How I Take Client Notes on an iPad using Notability

Hi, everyone.  This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and in today's video, I'll share how I take and organize client notes on my iPad using Notability.

I'm pretty committed to a paperless existence.  I only print things out when I'm absolutely required and I scan whatever papers I'm given so that I can recycle them.  I have a whole bunch of videos on what tools I use for other paperless pursuits like packing lists and class notes, but in today's video -- I'm going to share how I use Notability to organize my client notes.

I've just recently become a mental health therapist.  One of the hacks that use to pay attention in ANY environment is to take lots of notes.  I have a world class terrible memory and am highly distractible, so taking notes helps me to pay attention in the moment AND it also creates a convenient written record to assist my memory later on.   But therapists aren't the only ones who take client notes.  Almost anyone who meets with people takes some kind of notes: financial advisors, physical trainers, case workers, life coaches, salespeople of any kind -- you get the idea.  And maybe you are already taking paper notes and are having a hard time organizing them.  Or you keep leaving your notebooks in another place and don't have access to them when you need them.   Or maybe you recently got an iPad and are intrigued with the idea of taking notes on it.   For any of these scenarios, this video is for you.  I'll walk you through the tools I have, how I use Notability to take notes, how I organize them, and some of my hacks for following up and remember important things about each client.  First,

Tools

Notability is the app that I use on my iPad for handwritten note-taking.  This will not be a Notability tutorial, but I do happen to have a tutorial video if you are interested.  One of the many reasons that I love Notability is that you can paste a photo or screenshot of anything into a note and then write on top of it.  This is particularly convenient for client notes since I can screenshot worksheets or other exercises and fill them out by hand within the app.  I also have an Apple Pencil, which is not cheap, but fully worth the investment if you are considering switching to paperless notes.  The other thing I would definitely recommend is buying an iPad case that has a loop or holder for the pencil, so it that doesn't get lost.  After all, if you don't have your pencil, you won't be able to take notes.  Okay -- let's get to how I use

Notability

First of all, I have a section (which Notability calls a Divider) called Client Notes.  Within this I have a different folder (which Notability calls a Subject) for each client.  The rules of my workplace hold that client names have to be anonymized when used outside of their protected system, so I use initials for each client.  These folders are in the order that I see them each week.  I could see myself putting that information in the name of the folder, so "Monday 11am - RT" for example.  You can see that I also have a folder called Templates.  This contains blank worksheets or templates that I can duplicate to use for any client.  I'll show you how I do that later on. 

• Client Note - Okay -- so for each client session, I start a new note.  The naming convention that I use is the client's initials and then the date, which I do in a 6 digit format, year first.  So Christmas Day 2021 would be 211225.  I use this format as a standard everywhere since titles using this format will naturally sort chronologically when alphabetical sorting is turned on. Notability by default sorts by most recently edited, so it's less important.  In other words, use whatever date format works for you.  
• Templates - Let me show you how I handle forms or worksheets.  For example, in my agency, we have have to fill out an intake form within the first three sessions with a client, so to do this, I go into Templates and find the Intake form.  Then I press down on it to show other options and hit Duplicate.  Now I take the one that says "Copy" and move it into the appropriate client folder.   So find it in that folder and rename it to an appropriate title -- I always include the client's initials first.  Now I can handwrite directly on this form or worksheet. 
• Client Cheatsheet - You'll see along with notes for each session, I also have this note that has blue emoji squares around it.  I have one of these for each client.  I call this a client cheatsheet.  Here's what I include on the cheatsheet for each client: things to talk about next meeting, parking lot issues (or things to bring up later), main issues, and things for me to remember.  I update this cheatsheet practically each session I have with a client.  It helps me remember what we agreed to talk about next session, what things came up that I want to circle back on, the main issues the client wants to work on, and other things that I should remember.  So, here is one that is filled out.  Next session, I need to remember to remind her to fill out a form, ask her about the end of a story from last week, and we should start working on this questionnaire.  Parking lot issues for this client contain some things that peaked my interest as she was talking -- in this case some surprising statements she made and topics brought up that I'd like to circle back on.  The client wants to work on issues around ruminating less and responding less sharply to her children and husband.  And finally, down under things to remember, I have family member's names and ages, and other pieces of information that you might expect me to remember after pouring out your heart to me, but because I have a sieve-like memory, doesn't always stick the way it should. 
• Past Notes - And finally, when a client terminates service, I move the entire folder down to another section that I call Past Client Notes.  Okay -- so that is a bit on how I use and organize Notability.  Let's talk a little bit about

Process and Hacks

Okay -- on the morning before I start seeing clients, I create notes for each session.  To do this, I create a new note, I title it and then I go into my cheatsheet for that client.   Then I use the select feature to select everything that I wrote we need to talk about Next Meeting and I copy this.  Now I go into my note for today's session and copy that information here in the lefthand area.  I briefly scan the topics and make sure that anything I need to prepare has already been prepared, so I'm ready for the session and don't have to scramble to do all of this at the beginning.  As the session is happening, I use this highlighter tool to highlight anything I need to remember.  This might be an action I need to do like something I promised to send, or something we didn't get a chance to cover completely and needs to be talked about next session.  Or it could be something surprising that the client said that I will want to circle back about later.  All of these things get highlighted.  At the end of the session, I'm required to write a progress note in my agency's official system.  I use my client notes for that if I need to.  Generally, I'm pretty wiped at the end of the day, so I put a task in for myself at the beginning of the next day to review all of my client notes from the day before.  If there are any highlighted bits, I either copy and paste those to my cheatsheet as something to cover next session or as a parking lot issue OR I put in a task for myself to complete the action item, like sending the client an article or doing some research before our next session.   When I am finished transferring all of my highlighted notes, I put a checkmark emoji in the title of the note.  This signifies that I have looked over the note and followed up on all the things I needed to.  I'm usually fairly methodical about going through each of the clients that I've seen the day before, but I can always check my work by going into All Notes to see if I have check marks next to every client note.  By doing this, I can ensure that I'm not forgetting to do something and that I have one place to go to remind myself of what needs to be discussed in the next session.  In addition, if I need to communicate anything to my client -- for example, I'm told my client needs to remember to pay her bill, I can include this in the cheatsheet to bring this up next session.  And, as I said before, I copy and paste all of this information into my new client note, so it's right there as as reminder for me during the session.

A lot of this is similar to how you might manage and organize paper notes, but you can use some of the features of Notability to make life a little easier for yourself AND to help remember things.  Let me know what you think.  Comments are always appreciated and thanks for watching!