Writing therapy notes shouldn't take hours. Whether you're using SOAP notes, DAP notes, BIRP notes, or general progress notes, having the right template can dramatically reduce documentation time while improving clarity and compliance.
This guide provides therapy notes templates, examples, and formats designed specifically for therapists, counselors, psychologists, and mental health professionals.
Whether you're looking for therapy progress note templates, SOAP note templates, counseling note templates, psychotherapy templates, or mental health documentation templates, this guide covers the most commonly used formats therapists rely on every day.
These templates are designed to help therapists document faster, reduce administrative burden, and maintain professional, compliant clinical records.
Start Free TrialTemplates available for:
Therapy progress notes
SOAP notes
DAP notes
BIRP notes
Counseling session notes
Mental health progress notes
Intake and treatment notes
Therapy Progress Note Template
The most widely used template for documenting therapy sessions.
SOAP Notes Template
Structured four-section template used across clinical settings.
DAP Notes Template
Concise three-section format for faster documentation.
Therapy Session Notes Template
General session documentation for any therapy type.
Intake Note Template
Comprehensive template for initial client assessments.
Therapists
Counselors
Psychologists
Social Workers
Behavioral Health Clinicians
Mental Health Professionals
Therapy progress notes are the most common documentation used by therapists. A good progress note template should help you document quickly while capturing clinical insight and treatment direction.
Common sections in therapy progress note templates:
Session Summary
Client Presentation
Interventions Used
Client Response
Progress Toward Goals
Plan for Next Session
Therapy Progress Note Template
A reusable template with format options and guidance.
Counseling Progress Note Template
A template designed for counseling session documentation.
Individual Therapy Notes Template
A template for documenting individual therapy sessions.
Group Therapy Notes Template
A template for documenting group therapy sessions.
Therapy Progress Note Example
A realistic example with template and format comparisons.
SOAP notes are widely used in therapy and mental health settings. They provide a structured format that makes documentation consistent and easy to review.
Subjective
Client-reported symptoms, feelings, and concerns
Objective
Observed behaviors and measurable information
Assessment
Clinical interpretation and progress evaluation
Plan
Next steps and treatment direction
SOAP Notes Template
A structured SOAP notes template for therapy sessions.
SOAP Notes Template for Therapy
A therapy-specific SOAP template with clinical examples.
SOAP Note Template for Mental Health
A SOAP template designed for mental health documentation.
SOAP Notes Guide
Complete guide to writing SOAP notes for therapists.
SOAP Note Example
A realistic SOAP note example from a therapy session.
Counseling notes often require flexible templates that allow therapists to capture both structured and narrative information.
Presenting Concerns
Session Summary
Interventions Used
Client Response
Progress Toward Goals
Next Steps
Mental health professionals often need templates designed for behavioral health documentation, including mood tracking, risk assessment, and treatment plan updates.
Mood and Affect
Behavior Observations
Risk Assessment
Interventions
Progress
Treatment Plan Updates
Mental Health Progress Note Template
A progress note template for behavioral health settings.
Psychotherapy Notes Template
A template for psychotherapy documentation.
Mental Health Notes Template
A general mental health notes template.
Mental Health Progress Note Example
A realistic example with clinical context and format options.
Psychotherapy Note vs Progress Note
Understanding the key differences and documentation requirements.
Templates designed for specific therapy approaches and clinical specialties.
CBT Progress Note Template
Track cognitive distortions, behavioral experiments, and homework.
Couples Therapy Notes Template
Document relationship dynamics and both partners' perspectives.
Behavioral Health Notes Template
Structured notes for behavioral health and substance use settings.
Psychology Session Notes Template
Clinical impressions and evidence-based intervention tracking.
Psychotherapy Notes Template
Private process notes separate from the clinical record.
Templates for different therapy session types and settings.
Individual Therapy Notes Template
One-on-one therapy session documentation.
Group Therapy Notes Template
Group session documentation with participation tracking.
Therapy Session Notes Template
General session documentation for any therapy type.
Mental Health Session Notes Template
Mental health-specific session documentation with mood tracking.
Brief Therapy Notes Template
Concise documentation for high-volume practices.
Templates for every stage of the therapy documentation lifecycle — from intake through discharge.
Therapy Intake Template
Initial client documentation and treatment planning.
Therapy Assessment Template
Clinical assessments and diagnostic impressions.
Treatment Plan Template
Treatment goals, objectives, and interventions.
Therapy Follow-Up Template
Follow-up session documentation with change tracking.
Therapy Review Note Template
Periodic treatment reviews and goal progress.
Therapy Case Summary Template
Comprehensive case overviews for referrals.
Discharge Note Template
Treatment completion and discharge documentation.
Termination Note Template
Therapy ending documentation with follow-up planning.
Match your documentation depth to the clinical situation.
The best template depends on your practice setting, documentation requirements, and workflow preferences.
SOAP Notes
Best for structured clinical environments where separating subjective and objective observations is important. View template
DAP Notes
Best for quick, concise documentation. Combines observations into a single Data section for faster writing. View template
BIRP Notes
Best for behavioral health settings. Focuses on tracking interventions and measurable client responses. View template
Progress Notes
Best for flexible, general therapy documentation that adapts to any clinical approach. View template
Compare formats: SOAP vs DAP · BIRP vs DAP · All formats explained
Seeing examples can make documentation much easier. These examples show how therapy notes are typically structured and written across different formats.
AI Therapy Notes Examples (SOAP, DAP, BIRP)
See real examples of AI-generated therapy notes across formats.
SOAP Note Example for Therapy
A realistic SOAP note with template and documentation tips.
DAP Note Example for Therapy
A realistic DAP note with template and documentation tips.
BIRP Note Example for Therapy
A realistic BIRP note focused on interventions and responses.
Therapy Progress Notes Examples
Realistic progress note examples across multiple formats.
Therapy Notes Examples
Examples of therapy notes in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, and progress note formats.
SOAP Notes Examples for Therapy
SOAP note examples from therapy sessions with documentation tips.
Different therapists prefer different formats. The most common therapy note formats include:
SOAP Notes Guide
Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan — the most widely used format.
DAP Notes Guide
Data, Assessment, Plan — a streamlined three-section format.
BIRP Notes Guide
Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan — focused on treatment tracking.
DAP Note Template
A reusable DAP note template with example phrases.
BIRP Note Template
A reusable BIRP note template for behavioral health.
BIRP Note Template (New)
An additional BIRP template for therapy documentation.
Therapy Note Format Guide
A guide to choosing the right therapy note format.
Not sure which format to use? Compare SOAP vs DAP or BIRP vs DAP.
Reduce documentation time significantly
Improve consistency across sessions and clients
Improve compliance with documentation standards
Reduce documentation burnout
Improve clinical clarity and readability
Many therapists report saving significant time when using structured templates instead of writing notes from scratch. For more tips, see our therapy documentation best practices guide.
Templates help, but many therapists are now using AI-assisted documentation to reduce note-writing time even further.
AI therapy note tools can:
Generate SOAP, DAP, or BIRP notes from brief summaries
Reduce documentation burnout
Maintain HIPAA-friendly workflows
Keep clinicians in full control
No credit card required.
These are some of the most commonly used therapy note templates for therapists and mental health professionals.
Therapy Progress Note Template
The most widely used template for documenting therapy sessions.
SOAP Notes Template for Therapy
A structured SOAP template designed for therapy documentation.
Counseling Notes Template
A flexible template for counseling session documentation.
Psychotherapy Notes Template
A template for psychotherapy documentation and process notes.
Mental Health Progress Note Template
A progress note template for behavioral health settings.
The best therapy notes template depends on your workflow and practice setting. SOAP notes and progress note templates are the most widely used. Many therapists prefer SOAP for its structured separation of observations, while others prefer DAP for its conciseness.
Templates themselves are format-neutral — compliance depends on how you store and manage the documentation. Using a template doesn't affect HIPAA status; what matters is the security of the system where notes are stored and how protected health information is handled.
Both formats are commonly used and clinically valid. SOAP notes provide more structured separation between subjective and objective observations. DAP notes are more concise, combining observations into a single Data section. The best choice depends on your practice requirements and documentation preferences.
Yes. Most therapists report significant time savings when using structured templates instead of writing notes from scratch. Templates reduce decision fatigue about what to include and how to organize it, allowing clinicians to focus on clinical content.
Generate structured therapy notes in minutes — no session recording required. Full clinician control.