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Compliance and documentation

How to write SIRP notes

SIRP notes are concise yet thorough, allowing therapists to make detailed assessments of their clients.

Since documentation is an unavoidable part of any therapist’s job, there are numerous progress-note formats — from DAP to SOAP to BIRP — available to get the task done. (Check out Headway’s resources on progress notes for more information about documentation.) 

SIRP — or situation, intervention, response, and plan — notes are another good tool to have in your arsenal. SIRP notes are concise yet thorough, allowing therapists to make detailed assessments of their clients. And because they cover both the present session and plans for future ones, SIRP notes provide a useful way to not only track patient progress, but also keep a treatment plan evolving and improving. 

Never used SIRP notes before? Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Breaking down the SIRP format

SIRP notes have four main sections, as denoted by their acronym: situation, intervention, response, and plan. Each section can be relatively short, containing just a few sentences to a paragraph. But when all four are completed, clinicians should be left with a detailed record of the session they just completed, as well as a roadmap for future care. 

Situation

This section should describe the client’s presenting condition. It may include details about the flow of the session, as well as the client’s symptoms, complaints, physical appearance, and affect, as determined by a combination of the therapist’s observations and the client’s statements.

Intervention

In this part of the note, the provider describes specific interventions, therapeutic approaches, or risk assessments used in the session, including any skills taught or advice offered. The therapist may also detail their observations and clinical assessment of the client’s condition.

Response

Here, the therapist describes how their patient responded to the interventions used in the session, as well as any noticeable signs of progress — or lack thereof. If the patient had any breakthroughs, or resisted therapeutic techniques, those updates would be listed here.

Plan

The final section of a SIRP note is forward-looking, detailing plans or interventions that may be used in future sessions. The therapist can use this section to discuss a patient’s progress and how to tailor their treatment plan for continued improvement. If relevant, the therapist may also use this section to discuss supplementary treatment approaches, such as outside referrals or tasks “assigned” to the client.

SIRP notes example

In addition to its four major sections, each SIRP note should specify the patient and provider who took part in the session, as well as information about where and when the session took place. Here’s an example of how to structure the narrative aspect of a SIRP note.

Client Name: Sarah T.

Date: March 19, 2025

Session #: 6

Therapist: Jane Smith, LCSW

S – Situation

Sarah attended today’s session on time and appeared tense, frequently wringing her hands. She reported experiencing persistent worry over the past week, particularly about work deadlines and her family’s health. She described difficulty sleeping due to racing thoughts and noted physical symptoms such as muscle tension and headaches. She rated her anxiety at a 7/10 on most days.

I – Intervention

Therapist used cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help Sarah identify and challenge cognitive distortions, particularly catastrophizing and overgeneralization. A thought-recording exercise was introduced to track anxious thoughts and examine their accuracy. The therapist also guided Sarah through a progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) exercise to help manage physical symptoms of anxiety. Psychoeducation was provided on the connection between anxiety and sleep disturbances, with a focus on sleep hygiene strategies.

R – Response

Sarah engaged well in the session and was able to recognize patterns in her anxious thinking. She reported feeling more relaxed after completing the PMR exercise and expressed interest in incorporating it into her daily routine. She acknowledged that while her worries feel overwhelming, she is willing to practice thought-challenging techniques to reduce their intensity.

P – Plan

Sarah will complete a thought-recording exercise daily and bring examples to the next session. She will practice PMR before bedtime to improve relaxation and sleep quality. The therapist will introduce behavioral activation techniques in the next session to address avoidance behaviors related to anxiety.

Tips for writing effective SIRP notes

SIRP notes follow a built-in structure, but there’s still some art to writing a perfect note. Here are a few rules of thumb to help you get started.

Stay objective and personal.

SIRP notes should always be objective and personalized to the specific client, accurately reporting what was observed and discussed in the session. Avoid vague descriptions to ensure your notes are as robust as possible and accurately track progress and treatment approaches.

Use clear, evidence-based observations.

Use as much evidence as possible to back up your notes, including measurable metrics (such as the client’s self-rated anxiety level) wherever possible.

Keep notes concise but thorough.

Try to convey as much information as possible in a limited number of sentences. The goal is to capture the most crucial information from the session, focusing on the most important details without going overboard.

Use a template to save time.

Most therapists write multiple progress notes every day they see patients. Using a template can streamline the process, making it more efficient and standardizing the note-taking format for easy comparison of multiple sessions over time.

Benefits of writing effective SIRP notes

There are plenty of formats therapists can use to keep progress notes, but SIRP notes are a great option for multiple reasons.

HIPAA compliance

Creating and securely storing progress notes is a key facet of staying HIPAA-compliant as a mental health provider. Keeping notes objective and professional — and avoiding the inclusion of any intimate details that are not relevant to treatment — helps protect patient privacy. Remember, these notes will be part of a patient’s clinical record and may be requested by insurance companies or other third parties.

Insurance protection

Keeping thorough and accurate progress notes that detail a client’s condition, as well as the interventions used in therapy, is an important part of complying with insurance standards. All of that information should be included in a SIRP note.

Effective treatment

Most importantly, robust progress notes make for better treatment decisions. To tailor treatment effectively, providers need to understand their clients’ symptoms and complaints, how they’re progressing, and which interventions are (or are not) working. SIRP notes create such a record.


Simplify note-taking with Headway.

SIRP notes follow a clear and standardized format that addresses a client’s present condition and future treatment, allowing a therapist to judge their progress and ongoing needs. Over time, SIRP documentation will become second nature — but it can feel overwhelming at first, particularly for therapists who are just starting their practices. Headway can help. Providers who work with Headway gain access to free note-taking templates that make it easier to assess patient progress and stay in compliance.

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