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Free DAP note generator for therapists
Turn rough session notes into a concise DAP note. Facts go in Data, your clinical thinking in Assessment, and next steps and homework in Plan.
How to use it
- 01
Paste session content
What the client reported, what you observed, scores on measures you used and the interventions you delivered.
- 02
Add your clinical view
Your impression of progress toward goals, and the risk screening you did, in a line or two.
- 03
Note the plan
Homework, focus for next session and when you will meet. Review the draft before it goes into the client record.
What is a DAP note?
DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) is a compact progress note format used widely by therapists, counsellors and social workers. It merges subjective and objective information into a single Data section, which makes it quicker to write than SOAP while still separating facts from clinical interpretation.
- Data
- Factual content of the session: what the client reported, your observations of presentation, mood and affect, scores on measures, and the interventions you used.
- Assessment
- Your interpretation of the data: progress toward treatment goals, response to interventions, clinical impression and risk.
- Plan
- Homework, focus for upcoming sessions, referrals or coordination, and the date or frequency of the next session.
DAP note example: generalised anxiety follow-up
Data
Session 6 of CBT for generalised anxiety. Client reports worrying about 4 days a week, down from daily. GAD-7 11 (baseline 16). Sleep onset still 45–60 minutes. Used scheduled worry time three times this week and found it helpful. Avoided calling their manager about a deadline. Homework completed. Presented calm with good eye contact; described mood as “ok”; affect mildly anxious, with fidgeting when discussing work. Denied suicidal ideation and self-harm. In session: reviewed worry log, cognitive restructuring of the thought “I’ll be fired”, planned a behavioural experiment, and introduced stimulus control for sleep.
Assessment
Generalised anxiety improving, with reduced worry frequency and a 5-point drop in GAD-7 since baseline. Client is engaging with CBT techniques and completing homework. Work-related avoidance remains a maintaining factor, and sleep onset has not yet improved. No suicidal ideation or self-harm reported.
Plan
Homework: carry out the behavioural experiment (email manager about the deadline) and keep a sleep diary. Next session in 1 week.
Need the diagnosis code too? Search ICD-10-CM codes
Tips for writing DAP notes
- Keep Data factual: quote the client briefly (“I’ll be fired”) and describe what you observed rather than how you interpreted it.
- Include standardised measure scores with the baseline so progress is visible in the Assessment.
- Link the Assessment to the treatment goals: what has moved, what has not, and what is maintaining the problem.
- Document risk screening every session it was done, including a negative screen, in your own words.
- Make homework specific enough that you can check it next session.
Frequently asked questions
DAP vs SOAP: what’s the difference?
SOAP separates Subjective (what the client says) from Objective (what you observe). DAP combines both into Data, so it is shorter. Both keep facts apart from your clinical interpretation and plan.
DAP vs BIRP: which should I use?
BIRP splits the session into the client’s behaviour, your intervention and their response, which some services and payers prefer. DAP is more compact. Use whichever your service or payer asks for.
Will the tool assess risk for me?
No. It only records the risk information you write. If your notes do not mention risk, the draft will not add a statement about it.
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.