A therapist who dropped his application for a psychologist’s license after being accused of sexual misconduct by a patient is now being investigated by BC RCMP for allegedly charging parents for autism assessments he was not qualified to perform, it has been learned CBC News.
Xander Phoenix, who is subject to a public safety notice from the College of Psychologists of British Columbiawas also accused by a former supervisor of fraudulently using his signature on evaluation reports.
Two parents and the former supervisor say they have filed police reports, and Kelowna RCMP confirmed an investigation is underway.
The CBC reviewed two autism assessments for Kelowna-area children signed by Phoenix in March 2021 and April 2022, as well as the associated $3,000 in invoices for his services.
The Ministry of Child and Family Development said Phoenix is not on the autism provider registry, and in British Columbia only pediatricians, psychiatrists and registered psychologists can write autism assessments.
The two parents who shared their children’s grades said they went to the police after realizing they weren’t valid. These assessments are necessary to access appropriate funding and support for children with autism, but as of December the total wait time for a child assessment in British Columbia was 84.7 weeks.
“It takes away so many opportunities from kids who deserve it. Now we have to start from scratch,” said the mother, whose child was evaluated by Phoenix in April.
“The waiting lists are much longer than they were six months ago.”
CBC has agreed to withhold the parents’ names to protect their children’s personal health information. Both say Phoenix refunded them after they confronted him about the lack of qualifications.
Therapist says he ‘never lied about my qualifications’
Phoenix told the CBC in an email that he was not aware of any police investigation related to his assessments and insisted he was fully qualified to perform them because of his training and experience.
“I have never lied about my qualifications. They [the parents] everyone knew I was qualified to complete autism assessments and they also knew I wasn’t registered but I was under observation,” he said.
However, he admitted that a number of his autism assessments were not accepted by the ministry and said he had agreed to refund customers as a result.
“I’ve done a lot of assessments, all of which have been accepted, even by the British Columbia court, if they were invalid or illegal, they would never have been accepted and recognized,” he said.
On the issue of using his previous supervisor’s signature on the grades, Phoenix said it was a “mistake” and the issue was “looked into and resolved.”
Phoenix added that he no longer practices in British Columbia and has given up his clinic here.
“Now I’m just a private citizen who just wants to be left alone,” he said.
A former warden reported Phoenix to the police
Phoenix is currently licensed as a psychologist in Florida.
As CBC previously reportedhe applied for a license in British Columbia at one point, but withdrew his application during the college’s investigation into allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a patient.
Phoenix also let his Virginia license expire last summer before a disciplinary conference related to the same allegations.
In previous conversations with the CBC, he has not denied having sex with the woman in question, but claims she was never his patient.
Phoenix insisted he was fully qualified to perform autism assessments. (DedMityay/Shutterstock)
The College of British Columbia public notice for Phoenixfirst published in September, does not mention any of the charges against him, but says he is not and has never been licensed in that province.
The notice has since been updated twice without any explanation as to why the additions were necessary.
The first update concerns Phoenix’s relationship with his former supervisor, psychologist Harry Stefanakis, stating that Stefanakis has not been associated with Phoenix as of May 21, 2021. The second update states that psychologist Kathryn Curl has never had a relationship with Phoenix.
A review of the autism assessments provided to the CBC may offer some insight into why the notice was changed.
One of the grades includes Stefanakis’ signature and the other Currell’s. The two professionals are described in the report as Phoenix’s “consulting supervisors.”
Stefanakis’ signature sits on top of the earlier estimate of March 30, 2021, when he was still Phoenix’s supervisor.
When asked to comment on Phoenix, Stefanakis wrote in an email: “He has fraudulently used my name on more than one occasion. I filed a police report and reported it to the College of Psychologists of British Columbia.”
The appraisal, believed to be signed by Currell, was written more than a year later, on April 7, 2022.
When asked why he used Curl’s signature, Phoenix said, “it was a mistake on my part.”
Currell did not respond to requests for comment; however, her website specifically states that she does not provide any services for children or adolescents.
The college says it is aware of the allegations
College registrar Andrea Covaz said she was limited in her ability to share additional information.
“I can say that the college has the right to protect the title of ‘psychologist’ and has taken steps to alert Mr. Phoenix of the legal restrictions that prohibit him from using that title to describe his work in British Columbia,” said she wrote.
Kowaz went on to say that he is aware that allegations have been shared on social media about Phoenix’s writing of autism assessments.
“We understand that allegations have been made publicly about Mr. Phoenix. … We cannot comment specifically on these allegations,” Kovaz wrote.
She said the college does not have the authority to investigate criminal allegations involving someone who has never been a registered psychologist in British Columbia, and those allegations are best handled by police.
Reports have been made to RCMP in Burnaby, where the former Phoenix clinic was located, and in Kelowna.
Kelowna RCMP confirmed they had taken over the investigation but declined to comment further.
“We are not in a position to discuss details regarding an ongoing investigation other than to say that it is progressing and we do not have a timeline as to when it will be completed,” Sgt. Kevin Duggan said in an email.
One parent said she worries that the lack of regulation of counselors and therapists in British Columbia makes it too easy for people to take advantage of vulnerable people like children with autism. (Zahraa Photography/Shutterstock)
Although Phoenix said he is no longer practicing as a therapist in British Columbia, there is nothing to prevent him from seeing patients again. Psychotherapy and clinical counseling are not regulated in this province.
This is troubling for the mother whose child was evaluated by Phoenix in March 2021.
“There are people who can put on a mask and pretend to be someone they’re not and take advantage of a lot of people in vulnerable situations,” she said.
“That experience I had with this guy, I think maybe because there was no regulatory body to do anything about it.”
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