SOAP Note Template (Printable PDF & GoodNotes)
A SOAP session note with lines for client code, date, session number and duration, and four lined boxes: subjective, objective, assessment and plan. It's designed for counsellors, therapists and coaches who keep handwritten or tablet notes. Use client codes, never names.
- Printable US Letter8.5 × 11 in, white paper
- Printable A4210 × 297 mm, white paper
- iPad / GoodNotesAlso Notability and Noteshelf
- E-ink tabletreMarkable, Kindle Scribe, Boox
Free PDF, 1 page, undated. No sign-up needed.
Shown for iPad in the Sage Botanical theme. Printable downloads use white paper (there's a dark mode preview below); the e-ink version is black and white.
One page, ready to fill in.
- Write-in lines for client code, date, session # and duration
- Boxes for subjective, objective, assessment and plan
- Undated, so you can print or duplicate it as often as you need
Who it's for
Counsellors, therapists, psychologists, social workers, life coaches and students in clinical training who want a consistent structure for session notes. Supervisors also use it with trainees, because a consistent format makes it easier to give feedback on clinical reasoning and record keeping.
Getting the most from a soap note.
Subjective: the client's words
What the client reports: concerns, mood, events since last session. Short quotes are useful.
Objective: what you observed
Appearance, affect, behaviour, scores from measures. Things another professional could observe.
Assessment: your clinical view
Your interpretation of progress and current presentation, linked to treatment goals.
Plan: next steps
Interventions, homework, referrals, next session date. Keep it specific enough to pick up next time.
Follow your record-keeping rules
Use client codes and keep notes secure, in line with your licensing board, employer and local law.
Write notes the same day
Notes written soon after a session are more accurate and take less time. Block ten minutes after each session in your schedule.
Included in 2 planners
This template is a page in each of these planners. Open one to see everything else that comes with it.
Get it inside a full hyperlinked planner
The therapist planner includes this page alongside dated month and week pages for your year, with side tabs and links between every page. Pick your device and theme, preview it free, and pay only when it's right.
- Dated pages for the whole year
- Tap a tab or a date to jump there
- GoodNotes, Notability, Samsung Notes, e-ink and print sizes
Opens the therapist planner with the Therapy Practice section switched on.
Or read about the therapist planner first.
What is a SOAP note?
A structured clinical note: subjective, objective, assessment and plan. It's used in counselling, therapy, medicine and allied health.
Is it suitable as an official clinical record?
That depends on your licensing and employer requirements. Many practitioners use it for working notes; check what your records must contain and where they must be stored.
Why client codes instead of names?
To protect privacy if a page is seen or lost. Keep the key that links codes to clients separately and securely.
What's in the therapist planner?
A weekly session schedule, SOAP session notes and a caseload and billing page, plus business, contacts and wellness pages.
Can students practise with it?
Yes. It's a good way to practise SOAP notes with role-play or case studies before working with real clients.
