For the discussion about HIPAA and patient access, I repost the quote about them below from APA--I'm not going to look up HIPAA itself for this--as I have previously, because I've read it before and APA is a definitive source, IMO.

"t is important to note that in states that have laws guaranteeing patient access to all the psychologist’s records , including psychotherapy notes, these laws will apply since they enhance a patient’s right of access to information.