ABSTRACT
Case notes are an integral and important part of practice for sport and exercise psychology consultants. Case notes can be defined as textual records of encounters between consultants and their clients. They document a client’s situation and progress, and they record the consultant’s decision-making process. This chapter summarizes the rationale for keeping case notes, the general characteristics of case notes, discusses some ‘dos and don’ts’ of record keeping, and gives an example of a standardized format for note taking. It discusses the benefits of case notes for the therapeutic relationship, the consultant’s professional development, and highlights the challenges note taking presents when working in different contexts. The chapter also shares and critiques a case note example from applied practice. It then concludes with key take home messages and questions for consultants to reflect on to consider their current note taking practices.
