5 Reasons Why Therapists Don't Finish Notes.

Therapists are responsible for keeping track of a lot of information, and writing notes is an essential part of their job. 

However, there are times when therapists struggle to complete notes in a timely manner.

Here are five potential reasons why:

1. Time constraints – Therapists often have a lot of clients to see, and completing notes can take up a significant amount of time. This can be especially challenging if they have back-to-back appointments or if they have other administrative tasks to complete.

2. Burnout – Therapists may experience burnout from working long hours, dealing with difficult clients, and managing their own personal lives. When this happens, they may find it difficult to motivate themselves to complete notes.

3. Lack of training – Depending on the therapist's education and training, they may not have received adequate instruction on how to write effective notes. This can make the process more time-consuming and challenging than it needs to be.

4. Technology issues – Many therapists use electronic health records (EHRs) to write notes, but these systems can be slow and cumbersome. Technical glitches and connectivity issues can also cause delays.

5. Perfectionism – Therapists may hold themselves to high standards when it comes to note-taking, and may spend more time than necessary trying to craft the perfect note. This can be a form of procrastination that leads to incomplete notes.

Overall, while completing notes is an important part of a therapist's job, there are many factors that can make this task difficult. By understanding these challenges, therapists can take steps to improve their note-taking process and provide better care for their clients.

Here are some tips to finish notes:

1. Create a schedule that includes time for notes. Personally, I schedule appointments with 15 minute breaks between. I can complete the note, take a bathroom break, take a movement break, or eat. 

2. Community care is self care. Create community to help tackle the isolation, overwhelm, and burnout that can come from running a solo private practice. Check out our T2T community.

3. Take a notes course, I offer a free one in November. 

4. Create templates to make documentation less cumbersome, click boxes are amazing. Want to see my template? Go to the notes course and I have video with my template.

5. Notes really shouldn't t take more than 5 minutes for typical sessions (complicated sessions and sensitive issues may take longer). Remember to challenge your perfectionism. Check out Bianca Hughes’ work for more help on challenging perfectionism. 

Want some compassionate accountability to improve your notes, takes the notes course and receive one month premium membership in the T2T community for encouragement, support, and problem solving.