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Free BIRP note generator
Paste your session shorthand and get a BIRP note that links what you did to how the client responded, with measurable goals in the plan.
How to use it
- 01
Describe the client’s presentation
How they presented, what they reported since last session and any scores or ratings, in your usual shorthand.
- 02
Name your interventions
Write the techniques you used, such as motivational interviewing, CBT or behavioural activation, and the client’s response to each.
- 03
Set measurable next steps
Goals with a number or date, homework and next appointment. The draft keeps them exactly as written.
What is a BIRP note?
BIRP (Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan) is a progress note format common in counselling, behavioural health and substance use services. It makes the link between what the clinician did and how the client responded explicit, which helps show that treatment is active and goal-directed.
- Behavior
- The client’s presentation and what they reported: symptoms, behaviours since last session, mood, scores, and your observations.
- Intervention
- What you did in session, named by technique and tied to a treatment goal.
- Response
- How the client responded to the interventions: engagement, insight, skills practised, ratings, and any resistance.
- Plan
- Measurable goals for the coming period, homework, coordination with others, and the next session.
BIRP note example: motivational interviewing for alcohol use
Behavior
Individual session focused on alcohol use. Client arrived on time, alert and casually dressed. Reports drinking on 4 of 7 days last week (goal 3 or fewer), averaging 4 drinks per occasion, down from 6. Drinks mostly after work and alone. States: “I want to cut down before my daughter’s wedding.” PHQ-9 9. No withdrawal symptoms reported. Denied suicidal ideation.
Intervention
Motivational interviewing: explored ambivalence, completed a decisional balance, reflected change talk and reviewed the drinking diary. Identified the main trigger as after work between 5 and 7 pm and planned alternative activities for that time.
Response
Engaged throughout the session. Chose two alternative activities: the gym and walking the dog. Rated importance of change 8/10 and confidence 5/10. Hesitant about telling their partner.
Plan
Goal: no more than 3 drinking days a week and no more than 4 drinks per occasion. Continue the drinking diary. Next session in 1 week, revisiting confidence. Consider involving the partner if the client agrees.
Need the diagnosis code too? Search ICD-10-CM codes
Tips for writing BIRP notes
- Describe behaviour in observable terms (“arrived on time, alert”) rather than labels (“was cooperative”).
- Name each intervention by technique and link it to a treatment goal, so the note shows why you used it.
- Make the Response specific: ratings, skills the client practised, or a direct quote are stronger than “responded well”.
- Write goals you can measure next session, with a number, frequency or date.
- Record any risk screening you did, including a negative result, and what you did about it.
Frequently asked questions
What does BIRP stand for?
Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan. It records the client’s presentation, what you did in the session, how the client responded and what happens next.
BIRP vs DAP: what’s the difference?
DAP puts everything factual into one Data section. BIRP splits it into the client’s behaviour, your intervention and their response, which makes the effect of each intervention easier to follow.
Can I use it for group sessions?
Yes, for one client’s note at a time. Describe the group interventions and that client’s own participation and response, and leave out details about other group members.
Is it free?
Yes. You can write up to 10 notes a day without an account.
Is it safe to paste client information?
Paste clinical details only, never names, ID numbers or contact details. The text is sent to our AI provider to write the note and is not saved by Docdemic.