here where I live and work in NY, which is in the USA it is pretty standard for treatment providers to have their clients who have seen other treatment providers sign a release of information form so that the new treatment provider can get a copy of the clients file with the x treatment provider. the files tell things like what issues /goals were worked on/ clients diagnosis/ and how, what that x treatment provider did things with the client. here we do this as part of the intake. none of our clients have ever had to "ask" us to do it. if for example the client doesnt disclose they have seen other treatment providers during intake but do mention a reference to a past treatment provider we pull out the release form saying something like Im glad you told me about what you and your x therapist did, before I forget lets take a minute to fill out a release form so that we can get your files from them. its not mandatory that you fill out this paper but its in your best interest that we have your past files. this way we know what works best for you, what things you have already worked on, and what treatment options have already been tried so we dont end up repeating those things unless you found them helpful to you.

my suggestion if you would like your present therapist to talk with your past therapist or get your past files just be honest and straight forwards that you think obtaining your past records and your treatment provider talking with the past therapist would be helpful and ask for the release of information form so that they can do that for you.

mind you sometimes this kind of thing doesnt turn out how the client imagines it will. example one time I thought it would be helpful for my therapist to contact a past therapist because we were at odds on how to best do something. I thought this x therapist will change how the present therapist saw the situation and do things my way. it backfired.

my therapist told me though she understands now how the x therapist did things with me and why, not all therapists do things the same way or have the same therapy approach the same with therapy agencies. they all have their own ways and rules with how to work with their clients. Therapists also have to make their own decisions about whats the best way to work with their clients. in this situation my therapist felt I had grown past needing a therapist who would work the way the past therapist had worked with me. I was emotionally more stable, and was beyond the stage of what I needed with the past therapist. I may feel like I need things to be the same with her as it was with the past therapist because change is hard for some people. that it doesnt matter how many therapists I see in this healing path I need to travel, every one of the therapists are going to have to make their own decisions on whats best for me and how to best approach working with me.

then we talked about the problem I had hoped the x therapist would fix by telling the new therapist how to work with me on it. then the therapist told me I could either work with her on this issue and other future issues or we could look for another therapist. but there will never be a therapist or therapy session like I had in the ex therapist and the sessions I had with that therapist because therapists are not the same just like Im not the same as my friends or enemies. I decided to open my mind and try things the way the new therapist wanted me to and discovered though it wasnt the same as working with the past therapist it was actually better because I was beyond needing those things I got from how the past therapist worked with me. from then on i never compared the present therapists to the x's and didnt expect each new therapist to do things the same way as the last one,

change is hard but thats what therapy is all about making changes in how we think, react and do things and that changes/solves our problems.