Courtney Hollie
Adriana Valtinson
English 0113
Final Draft Taking Notes During Talk Therapy Counseling consists of many different methods which are used to analyze a patient’s thought patterns. The most common method in counseling is Talk Therapy. This type of therapy allows the patient the opportunity to express their feelings through verbal communication with a therapist. It is during a Talk Therapy session that the Psychiatrist or Licensed Professional Counselor listens to what the patient is saying and then analyzes the patient’s thought patterns which can be used to properly diagnose the patient. Some therapist feel that it is appropriate to take notes during the Talk Therapy session as the patient is speaking. Other therapists feel that taking notes during the Talk Therapy session can make the patient feel uneasy for a number of reasons. Taking notes during the first initial Talk Therapy session does offer the benefit of allowing the patient to feel more at ease about meeting their therapist for the first time. Taking notes during the session does not allow for as much eye contact between the patient and the therapist, which initially can be of great benefit until the patient establishes a trusted relationship between the therapist. However, as the patient grows to trust the therapist, they patient may want direct eye contact throughout the session as this lets the patient know that they are receiving the therapist’s undivided attention. However, during the first initial meeting is usually when the patient shares with the therapist what is troubling them and why they are seeking help. This may entail sharing traumatic experiences which have happened to the patient throughout their lifetime. If they therapist does not make eye contact with the patient as he or she is sharing some of these traumatic incidents, the patient may feel disrespected by the therapist. The patient may feel that the therapist is not sympathetic to what has happened to them or that the therapist is treating them as merely another case, and not as an individual with specialized needs. It is strongly encouraged for any therapist to make direct eye contact with the patient as they are reflecting on traumatic occurrences which have lead to their distress. One may argue that if the therapist does not take notes during the sessions, that the therapist may forget vital details which could then be used for later diagnosing the patient. A solution to this is to record the patient and then take notes on the recording after the patient has left the session. There are countless laws that protect a patient’s privacy, laws which would not allow a therapist to share any recording with anyone unless the patient has given their written consent. A patient’s privacy is so heavily protected that a therapist cannot testify against a patient in court. A therapist is not allowed to share any information regarding what has been discussed during the therapy sessions unless the patient gives their written consent. Explaining the patient’s rights to privacy could make a patient feel more at ease about being recorded if this were of concern to a patient. Trust is a key element in any relationship between a therapist and a patient. As the patient develops trust for the therapist, they will often times share more information which they had been hesitant to share with the therapist during previous sessions. Taking notes during the therapy session might hinder the patient’s trust for the therapist as they have no idea what exactly the therapist is writing unless they ask. Even then it is strongly discouraged for a therapist to share their notes with the patient as this could trouble the patient or possibly offend them. It is the goal of a therapist to help a patient to understand the root of their psychological instability with as much ease as possible. If a patient has a severe neurotic disorder such as Schizophrenia, the patient might obsess over what the therapist is