Writing a session note

At a Glance

Session notes are written on the client's own record, and once saved they cannot be edited, so it is worth knowing what the form asks for before you start. This is the route from the client record. If you have just marked a session attended, you can write the note straight from there instead.

How to do it

1. From Your Clients, open the client and find the Session Notes section, which shows the number of notes you have written in brackets. Click Add Note and the form opens below the heading. On a brand new client that is the only button you will see; See Notes appears once you have saved your first one.
2. Set the Session Date. Session Duration (Optional) offers 20 minutes through to 90, with Other for anything that does not fit, and Session Number (Optional) takes a plain number. Both can be left empty.
3. Choose your Note Template, and do this before you start writing. Six come built in: Free-form Notes, SOAP, DAP, BIRP, Narrative/Process Notes and EAP (Employee Assistance Programme). The structured ones lay out their own headings for you to write into. Any template you have made yourself appears in the same list, below these.
4. Write the note, then click Save Session Note. The button reads Adding... while it works and confirms with Session note added successfully. That confirmation is your signal it has saved.

Related articles

• Writing up straight after a session — Recording attendance and what happens after a session
• Correcting a note you have saved — Why session notes cannot be edited, and how amendments work
• The EAP template in detail — Using the EAP note template

Still Need Help?

If you have any other questions about TherapyLock, our support team is here to help.

Email us at support@counsellingtutor.com and we will be happy to assist.