The Psychology Council of New South Wales has placed Married At First Sight (MAFS) expert John Aiken under counseling regarding the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct following a complaint from former participant Ben Walters.

Details of the Complaint

Ben Walters, who appeared in season 11, lodged the complaint in April 2025. He criticized Aiken’s on-screen behavior and attitude toward participants during his 2023 experience, which involved four sessions.

Walters stated: “I am troubled by aspects of his on-screen behaviour and commentary, which I believe may constitute a breach of his ethical obligations as a registered psychologist.”

He further argued that Aiken continues to offer commentary drawing on his professional expertise, influencing public perceptions. Walters expressed concerns that Aiken’s role in a program emphasizing drama and conflict conflicts with principles of the Australian Psychological Society’s Code of Ethics, adopted by the Psychology Board.

Council’s Decision

The Council discussed the matter at its meeting on December 9, 2025, and agreed to counsel Aiken on the Code of Conduct. The complaint was then closed, though a record will remain on file for potential future complaints about Aiken’s conduct.

“Subject to counselling, the Council agreed to close the complaint,” the official reply confirmed.

Previous Investigation

This follows a 2017 probe by the Psychology Council of NSW, which prohibited Aiken from referring to himself as a psychologist or performing psychological practice on the show. Despite this, questions persist about the experts’ roles—whether they truly support couples or fuel drama for production.

Participant Criticisms

Other MAFS contestants have voiced similar concerns. In 2017, groom Andrew ‘Jonesy’ Jones criticized an Instagram post by Aiken ahead of the finale, which captioned a photo of Jones and his on-screen wife Cheryl Maitland: “Are things going to get a little ugly between Jonesy and Cheryl tonight? Perhaps a little payback?”

Jones responded: “Does your psychologist froth on things getting ugly? Is he/she into revenge and payback?”

Channel Nine has been approached for comment on these developments.