Fake psychologist convicted, fails to attend court for Ahpra prosecution

12 Jun 2025

A Newcastle woman who claimed to be a registered psychologist on five separate occasions was convicted today in the Newcastle Local Court.

Christin Anne Elizabeth Knight, also known as Christin Lawrence, had no psychology qualifications and had never been registered as a psychologist.

On 20 June 2024, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) commenced a prosecution of Ms Knight, laying five charges of unlawfully holding herself out as a psychologist and seven charges of claiming to be or describing herself as a psychologist, in contravention of section 116 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009 (National Law).

Using the name Christin Lawrence, she was alleged to have claimed to be registered as a psychologist on five occasions, including providing a fake registration certificate and a fake Ahpra registration number to a professional membership body and a university.

She was also alleged to have described herself as a psychologist in a range of ways, including the email address she used and in a professional profile created on the patient booking platform HotDoc.

There is no evidence to indicate Ms Knight provided any psychological services to members of the public.

Ms Knight had pleaded not guilty to the charges. The matter was listed for trial to be heard today and tomorrow in the Newcastle Magistrates Court, but she failed to appear.

The court found the charges proven and Ms Knight was convicted in her absence. A warrant has been issued to bring Ms Knight before the court for sentencing.

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