One of the most widely used formats for session notes — a clear structure, broadly applied across mental health care. Here's how it's built, section by section.
No diagnoses — observations only.
SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan — four fixed sections that together form a compact, recognizable session note. The format originates in somatic care and has been widely adopted in mental health care because it separates what the client reports (subjective) from what the therapist observes and concludes (objective, assessment, plan).
SOAP works well when treatment follows a structured, goal-oriented course and you want to scan quickly what came up, what you noticed, and what the next step is. If you work in a more process-oriented way with an emphasis on progress toward a treatment goal, DAP or GIRP often fit better; if your client is working on concrete behavior and the response to it, BIRP is often the more logical choice. For EMDR sessions, use the separate EMDR note, with its own standardized fields.
What the client reports, in their own words or briefly summarized: what's been going on recently, how things are going, what they bring up themselves.
What you, as the therapist, observe during the session: posture, mood, speech pattern, engagement — observable behavior, not interpretation.
Your clinical read on how things are going: patterns you recognize, progress compared to earlier sessions, what stands out in the combination of S and O.
The next step: what the next session focuses on, any homework for the client, points to watch.
A fictional example — for illustration only, not based on a real client.
Draft — for illustration onlyS — Subjective
Client M. shares that work pressure has increased over the past two weeks and notices she's been working into the evenings. Says it's hard to stop on time.
O — Objective
Calm, coherent speech. Slightly tense posture when discussing work, visibly relaxes once the conversation shifts to the weekend.
A — Assessment
The pattern of difficulty setting boundaries at work continues, consistent with sessions 4 and 5. Client appears to be growing more aware of it herself.
P — Plan
Next session: practice stopping on time once, as homework. Watch for: how it feels to hold that boundary.
After your session, Intuita turns the conversation into a SOAP draft note — using the structure above. You read it through, adjust where needed, and sign off before it goes into your file.
AI-generated draft — you review and sign off
Put Intuita alongside your current workflow and see what it picks up on. The first 10 sessions are free.
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