[suzzie]

have you ever given your files to a new t. my t suggested this in my first session today.

[lostmyway21]

My T didn't want to see any of my old files my first appt.

[googley]

I have only once done this and it was for a pdoc. I did this because a lot was going on at the time and so I felt it was easier for him to get the information that way quickly. But I have never done that with another T or pdoc. You can decide how much information goes to the new T. Do you want a summary of what you have been working on and your diagnosis? Or do you want the new T to have the session notes from every session you had? So it is up to you how much information is transferred. Whatever you do is up to you.

[critterlady]

I authorized my current T to get my records from my previous T. I have no idea if he got anything from the old office or not. He told me that he usually just had a chat with the previous T, but mine moved out of state and my records were with his old group practice.

The week after I authorized it, I had second thoughts and talked to him about it. I was fine with them sharing dx, treatment plan and progress notes, but I really didn't want him to read my old T's session notes. It seemed very much like there would have been a retroactive 3rd person in the room. There was nothing I told the old T that I wasn't planning on telling the new T, but I wanted to do it in my own time. He agreed not even ask for the more detailed notes.

[faith1983]

Never happened to me but I'll surely do it in order to help new t understand where I was back then, unless there's stuff I discussed with old t that I wouldn't want new t to know for now. So I guess it depends on how much you want new t to know right now...

Good luck with your new round of therapy

[GoodPoint]

I had my new T contact my old T because at the time, I was really overwhelmed at the thought of "starting over" with someone new after being with my old T for so long, and because I had a fear of my new T not believing some of the stuff I would tell her, unless it was backed up by someone else. My own paranoia, yes.

Now, I kind of sometimes wish I didn't do it this way... it is kind of weird not knowing exactly what they talked about, or how much about certain things old T told new T. It would have been a different experience to start entirely fresh, I guess.

[CantExplain]

No, never.

I've actually never thought of it and none have ever asked. I guess since they aren't medical records I never considered it much of a necessity. There is much to be said for starting fresh perhaps.

[roads]

Session notes are just the previous T's take on things you covered back then. Why bother with that? You are where you are now. Start from now.

[eskielover]

My current psychologist wanted the information from my last California psychologist & the one I saw here for a few months after first moving here. Also wanted all the hospital records from all the hospitals that were still in operation.

I had the letter from my California psychologist to give her. What I find interesting at least from the medical hospital records I got from when my Mom was in the hospital & when I ended up in the same hospital because of the anorexia caused by the stress I went through with my mother....was how different the records are from the reality we understand it to be.......very interesting experience.....after that, I don't trust records very much to really tell things as they really are.

I'm currently on the same dilemma , let me know what you decide.

[Eliza Jane]

I think there is a lot of benefit to new T's knowing what happened with the last one. For example, new t could learn what has already been tried and doesn't work for you. Also, as a neutral party, if there were problems, new t could understand what went wrong in your relationship with old t. Did old t make bad choices with how to work with you? Did you react strongly to something because of transference issues?

Good luck with new T!

EJ

[WantingtoHeal]

I obtained my records from a hospitalization in my teens. There were several details that were just plain wrong. I have kept them for myself and not shared them with anyone. They seemed just awful, which I wouldn't have thought was the case. Hurt me a good bit.

My new T has asked if I could obtain my records from a previous T I recently got in touch with. I am trying to do this, because it will help my memory and maybe help me make sense of some things. I plan on looking at it first, though, to see if I'm okay with her knowing. I have allowed the two of them to talk if she chooses to do that. Mostly, because I am having so much difficulty talking in sessions right now and it's all frustrating me. I'm hoping this will move things along.

[Perna]

I think it would depend on what I was being treated for. I don't know that therapists share their personal notes with the client, just the HIPPA-required ones used for insurance. I don't think the personal thearpy notes would be of much use to me to give a new person even if one could get them but if I were on meds, used insurance, and/or had been hospitalized, I might get and give those to a new T AND discuss them with them.