My psychologist has told me they can’t see me because they have a conflict of interest what does this mean?
In psychology, trust and professional independence are at the heart of every client relationship. When you see a psychologist, you’re sharing deeply personal information with the expectation that the information and support you receive are guided solely by your best interests. This ethical foundation is what sets psychology apart from many other professions, including general medical practice.
What Is a Conflict of Interest?
The Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct (section 8.12) defines a conflict of interest as any situation where a psychologist’s financial, personal, or other relationships could influence—or appear to influence—their professional judgement.
Conflicts of interest can arise in many ways, including:
- Providing services to someone with whom the psychologist has a personal relationship
- Having a financial stake in a service or product that could influence professional decisions
- Accepting gifts or inducements from clients or other professionals
- Allowing business pressures or performance targets to override ethical obligations
Even when there’s no actual misconduct, the perception of a conflict can be damaging to the client’s trust and to the profession’s integrity.
Managing Conflicts of Interest
Psychologists are trained to recognise and manage potential conflicts before they affect their work. The Code of Conduct outlines clear steps for managing these situations, including:
- Recognising potential conflicts early. Psychologists are expected to stay alert to situations that could compromise their independence.
- Acting in the client’s best interests. This includes making impartial referrals and avoiding dual roles.
- Being transparent. Psychologists inform clients and relevant parties about any potential conflict, so everyone understands the professional boundaries.
- Avoiding inappropriate inducements. Gifts, commissions, or other benefits that could influence decision-making are not accepted.
- Seeking consultation. When in doubt, psychologists are encouraged to seek advice from senior colleagues or supervisors to ensure ethical practice.
One of the challenges for psychologists and clients is they may not be able to tell you what the conflict of interest is because it may breach the code of conduct, they work under. For example, if the conflict was that they were seeing a family member, if they were to state “I can’t see you because I also see your father”, they would have breached the father’s privacy. So, psychologists will often just state that there is a conflict of interest, and nothing more. It’s about protecting everyone, not disregarding you.
Why This Matters
At its core, managing conflicts of interest is about maintaining trust. Clients need to know that their psychologist’s recommendations are based solely on what supports their wellbeing—not personal, financial, or organisational gain. By maintaining clear boundaries and transparency, psychologists uphold the integrity of their profession and protect the therapeutic relationship that allows genuine healing and change to occur.
Some examples
How Psychologists Work Differently from GPs
Unlike GPs, who can sometimes see multiple members of the same family for medical care, psychologists must avoid relationships that could blur professional boundaries or create conflicts of interest. Psychological treatment often explores sensitive emotional, relational, and behavioural issues. Seeing multiple people within the same family or social network could compromise confidentiality, objectivity, and the client’s sense of safety in therapy.
For example, if a psychologist were to provide therapy to both a parent and a child, or to a couple in conflict and one partner individually, it would be difficult to maintain impartiality. Even if both parties agreed, an independent observer might reasonably perceive bias or divided loyalties. That perception alone can be enough to undermine trust and ethical practice.
How Psychologists Work Differently from Other Service Professionals
Many people see service professionals like personal trainers. A personal trainer may make recommendations about nutritional supplements, training equipment or other health practices. Unlike a psychologist they are able to do this even if they had a financial interest in the manufacture of the nutritional supplements or training equipment. There are no legally binding professional codes of conduct that guide many other types of service professionals.
Similarly, if you were running a company and had a great deal you could offer your psychologist on a product, they would not be able to accept. Whereas a personal trainer, hairdresser, and massage therapist could accept without breaching any code of conduct.
How Psychologists Work Differently from Many Other Businesses
Gift giving is often part of many business practices. Often a way of a business holder showing appreciation for customers, clients and other business they interact with. However, if accepting a gift is seen as an inducement related to the service, they provide this becomes a conflict of interests. This is sometimes the reason why a psychologist might say no to accepting a gift, particularly if it is a financially significant item.
Conflicts of Interest
Being told that there is a conflict of interest and if that means your psychologist can no longer see you is difficult. Your psychologist will only be saying this because it is in your best interest. They will also be working to make sure you are supported and will often help in finding you another psychologist.
