1. Handwritten, recorded, or transcribed typed notes by a mental health clinician that document or analyze conversations between therapists and clients during individual, family, or group psychotherapy counseling sessions. These notes are retained separate and apart from the medical record. However, notes relative to therapy such as information shared in training in consultation with other clinicians, a summary of symptoms, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or process of treatment are not psychotherapy notes and are known as psychiatric information. Billing for treatment of psychiatric disorders and psychotherapy falls under CPT codes 90804 through 90899 in the CPT Medicine Section. 2. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), notes recorded in any medium by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session and that are separated from the rest of the individual’s medical record. Psychotherapy notes excludes medication prescription and monitoring, counseling session start and stop times, the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and any summary of the following items: diagnosis, functional status, the treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date. Under HIPAA, a clinician is not required to disclose the original psychotherapy notes to the patient. Generally a summary of the notes is done to satisfy a patient’s request.