HPCSA-compliant notes
SOAP notes for therapists: how to write them, with examples
SOAP notes for therapists solve a specific problem: sitting down after a session and not knowing where to start. Four headings, in the same order every time, turn note-writing from an essay into a routine.
This guide explains each section, gives two worked examples and shows how to keep a note short without leaving out what matters.
3 October 2026 · 7 min read
What are SOAP notes in therapy?
SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan. The format comes from medicine and has been adopted widely in counselling and psychology because it separates what the client said from what you observed and from what you concluded.
| Section | What goes here | Ask yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Subjective | What the client reported: mood, events, concerns, in their words | What did they tell me? |
| Objective | What you observed: appearance, affect, behaviour, attendance, any scores | What did I see? |
| Assessment | Your clinical view: progress, themes, risk, how this fits the formulation | What do I make of it? |
| Plan | What happens next: focus of the next session, tasks, referrals, date | What are we doing about it? |
That separation is the point. If a note is ever read by someone else, they can tell which parts are the client’s account and which are your judgement.
How to write therapy notes with SOAP: a worked example
Here is a short note for an individual session. The client is fictional.
Example: individual session, anxiety
- Subjective
- Client reports a “better week”. Slept through four nights out of seven. Had one panic episode on Tuesday in the taxi to work; used the breathing exercise and it passed within ten minutes. Worried about a performance review on Friday.
- Objective
- Arrived on time. Calmer than last session; speech at normal pace. Became tearful briefly when discussing work. Engaged throughout.
- Assessment
- Improving use of coping skills; first self-managed panic episode. Anxiety remains tied to evaluation at work. No suicidal ideation or self-harm reported or indicated. Risk low.
- Plan
- Continue breathing practice daily. Next session: prepare for the review and look at what follows it. Next appointment 14:00, Thursday.
That is about 110 words, and it took a few minutes to write. A SOAP note does not need to be longer than that to be complete.
SOAP notes for therapists: examples for couples
Couples work needs one adjustment: record each partner separately in the Subjective and Objective sections, and assess risk per partner.
Example: couples session
- Subjective
- Partner A: feels unheard about finances; “we only talk when there’s a crisis”. Partner B: feels criticised and withdraws. Both report one calm conversation this week, about the school run.
- Objective
- Both attended. A spoke first and at length; B quiet for the first 20 minutes, then engaged when asked directly. Less interrupting than last session.
- Assessment
- Pursue-withdraw pattern is clear to both and they named it themselves today. No safety concerns raised by either partner. Risk low for both.
- Plan
- Homework: one 15-minute money conversation using the speaker-listener structure. Next session: review it. Individual check-in with each partner in session 5.
Common mistakes
- Mixing the sections. “Client seemed depressed” is an assessment, not an observation. Write what you saw: “flat affect, slow speech, little eye contact”.
- Leaving risk out. If you assessed risk and found none, say so. A note that is silent on risk reads as though it wasn’t considered.
- Writing a transcript. A note is a summary. Record what was significant, not everything that was said.
- A vague plan. “Continue therapy” tells the next reader nothing. Name the focus of the next session.
- Writing it days later. Detail fades quickly. A note written the same day is shorter and more accurate.
How to write therapy notes quickly
Speed comes from structure and timing, not from typing faster.
- 1Leave ten minutes between sessions and write the note then.
- 2Use the same template every time, so the headings are already there.
- 3Write the Plan first. It is the part you are most likely to need next week.
- 4Use short phrases. Full sentences are optional in a clinical note.
- 5Keep a standard risk line and change it only when something has changed.
SOAP is not the only option. DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) merges the first two sections and suits practitioners who find the Subjective and Objective split artificial. The free template pack below has both, plus a couples layout, so you can see therapy notes examples in each format.
Keeping the record
However you write your notes, they are a clinical record that you are required to keep. Our guide to HPCSA record keeping covers how long.
Notes are also more useful when they sit with the rest of the client’s information. In Wholistic each note is part of the client’s profile, so last session’s plan is the first thing you see before the next one.
Common questions
How long should a SOAP note be?
Usually 100 to 200 words. Long enough that another practitioner could pick up the work, short enough that you will write one after every session.
What is the difference between SOAP and DAP notes?
DAP combines Subjective and Objective into one Data section. The Assessment and Plan sections are the same. Choose whichever you will use consistently.
Do I have to use SOAP notes in South Africa?
No particular format is required. What matters is that your records are complete, accurate and written close to the time of the session. SOAP is one reliable way to get there.
In Wholistic
Write notes faster with templates and a safe record.
An HPCSA-aligned note layout with a risk check-in, autosave, version history and encrypted backup.
See HPCSA-compliant notes