This is important if they are now denying what they said then. Indeed, I have had counselees lean over and look at the notes and say, “Be sure you get that down.” I use the notes also as a means of reminding counselees in weeks following what they said before. I do this whenever I think that the counselee wants to be sure that I have understood something or other. ” Then I carefully copy what is said into my notes. I find myself from time to time saying a counselee, “Now let me get that straight. And taking notes enables me to be sure that I have things straight. I have to understand-at least to some extent-merely to do it. In addition, taking notes requires me to make sense of what I have heard. I find that taking notes makes me concentrate on what is being said. “How do you take notes? Isn’t it difficult to do so and listen at the same time?” Quite to the contrary. That is the only time I think it is important to hold back on note taking. Then, after the session I write out what I learned. One thing, however, that I do consider important along the lines just mentioned: if a person is speaking of illegalities in which he is involved, I usually put down my pen and listen. But, for many years I have taken notes, taught others to do so, and have had no such problems. And some think that the counselee might be hesitant to say certain things if he sees you taking notes.
How shall you do so? Should you wait until the session is over, and then write out all that you can remember of the session as some do? Why would they do that? Well, they think that taking notes during sessions can be distracting both to the counselor and to the counselee. Note taking is an essential element in the process. Take and keep notes-that’s what! If you don’t take notes in counseling, you are remiss. But to hold all of that in your head from week to week, together with much happening in between sessions, and in addition to the new data coming to light at each week’s session, you would have to be a genius. Moreover, unless you keep a running agenda of items to discuss, you will be likely to forget some essential items on that agenda. That is one way to measure progress or the lack thereof. It’s important from week to week to be able to refer to what you learned before. That is to say, you will unless you do something to forestall forgetting. Do you forget facts about your counselees? Unless you are highly exceptional, you will.
0 kommentar(er)
