Has anyone requested their therapy records or notes

Ad Intra · Aug 17, 2015 at 09:22 PM

Sorry for all the questions. Thanks

ScarletPimpernel · Aug 17, 2015 at 09:26 PM

I have not because I already know they won't give them to me. T will say it will cause more harm than good, and it would put my safety at risk.

Leah123 · 10:10 PM

Yes, I requested records from a therapist I had as a teenager. She declined! I gave her another chance and she told me to focus on the present not the past. I found that very condescending. I left her a negative yelp review.

atisketatasket · Aug 17, 2015 at 11:12 PM

I was under the impression that if you ask for them, legally they have to give them to you. They can be sanctioned if they don't. Or maybe that's just where I live?

I don't want mine, and doubt I ever will, but my advice is if you do get them, have a professional there to discuss them with you. I would imagine they could be upsetting, especially to non-mental health professionals.

Daystrom · Aug 18, 2015 at 12:05 AM

Those are the last things I ever want to see.

musinglizzy · Aug 18, 2015 at 12:36 AM

I'm afraid I wouldn't want to see mine either. Too disturbing, I'm sure.

Ididitmyway · Aug 18, 2015 at 01:51 AM

I have. I needed it for writing my complaint. When I got them, I wrote an amendment to every piece of the record I objected to and wanted to dispute. In California, you, as a patient, are allowed to do so and the therapist is supposed to include your amendment of your records into your file and disclose it to the third party along with the records whenever such disclosure is required. Basically, this law gives you an opportunity to tell your side of the story.

PinkFlamingo99 · Aug 18, 2015 at 03:57 AM

If you ask for it where I live, they have to give it to you legally. But I know my ex-T has no notes for most of what we did as it was unpaid and hushhush. The part out of the clinic is probably really basic or made up.

ThingWithFeathers · Aug 18, 2015 at 05:24 AM

No, but I do want to. I'm too scared to ask, but not scared to see them. More a curiosity than anything else.

Perna · Aug 18, 2015 at 12:30 PM

Here's what therapy notes are and how therapy notes work: Psychotherapy Notes and HIPAA | Psych Central - Part 11

The therapist can take notes for themselves, like you would writing about therapy in a journal for yourself and they don't have to shows those to you. If you are self-pay and no insurance notes/diagnoses, etc. are kept/needed then you might not get anything if you ask a T for their "notes". Formal medical notes in a hospital or treatment group situation, etc. may/may not be very "accurate" to our own point of view; most of them are for the insurance company's benefit so they will pay.

AnaWhitney · Aug 18, 2015 at 01:14 PM

My T doesn't take notes while I am there but I'm guessing she does it after I've left because she remembers everything. I've actually been meaning to ask her to confirm this for the last few weeks but I don't want to sound nosy, but I will probably ask at some point. But I'd never have the balls to ask to see them however I would be very curious and would definitely look if I could.

Ellahmae · Aug 18, 2015 at 01:19 PM

My T keeps notes she writes in during session. I have asked her what she was writing when she was writing and she has shown me. I've only done this a couple of times because I was curious as to what I said prompted something to be written. She also 'translates' them onto charts for insurance billing purposes, way more generic/cold. If I asked for her 'notes' I would be given the ones that were officially charted not her personal in session notes.

junkDNA · Aug 18, 2015 at 02:29 PM

i requested my former Ts notes but that was bc of a lawsuit. i read the first sentence of one note and stopped and gave them back to my attorney. she read all that stuff instead of me, thank god

SheHulk07 · Aug 18, 2015 at 03:15 PM

I have not, but have thought about t. However, I think it would upset me to read through some of them.

atisketatasket · Aug 18, 2015 at 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perna

Here's what therapy notes are and how therapy notes work: Psychotherapy Notes and HIPAA | Psych Central - Part 11

The therapist can take notes for themselves, like you would writing about therapy in a journal for yourself and they don't have to shows those to you. If you are self-pay and no insurance notes/diagnoses, etc. are kept/needed then you might not get anything if you ask a T for their "notes". Formal medical notes in a hospital or treatment group situation, etc. may/may not be very "accurate" to our own point of view; most of them are for the insurance company's benefit so they will pay.

Thanks...but where does it say they don't have to show session notes to you? I see where it says that they don't have to show them to anyone else, so I'm missing the key point somewhere in the article. (Some days I just can't read.)

No. 1 has in her contract that you can request to see her notes at any time and you will get them. No. 2 in hers says that "in general" clients can request them; the request can be denied, but that denial can also be appealed.

with or without you · Aug 18, 2015 at 09:00 PM

I've said it before in another thread, but I had to look through some of an ex-therapist's notes for a good reason. (It had to do with a health insurance issue and me talking about it in therapy). That being said, I would not recommend that you do so unless you really have to. They write about you in very cold, clinical language. I understand that's the nature of their job but it still feels jarring.

AuroraBorealis75 · Aug 18, 2015 at 09:15 PM

I would never want to know what my former psychiatrist wrote about me. I did not like her very much at all. My current psychiatrist isn't much better, although he is more "compassionate."

My therapist doesn't often write notes while I am talking to her, although a couple of weeks ago, when we were doing lifespan integration therapy, before I opened my eyes and "came back to the room" I could hear her pencil scratching across her notepad, and I was very curious to know what she was writing. Don't think I'd ever have the courage to ask.

just2b · Aug 18, 2015 at 11:23 PM

Just ask your T what she writes in them...I have...and have got my records from previous T too...she did tell me I may not understand a whole lot ...haha

justdesserts · Aug 18, 2015 at 11:34 PM

My therapist told me that he writes very little on purpose. We've discussed whether that is good or bad and the consequences of doing so, but I know if I were to request notes, there would be very little in them.

eeyorestail · Aug 19, 2015 at 10:03 AM

I have never asked for therapy notes, but I did get my records from an ER admission once. They found a physical issue with me while I was there for psych reasons and I needed the records to get follow-up care for it.

Honestly, it was very upsetting for me to read. I wish I had not needed to do it. I don't think I would request my therapist's notes unless I absolutely had to for that reason.

Menu

My Support Forums - Mental Health Support Groups

Get emotional support and friendship from others like you!

Our community offers: No spam. No trolls. No social media connections.

Has anyone requested their therapy records or notes

My Support Forums

Ad Intra Veteran Member Member Since Oct 2014 Location: Hyattsville, MD Posts: 639 10 178 hugs given	Aug 17, 2015 at 09:22 PM #1 Sorry for all the questions. Thanks
	Reply With Quote

ScarletPimpernel Wise Elder Member Since Nov 2013 Location: US Posts: 8,732 (SuperPoster!) 11 7,236 hugs given	Aug 17, 2015 at 09:26 PM #2 I have not because I already know they won't give them to me. T will say it will cause more harm than good, and it would put my safety at risk. __________________ "Odium became your opium..." ~Epica
	Reply With Quote

Leah123 Grand Magnate Member Since Jun 2013 Location: Washington Posts: 3,593 11 1,759 hugs given	Aug 17, 2015 at 09:52 PM #3 Yes, I requested records from a therapist I had as a teenager. She declined! I gave her another chance and she told me to focus on the present not the past. I found that very condescending. I left her a negative yelp review. Last edited by Leah123; Aug 17, 2015 at 10:10 PM..
	Reply With Quote

Daystrom Member Member Since Jul 2015 Location: U.S. Posts: 267 9 154 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 12:05 AM #5 Those are the last things I ever want to see.
	Reply With Quote

musinglizzy Magnate Member Since May 2014 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,497 10 782 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 12:36 AM #6 I'm afraid I wouldn't want to see mine either. Too disturbing, I'm sure. __________________ ~It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving~
	Reply With Quote

PinkFlamingo99 Magnate Member Since Apr 2015 Location: Canada Posts: 2,680 9 1,342 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 03:57 AM #8 If you ask for it where I live, they have to give it to you legally. But I know my ex-T has no notes for most of what we did as it was unpaid and hushhush. The part out of the clinic is probably really basic or made up.
	Reply With Quote

ThingWithFeathers Poohbah Member Since Aug 2014 Location: An imaginary place Posts: 1,263 10 562 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 05:24 AM #9 No, but I do want to. I'm too scared to ask, but not scared to see them. More a curiosity than anything else.
	Reply With Quote

junkDNA Comfy Sedation Member Since Sep 2012 Location: the woods Posts: 19,305 (SuperPoster!) 12 8,152 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 02:29 PM #13 i requested my former Ts notes but that was bc of a lawsuit. i read the first sentence of one note and stopped and gave them back to my attorney. she read all that stuff instead of me, thank god __________________
	Reply With Quote

SheHulk07 Magnate Member Since Oct 2013 Location: CO Posts: 2,305 11 871 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 03:15 PM #14 I have not, but have thought about t. However, I think it would upset me to read through some of them.
	Reply With Quote

just2b Veteran Member Member Since Nov 2009 Location: SpACE Posts: 597 14 141 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 11:23 PM #18 Just ask your T what she writes in them...I have...and have got my records from previous T too...she did tell me I may not understand a whole lot ...haha
	Reply With Quote

justdesserts Veteran Member Member Since Jul 2014 Location: Currently traveling the world Posts: 534 10 399 hugs given	Aug 18, 2015 at 11:34 PM #19 My therapist told me that he writes very little on purpose. We've discussed whether that is good or bad and the consequences of doing so, but I know if I were to request notes, there would be very little in them.
	Reply With Quote