What is the difference between DAP and SOAP notes?

SOAP notes have four sections: Subjective (client's own words), Objective (clinician's observations), Assessment (clinical formulation), and Plan. DAP notes combine subjective and objective data into a single Data section, followed by Assessment and Plan. DAP is slightly quicker to write; SOAP provides more structure. Both are widely accepted in UK private practice.

Which is better — DAP or SOAP notes?

Neither is objectively better. SOAP notes are more structured and easier to defend in a clinical or legal context. DAP notes are faster to write and work well for experienced clinicians who don't need the explicit Subjective/Objective distinction. Many UK therapists use SOAP as their default and switch to DAP for straightforward sessions.

Are SOAP or DAP notes required by BACP?

BACP does not mandate a specific note format. It expects records to be adequate and accurate, and it is good practice to write them promptly. SOAP and DAP both work well for this. The format you choose matters less than the quality and consistency of what you write.

Can I use AI to write DAP or SOAP notes?

Yes. AI tools like NoteSono can generate both DAP and SOAP notes from a brief post-session voice summary. You speak a quick summary after the client leaves, select your preferred format, and the AI structures it accordingly. You review and save the note. No session recording is involved.

DAP vs SOAP Notes for Therapists: Which Should You Use?

If you're in private practice in the UK, you've almost certainly used SOAP notes at some point. But a growing number of therapists are switching to DAP — or using both depending on the session. This guide explains what's different between them, which suits different therapeutic approaches, and how to decide which to use.

The quick answer

SOAP notes (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) are widely used in UK therapy. They provide the most structure and are well-suited to CBT, integrative, and assessment-focused work.

DAP notes (Data, Assessment, Plan) are more concise. They merge the Subjective and Objective sections into a single "Data" section, making them quicker to write. Some psychodynamic and relational therapists prefer them.

SOAP notes explained

SOAP breaks the session record into four distinct sections:

Subjective — what the client reported: their words, feelings, concerns
Objective — your clinical observations: presentation, affect, behaviour, test scores
Assessment — your professional analysis: formulation, progress, risk
Plan — next steps: focus for next session, homework, referrals

Example SOAP note (CBT session):

S: Client reported elevated anxiety over the past week linked to an upcoming job interview. Described catastrophic thinking patterns including "I'll definitely fail and they'll think I'm incompetent." Sleep disrupted — averaging 5 hours per night. PHQ-9 completed: score 11 (moderate).

O: Client presented with tense posture and spoke rapidly. Affect congruent with reported anxiety. Demonstrated good engagement with cognitive restructuring exercise. No safeguarding concerns observed.

A: Anxiety appears driven by core beliefs around competence and fear of negative evaluation. Client showing capacity to challenge catastrophic thoughts when prompted but spontaneous restructuring remains limited. Progress towards goal 2 (reducing avoidance) evident — client attended a social event this week despite anxiety. Risk: nil.

P: Continue CBT with focus on behavioural experiments. Client agreed to complete thought record before interview. Discussed grounding techniques for acute anxiety. Review PHQ-9 next session. Next appointment in one week.

DAP notes explained

DAP combines the subjective and objective into a single "Data" section:

Data — everything from the session: what the client said and what you observed
Assessment — your clinical formulation, progress, risk assessment
Plan — next steps

Same session as a DAP note:

D: Client reported elevated anxiety linked to upcoming job interview, with catastrophic thinking ("I'll definitely fail"). Sleep disrupted (averaging 5 hours). PHQ-9: 11. Presented with tense posture and rapid speech. Engaged well with cognitive restructuring. No safeguarding concerns.

A: Anxiety driven by core competence beliefs and fear of negative evaluation. Some progress on avoidance (attended social event). Capacity to challenge thoughts when prompted — spontaneous restructuring still limited. Risk: nil.

P: Behavioural experiments, thought record before interview, grounding techniques. Review PHQ-9 next session. Next appointment one week.

Key differences

Length and time to write

DAP notes are often shorter than SOAP notes covering the same session. For a busy private practitioner seeing 20+ clients per week, that adds up to a meaningful time saving.

Separation of client-reported vs therapist-observed

SOAP's main advantage is the clear separation between what the client said (Subjective) and what you observed (Objective). This is particularly valuable in assessment work, in sessions where there's a significant discrepancy between the client's self-report and your observations, or where notes may be requested for legal or insurance purposes.

DAP merges these together, which works fine for most sessions but can make it harder to distinguish client-reported material from clinical observation when reviewing notes later.

Suitability for different modalities

CBT and structured approaches

SOAP tends to work better for CBT. The separate Objective section is useful for recording PHQ-9/GAD-7 scores, behavioural observations, and specific responses to techniques. The clear four-part structure also mirrors the structured nature of CBT sessions.

Psychodynamic and relational therapy

Some psychodynamic therapists prefer DAP. The merged Data section feels more natural for relational work, where the distinction between "what the client said" and "what I observed" is less clear-cut. The Assessment section gives space for interpretive commentary about process, transference, and unconscious material.

Person-centred and humanistic

Both work. Some person-centred therapists find SOAP too clinical and prefer the slightly looser structure of DAP. Others use SOAP because it's familiar to many supervisors and insurers.

Integrative

Integrative therapists often use SOAP as a default and switch to DAP for sessions where the distinction between subjective and objective feels forced.

Which does BACP recommend?

BACP doesn't mandate a specific note format. Their guidance focuses on records being clear, accurate, relevant, and written promptly. Both SOAP and DAP satisfy these requirements. What matters is consistency — using the same format allows you to track progress across sessions more easily.

Can you use both?

Yes, and many therapists do. You might use SOAP for initial assessments and complex cases where the structured distinction between subjective and objective is valuable, and DAP for straightforward ongoing sessions where you want to write faster.

NoteSono supports both formats — you set a default for your practice and can switch on any individual note. If you want to try both and see which feels right, create a free account and create a few notes in each format.

Beyond SOAP and DAP

SOAP and DAP are the most common but not the only options. Also widely used in UK private practice:

BIRP (Behaviour, Intervention, Response, Plan) — popular for CBT and solution-focused work. Read the BIRP guide →
GIRP (Goal, Intervention, Response, Plan) — goal-oriented, useful for structured therapy contracts
Narrative — free-flowing paragraphs, often preferred in person-centred and humanistic practice
Intake — a separate format for first sessions covering presenting issues, history, risk, and agreed approach

The bottom line

Use SOAP if you want maximum structure, clear separation of client-reported and clinically-observed material, or if you're doing assessment-heavy or CBT work. Use DAP if you want to write faster and your modality doesn't require the strict subjective/objective split.

Either way, the most important thing is writing your notes promptly and consistently — not which format you choose.