I would count them, unless you replace the barbell in the rack or put it down.
If squats are what you are talking about - I learned how to bang out reps by doing 20 rep "breathing squats". They aren't necessarily appropriate for you just yet, but the mental & timing aspect help significantly. Between reps, take two full breaths and then inhale again, set yourself, and descend. After you do this a couple hundred times, it almost becomes automatic. You descend on the third breath, everytime. I use this anytime I do reps in the squat.