[dismissed feelings]

Sorry if this was addressed before somewhere but... should I be worried that my T does not take notes in session? How can they remember everything? I ramble like crazy due to anxiety so I am sometimes hard to follow. What if they miss or don't remember something that could be important? Some things I just do not want to have to repeat!

I really do like the fact they do not have to look down and I do not have to wonder what they are writing and get distracted by it, but is taking some notes or being fully present w/o taking notes better for treatment?

I've wondered about this too and I asked my shrink and his response was that our sessions were being recorded and then transcribed. I looked into this and in my state, taping is allowed like this without my consent. Two neurologists I have seen over the past 10 years also admitted to this. I had to ask to be informed. You might want to check this out and see what your state allows.

Originally Posted by dismissed feelings

Sorry if this was addressed before somewhere but... should I be worried that my T does not take notes in session? How can they remember everything? I ramble like crazy due to anxiety so I am sometimes hard to follow. What if they miss or don't remember something that could be important? Some things I just do not want to have to repeat!

I really do like the fact they do not have to look down and I do not have to wonder what they are writing and get distracted by it, but is taking some notes or being fully present w/o taking notes better for treatment?

[Hope-Full]

My T does not take notes either. I asked her about it a few times, and she laughed it off. I know she does not record sessions because she has said so. I am guessing that she's been doing this for long enough and that her training included some way to remember stuff?

I agree, I like that she's focused on me the entire time (sometimes it's almost uncomfortable, as she rarely, if ever, takes her gaze away) and not busy scribbling notes. And I know that I also get long winded and rambly, but she remembers. Boy, does she remember well!

[music junkie]

i think a lot of times it's not what you say, it's HOW you say it.

[Indie'sOK]

I just noticed that mine doesn't take notes either. I think that some things must stick out to them, and they write these down after session. If not, then I'm not sure...good memory, perhaps? Hmm...now I'm kind of interested in asking her about this

[dismissed feelings]

Originally Posted by June_Bug

I've wondered about this too and I asked my shrink and his response was that our sessions were being recorded and then transcribed. I looked into this and in my state, taping is allowed like this without my consent. Two neurologists I have seen over the past 10 years also admitted to this. I had to ask to be informed. You might want to check this out and see what your state allows.

Ewwww! Yuck!

I thought in the paperwork I signed it said they did not record but I will double check by asking him this.

[dismissed feelings]

Originally Posted by music junkie

i think a lot of times it's not what you say, it's HOW you say it.

Now THAT is a scary thought in my case!

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by dismissed feelings

Ewwww! Yuck!

I thought in the paperwork I signed it said they did not record but I will double check by asking him this.

Eww is right! I mean, couldn't they at least ask first?

[music junkie]

Originally Posted by dismissed feelings

Now THAT is a scary thought in my case!

i know that seemed to be the case with my last therapist. she always seemed more focused on the way i said things, the tone of my voice, what emotions i was displaying, etc. with my shrink, i don't know. she takes notes on her computer, but only about certain things. i haven't been able to establish a real pattern.

My neurologists progress notes are like reading a book.... she said this... almost to the exact word......... then I (meaning the doc) recommended this.... exactly what I wrote down in my notes. Maybe it's just my state that allows taping.

[Perna]

Yes, T's are not listening for "facts" in all we say, but for how we are saying; my T once described it as "listening for and going with the emotions". They're kind of riding the waves :-)

But they get to know us, just like a friend would or like we would get to know someone else; why would they forget what is "important"? It's a relationship, not just a "lecture" we're giving that they may/may not remember; if it is important to us, they'll know by how we present it and they'll work on it with us right then and there.

[ECHOES]

My therapist doesn't take notes, but will pull out pen and paper if I have a dream to share. I suppose that's because dreams can be so bizarre, and the telling about the dream is meaningful too. Have had some doozies.

T's listen with what Theodor Reik refers to as The Third Ear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Reik

I've never seen my T take a note in 8 years and she remembers every freaking thing i've ever said. It's amazing!

My t does his notes mostly between appointments unless he is writing down something really specific like my meds and dosages and such. But he definitely takes notes after every session.

My T used to take notes once in a while, she had a notebook that was for me in my favorite color. But now that its summer and we're outside so much, she doesn't. She has the worlds greatest memory I think though... she'll remember some little detail I told her almost 2 years ago.

[PreacherHeckler]

My T has never taken notes during my sessions -- he has a great memory. A couple of weeks ago I was talking about getting a ride to church with someone I've mentioned in therapy occasionally but not so often that I would expect him to remember her name. Anyway my mind went blank and I could not remember her name when I was talking to him about getting a ride to church, so my T told me her name because HE remembered it! A little embarrassing but funny!

[nicoleb2]

My T does not take notes. Never has, but I'm guessing that right after the session she writes down the most important things from the session. She remembers everything we talked about at the next session though

[Perna]

I think my T took notes occasionally when she was first starting out being a therapist (I saw her for a total of 18 years and she occasionally took notes in the first 9 but not 20 years later in the last 9). There's probably a bit of what/how they learned to be a therapist and/or experimentation on their part.

My T once got my husband's name wrong and even made a check out to me in my maiden name after I'd been married almost 20 years. At first it's easy to feel disappointed or hurt but when I think about how my mind can "wander" when I'm talking to a person, how I'm thinking of what we're talking about and might throw in a wrong word/name, it doesn't signify? She might have been thinking about how my husband reminded her of this other man (or how I reminded her of another client whose husband had that name) and it turned out to feel slightly endearing to have to think of me "constantly" by my maiden name, the name under which we started our relationship together all those years ago; she wasn't distracted by a name change

I've been seeing my therapist for about 15 months or so. She used to take notes, but then stopped a few months ago. I never asked her why she stopped, but I honestly just think since I've been seeing her for a while now, she kind of just knows and remembers what I'm there for.

My T never takes notes, and he remembers the tiniest details of things (names, etc). It's kind of amazing.

A few sessions ago, I was in my car and realized I REALLY wanted something from his desk that I had brought back to him that day, so I actually WENT BACK IN (!) and peeked in his door and asked if I could take it. He was sitting at his desk typing on his computer...I wondered if it was notes about the session.

I did ask him to not write down DETAILS about my trauma stuff, and I believe him when he says that he doesn't do that. Which is a relief.

[googley]

I had one t who took notes. And then a while into our sessions she stopped taking notes. My other Ts have only really taken notes during the first session or two when going into lots of background details all at once. Ever once in a while a T will write something down, but usually if it is something I'm going to take with me, like a list of coping skills.

[ECHOES]

Originally Posted by Perna

I think my T took notes occasionally when she was first starting out being a therapist (I saw her for a total of 18 years and she occasionally took notes in the first 9 but not 20 years later in the last 9). There's probably a bit of what/how they learned to be a therapist and/or experimentation on their part.

My T once got my husband's name wrong and even made a check out to me in my maiden name after I'd been married almost 20 years. At first it's easy to feel disappointed or hurt but when I think about how my mind can "wander" when I'm talking to a person, how I'm thinking of what we're talking about and might throw in a wrong word/name, it doesn't signify? She might have been thinking about how my husband reminded her of this other man (or how I reminded her of another client whose husband had that name) and it turned out to feel slightly endearing to have to think of me "constantly" by my maiden name, the name under which we started our relationship together all those years ago; she wasn't distracted by a name change

Your T wrote a check out to you?!? What kind of therapy was this, I might try it next

I do not take notes, nor do I record sessions. There are only 2 I record for research and consultation purposes, and this is with consent.

Sometimes if there is a lot of information that really needs detail I will pull out a note book and jot very basic notes (genogram information, names, dates, time lines, etc).

For me, professionally and personally, I feel taking notes takes away from the interaction in session.

I do not have a perfect memory and may have to ask for some details later, but I feel this is more appropriate for me than it is to take notes every session. I've found that when I started, I took notes during session and then never looked at them again anyway. I do my progress notes on a weekly basis, and seem to do fine remembering sessions just fine.

[ladyjrnlist]

My T takes really short notes that I wonder at how much detail they really contain. Until he reads them back to me sometimes to remind me of something I said and they are verbatim. Nice skill to have.

[Dr.Muffin]

Originally Posted by dismissed feelings

Sorry if this was addressed before somewhere but... should I be worried that my T does not take notes in session? How can they remember everything? I ramble like crazy due to anxiety so I am sometimes hard to follow. What if they miss or don't remember something that could be important? Some things I just do not want to have to repeat!

I really do like the fact they do not have to look down and I do not have to wonder what they are writing and get distracted by it, but is taking some notes or being fully present w/o taking notes better for treatment?

i think whats best for treatment is what works for the therapist, honestly. i have a really great memory and i only take notes on days when im feeling especially distractable. i also know really great therapists whose memories are not so great, so they need to take notes. either way its just about jotting down key words to cue/jog the memory.

i think that i would prefer a therapist to take notes and remember things so i dont have to repeat myself, rather than not take notes and have me waste time re-telling things