{"id":5032,"date":"2025-04-22T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.counsellingconnection.com\/?p=5032"},"modified":"2024-12-12T12:38:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T02:38:30","slug":"note-taking-and-counselling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.counsellingconnection.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/22\/note-taking-and-counselling\/","title":{"rendered":"Note Taking and Counselling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To note or not to note? That is the question.

Note taking can be a contentious issue in therapy, with some experts advocating not taking notes at all during sessions (because it may break the rapport between a counsellor and client) others take notes sparingly and still others make copious notes. Incredulously, there have even hear stories of newly trained psychologists typing continuously on a laptop as their client speaks\u2026

In this brief article we will consider best practice, guidance, and evidence in relation to note taking and consider the perspectives of both clients and counsellors.

Bernardi (2015) considered note taking from both the therapists\u2019 and clients\u2019 perspectives, comparing note taking, note taking with reviewing, reviewing only and no note taking, and found no difference in \u2018clinical judgement\u2019. However, he also found that reviewing notes improved interview recall for the counsellors in that they were clearly better able to recall the session via reading their notes versus not.

Historical research on the impact of note taking in therapy is interesting. Back in 1984, a study by Hickling and colleagues showed a clear detrimental effect of note taking on clients\u2019 perception of the counsellor. Later Miller (1992) assessed a number of variables in clients who experienced no note taking versus note taking and found \u2018willingness to return\u2019 was significantly lower in the note taking condition. The authors conclude that not giving full attention to the client was likely to be the factor affecting this. Conversely, Christie and colleagues (2015) found no negative effects of note taking on the clients\u2019 perception of the counsellor.

Despite the appeal, and even necessity, for such note taking, there is arguably a need for prudence in relation to taking notes within sessions, so as to avoid damage to rapport. One clear technique is for the counsellor to explain, albeit briefly, the reason for taking notes; to keep a record of what is discussed and setting goals for counselling. This in turn can help keep both client and counsellor stay on track. Also, the timing of when you take notes in a session is important. For example, when a client reveals the ages or names of their children during a session, it would not seem strange or unreasonable for a counsellor to note this. If conversely, the client was to make a joke, in an effort to lighten the mood or make rapport between themself and the counsellor, the client might panic if the counsellor decided to start jotting things down at this point!

Interestingly the grandfather of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, took the view that notes should not be taken during a session (although he also acknowledged that not all therapists would have the same memory as he did).

‘he (Freud) advises against doing this (note taking) in the session, not only because of \u201cthe unfavourable impression which this makes on some patients\u201d (p. 112) but also because it would compromise the nature and quality of his attention, a point he had made <\/em>in an earlier paper in commenting on the difficulties the physician has conducting: \u2018six or eight psychotherapeutic treatments of the sort in a day, and [who] cannot make notes during the actual session with the patient for fear of shaking the patient\u2019s confidence and of disturbing his own view of the material under observation\u2019<\/em>. (in Tudor & Gledhill, 2022)

Eric Berne, the originator of Transactional Analysis, makes a similar point on note taking during sessions:

\u2018If the therapist is distracted during the meeting by trying to remember what he is going to put in his notes, to that extent his therapeutic efficiency is diminished, and probably his effectiveness also\u2019 <\/em>(in Tudor & Gledhill, 2022).

An interesting alternative to \u2018regular\u2019 note taking is a collaborative approach where the client gets to see, and even have input into, what is written down. A study carried out by Perlich and colleagues in 2018 sought to identify whether the \u2018Tele Board\u2019 digital white board system would be \u2018comfortable\u2019 for therapists and save time in terms of producing official reports etc. The therapists therefore involved their clients in the note taking process. The therapists developed a positive feeling when using the collaborative white board (although the perspective of the clients was not captured) and the authors suggest that the approach saved practitioners 60% of the time they would normally spend writing reports to insurance providers.

Does note taking differ by mode of counselling?<\/strong>

It may well be that note taking is greater in modes such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Rational Emotive Therapy, where the notes could also form a part of the intervention. For example, in an exercise to identify automatic (and perhaps negative) thinking, the client will identify thoughts and triggers and also alternative challenging thoughts. This then becomes a key element of the therapist\u2019s notes. Conversely, in person centred counselling, few or no notes are likely to be taken during the session as the practitioner is likely to feel this interferes with rapport between client and therapist.

Additionally, a counsellor may take process<\/em> notes as well as session notes. Process notes capture the reflections, feelings and observations of the counsellor (and of course may well be very useful in supervision sessions). Whereas session notes should be factual and record objectively what was said in the session rather than the therapist\u2019s opinion or interpretation.

Legislative Implication for note taking<\/strong>

Not all helping professions have a legal requirement for note taking and this is of course important in cases where courts of law might subpoena therapists for their client\u2019s notes. There is no actual legal requirement for counsellors to take notes in Australia, despite the strong recommendations from governing bodies such as the ACA and PAFCA that counsellors do take notes. If you do take notes, you can see how the necessity for factual, accurate, and clear details are essential. Nobody wants to lose a client to suicide or any other cause, but if a patient has died, the coroner\u2019s court often ask for a counsellor\u2019s notes. So, again we need clarity and objectivity over what has been recorded\/carried out within sessions for accurate reporting.

Templates for note taking<\/strong>

Psychologists and counsellors working within organisations may have specific guidance over note taking and what needs to be recorded to meet local policies. Here we cover several popular note taking templates, SOAP<\/strong>, RPT<\/strong>, DAP <\/strong>and SIRP<\/strong>.

We will firstly look at SOAP<\/strong> as one of the more favoured styles of notetaking.
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