Mixing report and observation
Keep what the client reported distinct from what the therapist directly observed whenever the format calls for that distinction.
A compact format that brings facts, assessment and next step together in three parts. Here's how it's built, section by section.
Requested AI draft · Therapist-owned Assessment and Plan · Separate save-to-record action
DAP stands for Data, Assessment and Plan — a compact triad that brings factual information, clinical assessment and the next step together in one clear note. The format is popular because it's faster to write than more elaborate variants, without losing clinical information.
DAP suits you well if you'd rather not separate what the client says from what you observe yourself, and prefer to combine that information under 'Data'. If you do want that distinction made explicit, SOAP is the more logical choice. If you work with a concrete behavior–intervention–response pattern, BIRP or GIRP often fit better with how your sessions unfold.
What happened in the session: what the client reports and what you observe, combined into one factual overview.
Your clinical interpretation of the Data: patterns, progress, what stands out compared to earlier sessions.
The next step: focus for the next session, any homework, points to follow.
A fictional example — for illustration only, not based on a real client.
Draft — for illustration onlyD — Data
Client J. reports that establishing a fixed sleep routine went better this week than in previous weeks. Appears more alert than in the last session, speaks with a bit more energy about the day.
A — Assessment
Clear improvement compared to session 3, where fatigue was a recurring topic. Motivation to maintain the routine seems present.
P — Plan
Next session: discuss what helped maintain the routine, and what happens on days it slips.
Use the section headings below as an on-page starting point. Keep only source-grounded facts and write every clinical Assessment, Plan or Progress judgment yourself.
Copy these headings into your documentation workspace
D — Data
________________________________________
A — Assessment
________________________________________
P — Plan
________________________________________
Keep what the client reported distinct from what the therapist directly observed whenever the format calls for that distinction.
An AI draft is not the therapist’s Assessment, Plan or Progress judgment. Add only the interpretation and next steps you independently stand behind.
Check names, timing, quotations, interventions and agreed plans against the eligible session source before separately saving the record.
DAP is useful when one factual Data section is enough for both the client's report and the therapist's observations. SOAP is a better editorial fit when those two source types must remain visibly separate.
Editorial page by Intuita, updated 25 July 2026. Examples are fictional and templates are educational starting points, not mandatory clinical standards.
When you request it, Intuita prepares a DAP draft from the eligible session source. You review and edit Data, add the Assessment and Plan you stand behind, and separately choose whether to save it to the record.
Requested AI draft — you review and edit before a separate save-to-record action
Do not use an AI draft to invent or decide diagnosis, safety or risk status, referrals, homework, treatment changes, Assessment, Plan or Progress. A draft may organize only what the eligible source actually records. The therapist checks that source, supplies the clinical judgment, and decides what enters the record.
External references explain documentation conventions. Local law, professional standards and practice policy take priority.
DAP combines subjective and objective information under 'Data'; SOAP splits them into two separate sections. Both are compact, widely used formats — the choice mostly comes down to preference and practice habits.
There's no legally mandated format — DAP is a widely used convention, just like SOAP and BIRP. Many EHRs support it as an option.
Yes. You select DAP and request a draft, then review and edit it before a separate save-to-record action. Intuita supports nine formats in total.
Yes, DAP works just as well for a single session as for a longer trajectory — its compact structure makes it easy to scan what happened per session.
Apply to test Intuita in your own therapist workflow for one month. No payment is required during the pilot. Intuita is currently accepting therapists and practices for a one-month free pilot.
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