How Michael became more present with clients
Seven clients seen. Seven progress notes waiting. Another evening at the office ahead.
Michael Welsh knows this routine well.
As a psychologist at Cornerstone Family Counseling's 20-provider practice, he faces the same split-attention challenge that defines modern clinical work. Stay fully present for clients while mentally cataloging session details for later documentation.
The cognitive load was becoming unsustainable. Until he discovered a documentation approach that changed everything about his clinical practice.
The attention split every clinician knows
Working in a busy group practice means managing multiple competing demands within each 50-minute session. The documentation challenge isn't just about finding time to write — it's about the mental bandwidth required during client contact.
I often remember sitting in session and a client would say something important and I would have to focus on reminding myself that I wanted to chart this information later. So I would have to hold that as they continued to talk.
This divided attention creates clinical tension. After a full day of 5-7 clients, Michael faced reconstructing entire therapeutic encounters from fragmented recall. Evening documentation became a professional burden — already emotionally depleted from clinical work, he still needed to accurately capture interventions, client responses, and treatment progress.
Recording sessions, capturing authenticity
Michael keeps his phone on a charger at his desk, positioned to the side. After discussing the recording process with clients initially, the technology becomes invisible to the therapeutic work.
The transformation happens at session's end. Michael stops recording, walks his client out, and returns to find his progress note ready for review.
I'm able to review that note in a short period of time, make some small changes as I need, and then I cut and paste that note straight into Simple Practice.
When recording isn't clinically appropriate, Michael dictates a session summary instead. Both approaches generate the same quality clinical documentation, ensuring consistent professional standards regardless of circumstances.
His notes transfer directly into Simple Practice — no reformatting, no extra platforms to wrangle.
What presence actually looks like
When clinicians stop splitting attention between client engagement and documentation retention, the therapeutic relationship fundamentally shifts.
I can say that definitely since I started using Upheal, I am more present in therapy. Because I don't have to hold some of those details anymore.
This creates positive clinical momentum. Knowing comprehensive session capture happens automatically, Michael maintains complete therapeutic focus. That undivided attention strengthens treatment effectiveness while ensuring thorough clinical records.
Instead of losing hours at the end of each day reconstructing sessions from memory, Michael spends minutes reviewing generated notes and making clinical adjustments.
So at the end of my day, I can actually leave my office in a timely manner, knowing that my notes are completed accurately.
For professionals managing significant clinical caseloads and emotional demands, this boundary between clinical time and personal time supports both professional sustainability and continued therapeutic effectiveness.
Clinical documentation that works
Thousands of clinicians are experiencing what Michael discovered with Upheal. Total therapeutic presence, while maintaining rigorous documentation — leaving the office on time with confidence in their clinical records.
Modern clinical practice requires intelligent solutions that support both therapeutic relationships and professional requirements. This technology must capture your clinical voice, while protecting client privacy through rigorous security standards.
Experience a more intelligent platform for therapists that's helping clinicians focus on what matters most — their therapeutic work.
