Well, it sure sounds like you went through a difficult experience. That stinks.

I'm not sure what distinction you are making about HIPAA and federal law. HIPAA is a federal law. There are also state laws about privacy, and if they are stricter than HIPAA, they supercede HIPAA.

But I also know that a professional is not prohibited from listening to another person speak. Again, they cannot acknowledge who their clients are, but just listening to someone talk about their concerns to you is not a breach of privacy.

gg