The therapist can use this writing to understand more about their client's emotional status, and to research specific behavioral problems demonstrated by the client, by comparing notes taken to case precedent or field research.
Psychotherapists may also encourage patients to write down their experience of traumatic events by first recording their thoughts and then writing a narrative about their experiences (Bolton, et al., 2004, p. 11). In this type of therapy, the psychotherapist will usually provide the patient with guided direction and instructions about the way the patient should write or the exact subject matter the patient should concentrate on. In session, the therapist my then also record his or her own narrative and allow the patient to read this information, as a form of mutually beneficial writing where the goal is improving the trust and relationship between the client and the psychotherapist (Bolton, et al., 2004). In such cases the therapist may leave subjective reasoning out of material distributed or shared with clients, so as to keep the focus of sessions on the client and not the therapist.
These notes typically include information about prescriptions or medication therapy recommended for the patient and data regarding the patient's health condition (Bolton et al., 2004, p. 11). The therapist may also provide clear written instructions to on call physicians in the event the patient or client has an emergency and the psychotherapist is unavailable to immediately respond to the client's needs.
As demonstrated, writing comes in many forms in the psychotherapy field, including in the form of charting, journaling, note taking and inter-office communication in the form of memos and documentation about the client and his or her needs. These forms of written expression are an important tool for the client and therapist, enabling better assessment of behavioral problems and solutions.
References
Bolton, G., Howlett, S., Lago, C., & Wright, J.K. (2004). Writing cures: An introductory handbook to writing in counseling and…
