The Most Actionable Way to Improve Your Therapy

Why It Matters

Consistent note‑taking turns fleeting therapy insights into actionable steps, driving faster client improvement and more efficient use of clinical time.

Key Takeaways

• Bring a notebook to every therapy session for active recall
• Emotional states impair memory encoding during counseling appointments
• Jot down therapist insights and homework to reinforce learning
• Review notes weekly to prepare topics for next session
• Consistent journaling boosts progress and session engagement significantly

Summary

The video argues that the single most actionable habit for improving therapy outcomes is to bring a notebook or journal to each session.

Because intense emotions dampen the brain’s thinking and memory‑encoding functions, clients often forget key insights, therapist suggestions, and assigned homework. Writing brief notes during the appointment captures these details while the mind is still engaged.

The speaker notes, “When a client shows up with a notebook, I know they’ll make progress,” and illustrates how reviewing notes over the following days helps solidify learning and generate agenda items for the next visit.

Adopting this simple practice can increase retention, boost homework compliance, and make sessions more focused, ultimately accelerating therapeutic progress for both clients and clinicians.

Original Description

Bringing a notebook to therapy might seem simple, but it can completely change how much you get out of the work.

When you write things down during or after session, you’re more likely to remember the insights, the tools, and the patterns you’re starting to notice.

Therapy is one hour a week. The real change happens in the other 167 hours. A notebook helps bridge that gap.

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...

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