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Old Apr 19, 2020, 02:20 AM
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sarahsweets sarahsweets is offline
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Member Since: Dec 2018
Location: New Jersey
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I did a bunch of googling about this and all that came up was HIPPA guidelines about clients having access to their records and therapy notes. If you are interested in finding out how to get them post here and I will post the links. I didnt want to junk up your thread and make it off topic.

As far as your journal goes you need to treat it as if its your patient records. You should write a letter with a formal request. Do not say in the letter you are leaving therapy. Formally request your journal in writing and then mail the letter to their office and ask for them to be mailed to you. Include your address and tell the therapist you will pay for postage or you can meet outside their office and mask up and have the therapist give them to you in 'person' like that. The reason I say not to tell the therapist about wanting to end it is because I dont want the therapist to have any reason to withhold them from you. If you want to make up a reason tell the therapist that you want to make a copy of it to give to her/him and to keep the original- even though that wont be what actually happens once they are in your hands you are not obligated to do jack ***** about actually giving the records to this person.

Interestingly enough when I was researching all sorts of articles popped up about therapists protecting themselves against liability and all sorts of interpretations of HIPPA and how to avoid giving out these records even though clients should be entitled to their own records. And no, you shouldnt have to pay for postage but the end game is to get your records no matter what. I am just trying to save you a headache in case your therapist uses postage as a way to avoid giving your journal back.
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