A psychologist who helped perform exorcisms on his patients and believed in "satanic abuse" has been banned from practising by the state's health watchdog.
Father-of-six Mark Edward Tynan, of the western Sydney-based Christian group Servants of Jesus, was found to have blurred his spiritual beliefs and professional duties, placing clients in "grave risk of harm".
In his sessions, Mr Tynan treated two young female clients for disassociative identity disorder, or multiple personalities, with "inappropriate" treatments such as prayer, visualisation and reconstructing traumatic childhood events.
The clients, who were also part of the 500-member community, were forced to discuss satanic abuse and supernatural events.
The Psychologists Tribunal heard Mr Tynan told church members one patient had multiple personalities "under the control of Satan" and her parents had dedicated her to Satan.
The tribunal found Mr Tynan was not properly trained in treating patients for multiple personalities and relied on "documents best described as sinister, bizarre, sadistic and without scientific basis or psychological merit".
Three of his patients complained about their treatment while he was working for Community Care Inc, a non-government funded charity set up by the Servants of Jesus.
"During a session, occasionally I might pray with the client for any demons that might be present and impeding the process to step aside in the name of God. I do not pray for demons to step aside unless I have first ascertained the client believes in the existence of demons," Mr Tynan told the tribunal.
He was found to have engaged in professional misconduct and banned from any alternative healing, psychological treatment and welfare.
Mr Tynan could not be contacted for comment yesterday. Servants of Jesus leader Simon Black said Mr Tynan was a community member but said: "I have no comment to make."
