Free therapy progress notes template
Progress notes record what happened in a session and why the treatment plan continues or changes. This template uses the DAP format: Data (what you observed and what the client said), Assessment (your clinical reading of it) and Plan (what happens next). Follow your licensing board, employer and payer requirements for what a note must include.
Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or an email. Replace the [brackets].
Updated by the Acta team
Therapy progress notes template
Session
Client: [name or ID] | Date: [date] | Start: [time] | End: [time]
Session type: [individual / couple / family / group] | Format: [in person / video / phone]
Data
What the client reported: [ ]
What you observed (mood, affect, behaviour): [ ]
Interventions used: [ ]
Assessment
Progress toward treatment goals: [ ]
Clinical impressions: [ ]
Risk assessment: [none identified / details and actions taken]
Plan
Next steps and homework: [ ]
Changes to the treatment plan: [ ]
Next session: [date]
Clinician
[Name, credentials] | Signed: [date]
How to use this template
- Write the note the same day, while the session is fresh.
- Keep Data factual and put your interpretation in Assessment.
- Link every note to a goal in the treatment plan, so progress is easy to follow.
- Keep personal process notes separate from the progress note: under HIPAA, psychotherapy notes kept apart from the record have extra protection, progress notes don't.
- Get the client's written consent before recording a session, and only use tools your organisation has approved for health information.
Skip the typing
Acta records your Zoom, Google Meet and Teams meetings, with or without a bot, and writes the notes for you: a summary, decisions, next steps and action items with owners, next to the transcript. Free for 15 days.
Let Acta fill in the template for you
Acta writes the transcript with speaker names, the summary and the action items for you. No notetaker joins the call. Free for 15 days.
Acta desktop app for Windows and Mac
Records Zoom, Microsoft Teams or any calling app from your own computer. It opens by itself when a Zoom or Teams meeting starts, and your screen is never recorded.
Download the desktop appActa Chrome extension
One click from the meeting tab in Google Meet, or Zoom and Teams in Chrome. Nothing else to install, so it works on a work laptop where you can't add apps.
More free meeting templates
Frequently asked questions
Related:
What is a DAP note?
A progress note format with three parts: Data (what was observed and reported), Assessment (the clinician's interpretation) and Plan (next steps). It's a shorter alternative to SOAP notes, which split the first part into Subjective and Objective.
Are progress notes the same as psychotherapy notes?
No. Under HIPAA, psychotherapy notes are a clinician's personal notes analysing a session, kept separate from the medical record, and they get extra protection. Progress notes are part of the record: session times, interventions, symptoms, progress and the plan.
Can AI write therapy progress notes?
AI can draft a note from a recorded session for the clinician to review, edit and sign. Use it only with the client's consent and with a tool your organisation has approved for health information; Acta offers HIPAA compliance on its Enterprise plan.
How long should a progress note be?
Long enough to show what happened, your assessment and the plan, often a few short paragraphs. Clarity matters more than length.
Is this therapy progress notes template free?
Yes. Copy it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or an email and use it as often as you like. No sign-up needed.
Can AI fill in the therapy progress notes for me?
Yes. Acta records the meeting on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, with or without a bot, or in person with the mobile app, and writes the notes, decisions and action items with owners afterwards. Anything the meeting didn't cover is left out, not made up.