Name: Malcolm Leslie Rushton
British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
Regulator: British Psychoanalytic Council
Case reference: COM17-24
Determination issued: 17 October 2025
Full determination (BPC): download the full report (PDF)
Summary of the Regulatory Findings
In its Final Determination issued on 17 October 2025, the British Psychoanalytic Council’s Fitness to Practise process found serious professional misconduct by psychoanalyst ‘Dr’ Malcolm Leslie Rushton involving a patient. According to the regulator’s published determination, the misconduct involved:
- Sexual misconduct within a therapeutic relationship.
- Exploitation of a significant professional power imbalance.
- Serious breaches of professional boundaries.
- Conduct incompatible with the fundamental ethical standards of psychoanalytic practice.
The determination records that this behaviour constituted grave professional wrongdoing within the therapeutic relationship.
Why This Type of Misconduct Is So Serious
Psychoanalytic treatment places the practitioner in a position of exceptional psychological authority and influence.
Patients often enter therapy when they are emotionally vulnerable, disclosing highly personal and sensitive information over long periods of time. The profession therefore maintains strict ethical rules designed to protect patients from exploitation.
Sexual conduct between therapist and patient is widely recognised within healthcare regulation as one of the most serious possible violations of professional boundaries, because it fundamentally undermines the trust and safety on which therapy depends.
This case is really terrifying. Instead of helping people to get their life straight, he took advantage of his power position and exploited his patients sexually, trowing them into a deeper hole.
Similar to the Epstein-files, consequences for this kind of misconduct should be treated more serious by the authorities.