About our Council and members
Our role as a health regulator
We manage concerns about how psychologists behave, their professional performance, or whether their health is affecting patient care.
We work closely with the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) to regulate registered practitioners. Both regulators are entrusted with protecting the public, but we have different powers under the law.
The HCCC can conduct investigations and prosecute practitioners. The Council helps them meet the standards needed to practise safely, and this can include placing restrictions, or conditions, on their registration.
We have emergency interim powers to suspend or restrict practitioners if we decide there is an immediate public safety risk – or if we need to act in the public interest. But our role is to protect patients rather than punish practitioners.
How our Council is formed
The Psychology Council is one of 15 Health Professional Councils in NSW. We have 7 practitioner members and 3 community members.
Practitioners and members of the community apply in response to public advertisements calling for expressions of interest. Professional associations also nominate practitioners to our Council.
The NSW Minister for Health appoints both practitioner and community members based on the skills, experience and knowledge needed for the role.
Current members of the Psychology Council
President and practitioner
Ms Gail Purkis
Deputy president and practitioner
Professor Christopher Willcox
Practitioner members
Prof Kathryn Nicholson Perry
Ms Roslyn Knight
Dr Wendy Roberts
Dr Deborah Wilmoth
Vacant
Community members
Ms Joanne Jousif
Mr Peter Hooker
Mrs Katherine Orenstein
How we work with the Health Professional Councils Authority
The HPCA manages the Council’s day-to-day business, from initial complaints assessment to complaint case management, and monitoring practitioners with conditions on their registration.
We work closely with our HPCA executive officer and their team, and other staff members across the HPCA, who provide legal, financial and other corporate advice.
Their work is important to our role as the regulatory decision maker. We have different, but complementary, responsibilities.