Wow, that's interesting, STRM. I thought Ts were required by law to share notes upon request. I don't know why I thought this. maybe I read it somewhere.

As I understand it... if the psychotherapy notes are kept in the same file with your other private medical information (forms, tests, etc) then you have a right to get them. If they are kept separate I believe it is at the discretion of the T to release them.

Did you sign a HIPAA form with T2? How about Informed Consent? That will tell you what you are entitled to. It's so important to read these forms and keep a copy of them so you know your rights. My oldT never had me sign those forms which is against the law.

I did get my "progress notes" from oldT and they were all fabricated. I kept a journal of my therapy with him and his notes were 90% wrong... did not match my journal entries at all. So were they helpful? No. I needed to see them but it hurt me to know that he made up all this stuff about me and how little he cared about my treatment that he did not remember even the biggest traumas we discussed.

While I do understand that a lot of T's write down very little to ensure your privacy ... it would have been better to have no notes than made up ones. I did first read the notes with my new T present... which was a good thing.

With regard to T1's comments... I think they were out of place. Therapy is not a contest. What does how much T2 liked you have to do with her taking clinically accurate notes on you?

Just my thoughts
TN

I agree that that her notes wouldn't necessarily depend on her liking you or not and from what you've described, I don't think T2 didn't like you. I have never remotely thought about asking my T for his notes on me, but that's because when he has written them, he tells me that he is fulfilling basic requirements and that most of the time, he is just writing the topics that we discussed that day, not details or his own analysis or anything. I don't think he would have told me that, except he was trying to calm my "zoo exhibit" fears.

I think most T's advise against it because the clinical nature of the notes might take away from the actual relationship. My T's informed consent said that I can request my notes and she'll give them to me but that she will want to go over them together in a session so that she can answer any questions I have and/or explain what she meant when writing certain things.

That being said, I don't think I could ever read the notes my T has on me. No way.

A long time back when I first started with my T I asked her if she would allow me to see her notes on her yellow notepad she writes everything on.
She knew I had trust issues so she said that I could read them but that she would prefer that we do it together in some sessions so she could go over it all with me.
Last Wednesday near the end of my session I again asked to see and read all of the notes. I think I surprised her by the look on her face but she recovered well. So she is making me copies and we will go over them during some 2 hour sessions.

It is not that I don't trust her (because I do trust her), (she has always been steady, honest and consistant and has proved over time that I can trust her)but rather I want to see and know how I am seen through someone elses eyes so to speak (in this case her as a professional). If nothing else it should be an eyeopener and a learning experience.

I have thought about asking for a copy of my T's session notes. And, I will at some point! If for no other reason than to see if I have grown/changed....

It's kinda funny, but in reading this thread I've realized that on several occasions I have asked my T if I could see my entire file, including session notes. Each time she has said that I could if I really wanted to, but each time I have backed down and not followed through. I think I need to feel like I have a choice, that I know I can if I want to. But I have never followed through, either because I get scared that it will not be good for me or because I end up relaxing enough to not hold onto that motive of distrust.

I have asked my T before, as she is scribbling, Did she just write such and such down that I had said? And she will tell me yes or no. So sometimes I do know --without actually reading-- parts of what she writes. I don't think my T is very technical in what she writes because the times when she has read back to me what she has written it is always plain English to me. Mostly it is just summarizing what we have talked about that session, and she will often include a few direct quotes from me which she thinks are significant. I've asked T before how she decides which of my statements are important enough to write down and which ones she can leave out, and she smiled and said, "I just know." That was kind of a frustrating answer.

(((LG)))

My T doesn't take notes - at least not that I see. I really hope not. I would hate to have a paper trail re: my mental status. I'm sorry about the way T1 reacted re: T2's notes. Did you really think T2 didn't like you? And if she didn't, what do you think her notes said? I hate this B**ch! I wish she would go away and never come back?

The only reservation I would have about reading T2's notes is that you are not with her anymore and it could just really hurt you to read them without her there with you, explaining things, being empathic, etc. Even though you walked away from her, the fact that the relationship ended has to hurt and you probably have unresolved issues. But, IMO, reading her notes is not the way to resolve the issues and may only compound them.

xoxo

Liese

My T gives me his notes almost every week.
I find them very honest, right on, and quite interesting to read. I can only think of once or twice that something upset me and I questioned him on it. He then got upset that I was questioning essentially his personal take on things. I actually apologized that I was out of bounds. So, he says I'm the only patient that has asked to see their notes???
Cant believe that. Anyway, I appreciate him sharing them with me. I need to know where he thinks I stand, and how well I am progressing or regressing.