Category: Session Documentation

  • DSM-5 TR | What It Is, Changes & How to Cite It

    DSM-5 TR | What It Is, Changes & How to Cite It

    Citing the DSM-5-TR in APA Format: Looking to cite the DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision) in your APA style references? Here’s a quick guide: A new client comes into your office for the first time, nervous and uncertain about the process. After listening to their story, your mind starts […]

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    Courtney Gardner, MSW Avatar
    Courtney Gardner, MSW
  • AI Psychiatry Scribe vs Human Scribe: Which is Best for Mental Health Documentation?

    AI Psychiatry Scribe vs Human Scribe: Which is Best for Mental Health Documentation?

    Psychiatrists spend 30–40% of their week buried in documentation, leaving less time for direct client care. This administrative overload leads to burnout and impacts the quality of therapy, making it harder to stay fully present with clients. The solution? AI Psychiatry Scribe and therapy note automation tools. Instead of manually typing every detail, clinicians can […]

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    Maria Szandrach, CEO of Mentalyc Avatar
    Maria Szandrach, CEO of Mentalyc
  • DSM-5 | What Is It, Changes & How to Cite It

    DSM-5 | What Is It, Changes & How to Cite It

    In the enchanting tapestry of the human experience, the mind stands as a mesmerizing masterpiece, woven with threads of intricacy and enigma. Its labyrinthine corridors hold the keys to our joys and sorrows, our triumphs and tribulations. I’ve always pondered: Is it possible to create a world where empathy and insight converge to illuminate the […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • Progress Notes for Individual Therapy: Tips and Techniques

    Progress Notes for Individual Therapy: Tips and Techniques

    Unlocking Minds, Healing Hearts: Delve into the Power of Progress Notes for Individual Therapy – Your Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Art of Note-Taking In the serene confines of a quaint therapy room, a story unfolds, weaving threads of hope and transformation. Meet Sarah, a resilient soul navigating life’s labyrinthine challenges, seeking solace in the […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • Supervision Notes: Documenting and Enhancing Clinical Practice

    Supervision Notes: Documenting and Enhancing Clinical Practice

    Supervision is widely recognized as a cornerstone of a psychotherapist’s professional development and the delivery of high-quality clinical care. It provides a unique opportunity for therapists to engage in a collaborative and reflective process that enriches their skills, fosters self-awareness, and ensures ethical practice. Within the supervisory relationship, one crucial aspect that significantly contributes to […]

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    Angela M. Doel, Psychotherapist Avatar
    Angela M. Doel, Psychotherapist
  • What Are SIRP Notes and How to Write Them?(With Example)

    What Are SIRP Notes and How to Write Them?(With Example)

    Mastering SIRP Notes: Your Ultimate Guide to Crafting The Perfect Note (With Examples!) In the labyrinth of the mental health field, where our passion lies in healing minds, we often find ourselves entangled in the thorny embrace of administrative duties. Progress notes and documentation loom before us, demanding attention, and siphoning a significant portion of our professional […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • How to Catch Up on Therapy Progress Notes?

    How to Catch Up on Therapy Progress Notes?

    The Productive Therapist’s Guide to Catching Up on Progress Notes You know the feeling – it’s the end of another long week filled with client sessions, paperwork, and life’s other demands. Your progress notes from the past few days are staring at you, unfinished, and the guilt is creeping in. As therapists, we want to provide the […]

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    Courtney Gardner, MSW Avatar
    Courtney Gardner, MSW
  • Quoting Clients Therapy Progress Notes

    Quoting Clients Therapy Progress Notes

    Are You Maximizing the Use of Client Quotes in Your Therapy Notes? You know how important it is to capture the essence of your therapy sessions in your notes. But are you making the most of your client’s own words? Quoting your clients directly in your therapy progress notes can be incredibly powerful. Their words provide a window […]

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    Courtney Gardner, MSW Avatar
    Courtney Gardner, MSW
  • PHI in Psychotherapy Notes, What Information to Include & What to Not Include

    PHI in Psychotherapy Notes, What Information to Include & What to Not Include

    If you’re a mental health professional, you might be familiar with writing progress notes after a psychotherapy session. There are many different types of documentation out there, and even though they may all sound similar, some are vastly different. Process notes are reflective journal-like notes that differ from progress notes, sometimes called process notes. Psychotherapy notes have different […]

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    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC Avatar
    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC
  • Clinical Words for Progress Notes: Enhance Your Documentation Skills

    Clinical Words for Progress Notes: Enhance Your Documentation Skills

    Effective documentation is a cornerstone of quality patient care. Therapy progress notes serve as a vital tool for clinicians to communicate and collaborate with colleagues, ensuring continuity and providing a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s journey. While progress notes are essential for legal and reimbursement purposes, they also play a crucial role in tracking treatment outcomes and facilitating […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • Note-taking Solutions for Therapists With Vision Impairments or Carpal Tunnel

    Note-taking Solutions for Therapists With Vision Impairments or Carpal Tunnel

    Physical limitations can cause a variety of challenges with note-taking for mental health professionals. For many, note-taking is overwhelming and stressful enough, and when you add physical limitations, it makes it even more challenging to complete paperwork-related tasks. Vision-impaired individuals and those with carpal tunnel may deal with pain or eye strain, making documentation difficult. Many […]

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    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC Avatar
    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC
  • Effective Note-Taking Strategies for Therapists with Dyslexia

    Effective Note-Taking Strategies for Therapists with Dyslexia

    Writing notes can be time-consuming and daunting if you’re a mental health professional. If you have Dyslexia, this process may be even more difficult and time consuming, as this condition can cause many frustrations. For many people, Dyslexia may cause difficulty with tasks related to writing and reading. Ensuring your notes are correct and high […]

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    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC Avatar
    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC
  • Play Therapy Notes: Best Practices for Documentation

    Play Therapy Notes: Best Practices for Documentation

    If you are considering a career in play therapy and are passionate about working with children, this comprehensive article is tailored for you. You must maintain accurate documentation as a play therapist to ensure your practice’s success. Your job involves interacting with children and conducting critical evaluations. However, transforming these observations into concise, informative notes for your colleagues […]

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    Courtney Gardner, MSW Avatar
    Courtney Gardner, MSW
  • Efficiently Documenting Symptoms & Diagnosis: Steps, Benefits, & Tips for Therapists

    Efficiently Documenting Symptoms & Diagnosis: Steps, Benefits, & Tips for Therapists

    As a therapist, your primary focus is to provide adequate care, maintain a strong therapeutic bond, and emotionally support your patients through their difficulties. Chances are, you are a people person. Not a paper person. But for every client you care for comes a duty to keep a chart with well-crafted clinical documentation. An essential aspect […]

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    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW Avatar
    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW
  • Anxiety & Progress Notes for Therapists: Overcoming Challenges & Effective Strategies

    Anxiety & Progress Notes for Therapists: Overcoming Challenges & Effective Strategies

    Mental health professionals have many standards they have to follow when completing documentation. Quality documentation benefits clinicians as it helps protect them in cases of insurance audits and demonstrates medical necessity, and helps ensure you’re meeting the standards required by insurance companies. Consistently writing quality progress notes and treatment plans is an essential tenet of any psychotherapist’s duties; however, […]

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    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC Avatar
    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC
  • How to Write Effective Psychiatry notes? (With Psychiatric Note Example)

    How to Write Effective Psychiatry notes? (With Psychiatric Note Example)

    Psychiatric Notes The art of note-taking is a finely honed craft, cultivated through one’s professional journey. Among psychiatrists, documentation can pose a challenge in the sense that ascertaining what to prioritize can be daunting. While there are no quick fixes for mastering such a skill, invaluable insights and recommendations can significantly aid trainees. In this blog, […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • What are Family Therapy Notes & How to Write Them?

    What are Family Therapy Notes & How to Write Them?

    Family therapists are the superheroes of the therapeutic world. They therapeutically join with multiple people in a room, many of whom are at odds with each other, while facilitating complex interventions that allow family members to feel seen, heard, and equally challenged. All with the agility of Spiderman, swinging from rooftop to rooftop, or in […]

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    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW Avatar
    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW
  • How to Document Suicidal Ideation?

    How to Document Suicidal Ideation?

    Evaluating Risks & Addressing Suicidality in Therapy Notes: An Expert’s Guide for Mental Health Practitioners Suicide, a tragic and heart-wrenching phenomenon, casts a dark shadow on families, friends, and communities, leaving behind a trail of total mayhem. The aftermath of such a tragedy underscores the pressing need for profound comprehension and proactive measures to thwart […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • Difference in Note-taking Among Mental Health Professionals

    Difference in Note-taking Among Mental Health Professionals

    Mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and licensed professional counselors receive different training in their unique approaches to providing mental health care. However, they share a few things in common: the need for client charts with thorough clinical documentation and the mandate to keep client information and services […]

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    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW Avatar
    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW
  • Psychiatric Nursing Notes (Psych Mental Health Nurse Note Example Included)

    Psychiatric Nursing Notes (Psych Mental Health Nurse Note Example Included)

    So… What Are Psychiatric Nursing Notes? Basically, psychiatric nursing notes stand as the quintessential instrument you’ll ever have as a proficient practitioner, enabling you to ascend to greatness in your field. No worries, we know you’re confused and we got you covered! Whether you’re a seasoned psychiatric nurse or just starting your career, this comprehensive guide is designed to […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine
  • Contact (service) Note: Documenting Between-Session Communication

    Contact (service) Note: Documenting Between-Session Communication

    If you’re a mental health clinician, there will be times when you have to reach out to your clients between sessions. When you contact a client outside of the session, you want to document this in your client’s chart. Documenting all interactions with clients outside of the session is good practice. You may contact a […]

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    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC Avatar
    Marissa Moore, LPC, LCPC
  • Conducting a Comprehensive Mental Status Exam: Tips and Techniques

    Conducting a Comprehensive Mental Status Exam: Tips and Techniques

    The mental status examination (MSE) is a crucial tool used by mental health professionals to assess a patient’s current psychological state. It’s a structured evaluation that goes beyond just symptoms and delves into the patient’s overall behavioral and cognitive functioning. The MSE also aids psychotherapists, social workers, and psychiatrists in finding an accurate diagnosis, monitoring […]

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    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW Avatar
    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW
  • Discharge (Termination) Notes: Ensuring a Smooth Transition for Clients

    Discharge (Termination) Notes: Ensuring a Smooth Transition for Clients

    Therapists don’t stop caring about their clients when services end. We continue to hold them in our hearts, root for them from afar, and want to provide the best possible transition out of treatment as a way for our care to have a long-lasting positive impact. The end of therapy is a critical stage in […]

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    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW Avatar
    Ann Dypiangco, LCSW
  • Social Work Notes (With Example and Template)

    Social Work Notes (With Example and Template)

    As a social worker, it’s critical to have the ability to write detailed and factual social work case notes. Your notes serve as a written record of your client’s symptoms, progress, and treatment decisions and play a crucial role in guiding future interventions and ensuring continuity of care. Studies also show that well-written social work […]

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    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine Avatar
    Dr. Salwa Zeineddine