the board was aware of the harm
being caused, “yet – with only minor exceptions – no board
members took action to challenge any of these issues” – and
at times it meant the board was unable to carry out some its
statutory functions.
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Previous news reports had linked
the resignations to a government policy change, which
some in the industry feared would give the government a new
level of control over the board’s decisions.
But the
ministry said the resignations were unconnected to the new
bill, and a spokesperson told RNZ the ministry had been
looking into governance concerns since last year.
They
were not party to any confidentiality agreements with the
board or its members, and there was no ongoing investigation
following the resignations.
Doocey told RNZ he felt
the concerns the ministry had advised him of were
“credible”, and his letter to the six members had made it
clear he was considering removing them on the grounds of
neglect of duty.
“I provided board members with an
opportunity to respond to the concerns,” he
said.
“Instead, all members of the board chose to
resign.”
He said at the end of the day, the core role
of the board was to protect the public by ensuring
psychotherapists were competent and fit to practise – “not
being distracted by their own governance issues”.
But
the board members have denied a formal investigation ever
took place.
In a statement signed by all six members –
Brenda Levien, Cinnamon Boreham, Juanita Hudson, Lucie
Zwimpfer, Michelle Amopiu and Rachel Kent – they told RNZ
there were no terms of reference provided for any formal
investigation, and none of the board members were
interviewed by ministry officials before receiving the
minister’s letter.
“The results of the May 2026
independent performance review commissioned by the ministry
regarding the governance function of the board was
exemplary,” they said.
Michelle Amopiu, former board
chair, said she still felt in the dark about the exact
nature of the allegations, and who exactly had made them.
She provided RNZ with a copy of the letter she wrote in
response to the minister.
“I formally reject the
grounds for this proposal and the allegations on which it
relies,” it says.
The board “consistently sought to
foster an open, supportive, and relational culture”, she
said, and at the time of writing, the ministry had not
provided any specific examples or evidence to support claims
of misconduct.
“I do not accept the assertion that the
board knowingly caused harm to
staff.”
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