DAP note example: how to write Data, Assessment and Plan
Updated October 3, 2026 by Kamal Nasir
A DAP note is a three-part progress note: Data (what happened in the session and what you observed), Assessment (your clinical interpretation of that data) and Plan (what happens next). It differs from a SOAP note mainly by merging the Subjective and Objective sections into one Data section. Below is what goes in each part, a complete example with an invented client and a template you can reuse.
General information, not medical advice. How these guides are made.
What goes in each section of a DAP note
The definitions below follow how the format is widely published, for example in SimplePractice's and Quenza's guides.
- Data: the facts of the session. Typical items are the reason for the visit, presentation and appearance, mental status, what the client reports about symptoms or events since the last session, results of screening measures, the interventions you used and how the client responded. Keep it to information rather than interpretation, and use direct quotes where they help.
- Assessment: your clinical judgment about the data. How is the client progressing, how does their status relate to the treatment goals, how did they respond, and has anything changed in the diagnosis? Every conclusion here should be supported by something in the Data section.
- Plan: the next steps. The next session, homework, referrals, any consultation or coordination you plan, and changes to the treatment plan.
A complete DAP note example (invented client)
The client, details and scores below are invented for illustration.
- Data: Client attended a 50 minute individual telehealth session for ongoing treatment of generalized anxiety. Client was on time, casually dressed, with clear speech and an anxious affect that brightened later in the session. Client reported sleeping about five hours a night this week and said, "I keep replaying every email I sent at work." GAD-7 score was 14, down from 16 two weeks ago. Therapist reviewed the client's thought record and introduced cognitive restructuring for catastrophic thoughts about work, practicing one example in session. Client identified an alternative thought with prompting. Client denied suicidal ideation.
- Assessment: Client is making gradual progress toward the goal of reducing work-related worry, supported by the lower GAD-7 score and completed homework. Client engaged with cognitive restructuring and generated an alternative thought with support, which suggests readiness to practice it independently. Sleep disruption remains a barrier. No current safety concerns.
- Plan: Next session in one week at the same time. Homework: complete three thought records on work worries and log sleep and wake times daily. Therapist will review sleep habits next session. Continue the current treatment plan and repeat the GAD-7 in two weeks.
A DAP note template
- Data: Session type and length [ ]. Presentation and mental status [ ]. Client report, with quotes [ ]. Measures [ ]. Interventions used [ ]. Client response [ ]. Risk screening [ ].
- Assessment: Progress toward goal [goal]: [ ]. Clinical impression [ ]. Barriers [ ]. Risk level [ ].
- Plan: Next session [date]. Homework [ ]. Referrals or coordination [ ]. Treatment plan changes [ ].
DAP vs SOAP notes, and where psychotherapy notes fit
A SOAP note has four sections: Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan. A DAP note puts the client's report and your observations together under Data, which leaves three sections. SimplePractice's guide notes that combining them helps clinicians write progress notes faster. Neither format is universally required, so use the one your agency or payer expects.
A DAP note is a progress note, not a psychotherapy note in the HIPAA sense. HIPAA defines psychotherapy notes as notes documenting or analyzing the contents of a counseling session that are kept separate from the rest of the record, and it excludes from that definition session start and stop times, the modalities and frequency of treatment, test results and any summary of diagnosis, functional status, treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis and progress to date. Those are the things a DAP note records.
Tips for writing DAP notes faster
- Write the note soon after the session. Quenza's guide suggests within 24 hours, while details are fresh.
- Use observable, behavioral language in Data, and save interpretation for Assessment.
- Tie the Assessment to a named treatment plan goal, so progress is easy to follow across notes.
- Make the Plan specific: dates, homework and measurable goals rather than "continue therapy".
- Start from a template, so you are filling in fields rather than facing a blank page.
Writing DAP notes on an iPhone
If you write notes on an iPhone, NoteKey is a keyboard that expands .dap into a whole progress note with fill-in fields you tap through, inside the app you already use, including your EHR. It does not record sessions and its templates contain no clinical advice, so the content stays your clinical judgment.
Questions people ask
What does DAP stand for in a progress note?
Data, Assessment, Plan. Data is what happened and what you observed, Assessment is your clinical interpretation, and Plan is what happens next.
What goes in the assessment part of a DAP note?
Your clinical judgment about the data: progress toward treatment goals, how the client responded to interventions, any change in presentation or diagnosis, and risk. Each statement should point back to something recorded in Data.
Is a DAP note better than a SOAP note?
Neither is better in general. DAP has one fewer section because it merges subjective and objective information, which many therapists find quicker. Some agencies and payers specify a format, and that requirement comes first.