Quote:
Originally Posted by healinginprogress
To clarify, in the US you are allowed to view your medical records. If you want copies, providers may charge you and they are allowed to do that. Process notes/therapy notes don't necessarily fall under that category depending on how a T stores their documentation. Additionally, mental health providers are allowed to refuse to let their clients see their notes if they believe that it would be harmful.
In the spirit of therapy, you can ask anything of your T, but in general they won't alter their documentation. You can have an addendum added however, although in certain circumstances they can refuse.
I personally don't see a need to request and keep (or read) my therapist's notes, but I can understand how others might. But, it's important to know that it probably won't be as easy as asking and then a day later getting copies.
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I thought some state laws trump federal laws? In a circumstance where T could use their discretion and not give away the notes, I also read they would have to give the notes to the Ts current therapist. That way, the current therapist would be able to go over the info with the client and support them (if it was hard to read and/or “harmful”). I’m having trouble understanding what is considered “harmful”. In my experience, I’d want to know whether it was hard to read or not.... just like a medical notes, I don’t see reading therapy notes as causing damage, unless the therapist was lying. In that case, that would be a problem with the therapist and not me reading the notes. I was actually thinking about reaching out to my old T for her notes, but I’m not sure if she’s legally obligated to sending me them since she told me she’d never contact me again. Does anyone know if Ts are legally obligated to provide their notes in certain US states? And if so, which ones?