Under what circumstance can a therapist refuse a client's request to access their records?

A therapist can refuse a client's request to access their records if granting access would risk harm to the client's well-being. This aligns with ethical considerations and legal standards that prioritize the client's mental health and safety. If allowing the client to see certain information in their records may provoke distress, cause them to misinterpret their treatment history, or exacerbate their condition, the therapist is justified in withholding that information to protect the client's overall well-being. This principle is rooted in the therapist's duty to act in the client's best interest and manage the therapeutic relationship responsibly.

Factors like a client being a minor, documentation issues, or the therapist not currently seeing the client typically do not warrant a refusal to provide access to records. While those circumstances may create different considerations regarding the management of records or potential supervision needs, they do not directly relate to the client's well-being in the same way that the risk of harm does.