What Are You Writing About Me? The Power of Presence & Eye Contact in Therapy

In Episode 3 of Netflix’s ADOLESCENCE, there’s a moment that stops viewers in their tracks. Teenager Jamie Miller, sitting across from therapist Briony Ariston, asks, “What are you writing about me?”

It’s a simple question, but it lands heavy.

Has a client ever asked you that question? For those in the mental health field, this scene might feel familiar. That moment when a client notices your pen scribbling or your fingers tapping on a keyboard. When your attention — even for just a second — seems somewhere else.

That tension between documenting and being fully present is real. And it can impact how safe, seen, and supported your clients feel.

Presence and eye contact carry significant weight in behavioral healthcare. Thankfully, technologies like Clinical Scribe are built to support, rather than interfere with, the therapeutic relationship. It's a recipe for building trust with patients, better supporting them on their healthcare journey.

Building Trust With Patients Starts With Being Present

Diagnoses and treatment plans are critical to any physician-patient relationship, no matter the context. But when it comes to healthcare providers building trusting relationships with patients, it starts with simple things, like patients feeling seen, heard, and emotionally safe in the room.

For mental health professionals, making eye contact and being fully present sends an important message: I see you, and I’m here with you. In behavioral health, it's normal for clients to feel particularly vulnerable, ashamed, guarded, or even suspicious of the healthcare system. This makes presence matter all the more than we sometimes realize.

Research backs this up. Studies indicate strong therapeutic alliances are directly tied to better patient outcomes. When clients feel that their provider is fully tuned in and striving for effective communication, they’re more likely to engage in treatment, open up, and stay committed long-term.

How Note-Taking Can Be a Barrier to Active Listening

Documentation is a necessary part of the job, no matter what part of the health system we're talking about. While it's a nice idea that mental health providers could sit back and focus solely on conversations with their clients, there are notes to take, compliance measures to follow, and forms to fill out.

Documenting therapy sessions, while necessary, can get in the way of real connection and building trust. You’re listening to a client talk about something deeply personal, or having a breakthrough moment. Having to shift your eyes to a screen or move your hand to jot something down is something that is frustrating for you as the therapist, and even if it's just for a second, clients may notice. Sometimes, that tiny distraction breaks the flow.

While patients may not always say it out loud, they may silently wonder, like Jamie Miller, ‘What are you writing about me?’ It’s a fair question. 

This is why building trust is harder when the provider seems distracted, even with the best intentions.

Technology, when not used thoughtfully, can create distance rather than connection with patients. Any hindrance to creating a supportive atmosphere and building rapport is the last thing anyone wants in behavioral healthcare.

A Tool To Help Behavioral Healthcare Providers Stay Engaged

As an AI-powered note-taking tool, Clinical Scribe helps mental health professionals stay fully present while still meeting documentation requirements. It quietly works in the background so you can stay focused on maintaining eye contact with, and being present for, every client that steps into your practice.

With Clinical Scribe, providers can:

• Take fewer notes during the session: Avoid having to write everything down mid-conversation. Clinical Scribe lets you dictate notes naturally, either during or right after a session.
• Get quality documentation faster: Clinical Scribe captures clinical context, keeps up with session goals, and ensures the documentation matches what actually happened. That means fewer errors and better support in the event of an audit.
• More easily maintain eye contact: Looking your client in the eye is powerful in therapy. Clinical Scribe helps you keep your eyes (and attention) where they belong: on the person in front of you.

Strategies for More Effective Communication & Better Patient Outcomes

Even with Clinical Scribe handling much of the administrative burden, presence remains a therapeutic skill that demands ongoing intention. For seasoned clinicians, these strategies aren’t new, but they can serve as thoughtful recalibrations, especially when integrated alongside supportive tools.

Start with a moment of intentional pause

It’s easy to move from session to session without a beat. A brief pause before each client—whether it’s a mantra or a posture reset—can serve as a boundary between administrative mindset and therapeutic presence. Over time, these micro-rituals build resilience and protect against emotional fatigue.

Design your space with presence in mind

Small choices in how your workspace is arranged—like keeping your screen out of your direct eyeline or using discreet tools for note capture—can preserve your relational posture. Many clinicians find that shifting a monitor slightly or using ambient lighting softens the perceived barrier between them and the client.

Honor the silence and the slow pace

Experienced therapists know the power of sitting with silence. Trusting those pauses, rather than filling them with writing, reinforces that the session belongs to the client. Tools like Clinical Scribe let you quietly do the work while you hold space for open communication and high-quality care.

Support Patient Trust, Confidentiality and Well-Being Through Presence

At its core, behavioral healthcare is built on human connection. Patients entrust their stories to providers with the hope of being seen, heard, and supported—not just clinically, but personally.

Tools like Clinical Scribe allow clinicians to stay present without compromising integrity of documentation. They support the delicate balance between maintaining patient trust, upholding patient confidentiality, and prioritizing well-being.

Presence isn’t a luxury in therapy; it’s foundational. With the right strategies and thoughtful use of technology, providers can protect that presence, and in doing so protect the therapeutic alliance itself.

Make more room for connection in your sessions. Learn how Clinical Scribe makes it possible.