Guide · for Irish practitioners
DAP notes: a clear structure for therapists
When DAP suits better than SOAP, and how to use it well.
5 min read · Updated
What DAP stands for
DAP stands for Data, Assessment and Plan. It's a three-part format that folds what the client said and what you observed into a single Data section. Many talking therapists find it a more natural fit than SOAP, because the line between "subjective" and "objective" can feel artificial in a counselling room.
The three sections
Data: the factual content of the session. What the client reported, what you observed, and what you did together, such as an exercise or a review of goals.
Assessment: your professional view. Progress, themes, how the client is responding to the work, and any risk you identified and how you assessed it.
Plan: agreed tasks, focus for next time, any referral or liaison, and the next appointment.
A worked example
- D
- Client attended session 6 on time and presented as brighter than the previous week. Reported anxiety about an upcoming team meeting after returning from leave, two helpful uses of the breathing exercise from session 4, and sleep of about five hours a night. We explored the link between perfectionism and over-preparation.
- A
- Engagement remains good. Anxiety-management strategies are being applied between sessions. Perfectionism and over-preparation appear to be maintaining factors; disrupted sleep persists.
- P
- Between-session task: one "good enough" task each day. Review sleep at the next session. Next appointment in two weeks.
SOAP or DAP?
| SOAP | DAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan | Data, Assessment, Plan |
| Strength | Clear split between what was said and what was seen | Quicker to write, flows like a session |
| Suits | Work alongside medical or multidisciplinary teams | Most one-to-one talking therapy |
| Watch out for | Repeating yourself across S and O | Letting interpretation creep into Data |
Neither is more "correct". What matters is that you use one structure consistently, so your records are easy to follow over time. Some practitioners use DAP for routine sessions and switch to a fuller structure for assessments or reviews.
Tips for writing DAP notes well
- Keep Data descriptive. If a sentence starts "I think…", it probably belongs in Assessment.
- Link Assessment to the goals you agreed with the client, so progress is visible across notes.
- Make the Plan specific enough that a colleague could pick it up.
- Record risk and your response every time it comes up.
Mira Practice can prepare DAP drafts from your rough notes for you to edit and approve. This guide is general information; Your professional body (for example the IACP, PSI, IAHIP or ICP), your supervisor and, as statutory registration is introduced, CORU set the standards that apply to you.