DAP records a session in three parts: Data (what the client said and what you observed), Assessment (your professional understanding of it) and Plan (what happens next). It is the most common structure for counselling and psychotherapy notes because it does not force a physical examination section that talking therapies do not have.
This template is for counsellors, psychotherapists and practitioner psychologists. It keeps the record factual and brief, with risk recorded every session, and leaves your private process notes out of the clinical record.
The UK standards it rests on
BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions
Sets expectations on keeping accurate records appropriate to the service and on confidentiality, including its limits.
BACP Good Practice in Action resources on record keeping
BACP's practical guidance for members on what to record, how long to keep it and how clients can access it.
UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
The equivalent professional standards for UKCP-registered psychotherapists.
HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
Apply to practitioner psychologists, who are HCPC registered.
UK GDPR Article 9 and the right of access
Session notes are special category data and clients can request a copy. Write accordingly.
Must include
Date, session number, duration and practitioner
Makes the record complete and attributable, and supports any later request from an insurer or court.
Data: main themes and observations, briefly
What was brought and how the client presented. Facts and short quotes, not a transcript.
Assessment: your professional understanding
How the session relates to the client's goals and the work so far.
Risk: assessed and recorded every session
Record that you considered risk to self and others, the level, and any action taken. Absence of a risk note is itself a gap.
Plan: next session, focus and any agreed tasks
Gives continuity and shows the work is purposeful.
Optional
Outcome measure scores
Measures such as PHQ-9 or GAD-7 at set intervals show change over time.
Safeguarding concerns and actions
Recorded separately and in full whenever they arise, including who you consulted and when.
Supervision discussed
A brief note that the case was taken to supervision, without the content.
Contact outside sessions
Emails, calls or cancellations that affect the work.
The template
Replace anything in [square brackets]. Print it, save it as a PDF from the print dialog, or copy the text into your own document.
DAP session note
Client: [Client name or reference] · Date: [DD/MM/YYYY] · Session [number] · Duration: [minutes] · Practitioner: [Name]
D: Data
Presenting themes: [What the client brought, briefly]
Professional understanding: [How this relates to the client's goals and the work so far]
Progress: [Towards agreed goals]
Risk: [None identified / low / medium / high]. [Nature of any risk and action taken]
P: Plan
Next session: [Date]
Focus: [What the next session will explore]
Agreed between sessions: [Any task or reflection, if used]
Referral or liaison: [None / details]
Sign-off
[Practitioner name], [Membership or registration body and number]
Use it in Atlacare
DAP is the default note structure for counselling, psychotherapy and psychology in Atlacare, where the D section is labelled Description. Notes can be marked Confidential so only the treating practitioner and the practice owner can see them, a patient can carry a safeguarding flag, and the form library includes PHQ-9 and GAD-7 for clients to complete (scoring is not automatic yet, so record the total in your note).
Atlacare