The Norwegian psychologist was stripped of his authorization in 2020 after admitting to three sexual assaults against dogs. This did not prevent him from getting a new psychologist job in Nav, which led to a new criminal case against him in 2023. In September, Nidaros and news revealed that the man in his 50s worked with patients at a clinic in Washington DC in the USA. This is the case: The child psychologist’s secrets is an editorial collaboration between the Trondheim newspaper Nidaros and news: The Norwegian psychologist was arrested at work at St. Olav’s hospital in Trondheim in June 2020. He admitted three sexual assaults against dogs and accepted a fine of NOK 20,000. While the investigation was ongoing, his authorization was suspended by the Norwegian Health Authority, so that he could no longer work as a psychologist. The man complained about this. The man nevertheless applied for a psychologist job in Nav at the beginning of 2021. After two rounds of interviews, he got the job, without telling him that he did not have authorization. He started the Nav job in January 2022. After four months, the Norwegian Health Personnel Board rejected his appeal. Nav discovered that he did not have authorization as a psychologist. The man quit for the day. In 2024, the man was listed as a child psychologist at the Washington Anxiety Center clinic in the US capital. The psychologist then worked with patients, without the clinic or the American authorities being aware of the cases from Norway. When the man was confronted by the clinic’s management after questions from Nidaros and news, he resigned from his position on the day. This year, the man in his 50s has also worked with patients online from another American psychological center, called Minder Memory Center. He was still listed as an employee there until mid-October 2024. When Nidaros and news got hold of the manager at the Minder Memory Center on 14 October, she confirmed that the psychologist was still working there. According to the manager, the psychologist had recently asked for more patients and a full-time position. Lawyer Marit Lomundal Sæther has represented the Norwegian psychologist for several years. Photo: Oliver Ivanowitz / news The psychologist’s Norwegian lawyer, Marit Lomundal Sæther, did not want to answer questions about the job at this centre. Was reported to the police When Nidaros and news reported earlier this autumn that the psychologist had offered online consultations to American patients while he was in Norway, the Norwegian Health Authority replied that it would have been illegal because the man’s Norwegian authorization had been revoked. According to the date, this feedback on an online consultation with the Norwegian psychologist was published when the man in his 50s was in Norway. Photo: Screenshot Afterwards, the psychologist was reported to the police for this by the inspectorate. The police dropped the case after one telephone conversation, which the Norwegian Health Authority has complained about. – The case is serious, and the person concerned has previously passed a referral for breach of the Health Personnel Act Section 74. In our view, the case should be investigated further, wrote department director Anne Myhr to Nidaros and news. According to investigation manager Nils Kristian Grønvik, the police will, after discussing the case with the state attorney, look at it again. Police attorney Nils Kristian Grønvik at Trøndelag police district. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news The psychologist’s defender Marit Lomundal Sæther has not commented on this. Available in 40 states The manager of the Minder Memory Center, where the psychologist has been employed in 2024, says that their business model is exclusively to offer therapy via the internet. This means that the psychologists on staff are available to paying patients in around 40 US states. In 2024, the Norwegian psychologist has spent a lot of time in Norway between January and April, as well as in July and August. The manager of the Minder Memory Center states that he does not know the number of patients the psychologist has had during these periods. Nidaros and news have, despite repeated inquiries, received no further answers to this from the head of the psychological centre. 30 countries notified The Norwegian Health Authority notified 30 countries about the psychologist when his authorization was revoked. The man has not had the right to practice as a psychologist since September 2020. The USA is not part of this international health cooperation and does not receive this information. The manager at Minder Memory Center says that the checks they did did not reveal any problems. His authorization in the USA was valid, the manager states. The health authorities in Washington DC have not responded to Nidaro’s and news’s questions about the psychologist’s American authorization. Photo: Morten Andersen / news The psychologist has been asked via his lawyer Marit Lomundal Sæther whether he told the American health authorities about the two Norwegian criminal cases and that his right to practice as a psychologist had been revoked. This has not been answered. Didn’t pick up the phone The day after Nidaros and news spoke to the manager at the Minder Memory Center for twenty minutes, a new call was arranged. Then the psychologist was suddenly removed from the websites. The manager did not return calls but sent a brief email: “I cannot comment directly on an employee, current or former. If you don’t see a person listed under ’employees’ on the website, it means that person no longer works for our company.” Published 07.11.2024, at 05.17
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Psychologist deprived of authorization in Norway worked in the USA – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
