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Progress Notes Without Panic
A Field Guide for Pre-Licensed Therapists Who Were Never Taught This Part Welcome to the Forest At some point early in your training, someone handed you a client and a clipboard and said, “You’ve got this.”What they did not hand you was a clear explanation of how to document the work you were about to…
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When Compassion Gets Misinterpreted: Therapist Boundaries, Documentation, and Navigating Relational Complexity
There’s a story making the rounds right now—one client’s account of “falling in love” with her psychiatrist—and while the truth of it will never be ours to know, the ripple effect in our field is real. It’s the reminder that even when our work is grounded in ethics, compassion, and boundaries, it can still be…
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Nontraditional Therapy Sessions: How to Write Progress Notes That Actually Make Sense
🪵 Your Unofficial Guide to Note-Writing in the Wild The Myth of the Perfectly Structured Session Somewhere between grad school and the mountain of paperwork labeled Medical Necessity, therapists were handed an unspoken rule: if your client isn’t actively sobbing, revealing trauma, or performing coping skills like a well-trained actor, you’re probably wasting everyone’s time.…
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AI Meets Therapy Notes: Write Smarter, Stay Ethical, and Ditch the Burnout
The Love-Hate Relationship with Progress Notes Let’s be honest: progress notes are the broccoli of the therapy world. Good for you, required by insurance, and likely to make your soul wilt if you let them pile up past Friday. We’ve all had those weeks where the actual therapy part of the job is energizing—and then…
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Clinical Documentation in a Politicized World: A Therapist’s Guide to Protecting Clients
The Weight of the World in the Therapy Room Clients walk into our offices carrying more than just personal struggles—they carry the weight of the world. The news cycles, political shifts, legal changes, and social tensions have infused daily life with uncertainty. As mental health professionals, we hold space for their fears, anxieties, and grief.…
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The Art of Play: How to Document Creative Therapy Approaches Without Losing the Magic
You’re sitting across from your client, who’s narrating an epic battle in their favorite video game. Their character—an archer—is dodging dragons, leaping from cliffs, and working with a team to conquer an enemy fortress. There’s a spark in their eyes as they describe the strategy, the team dynamics, the feeling of triumph. You know that…
The Nerdie Therapist 