A GIRP notes example is most useful when you can see the treatment plan behind it, because that is the point of the format: every note opens with the goal the session worked on. Below you'll find three complete GIRP notes from invented sessions, each shown with the lines of the treatment plan it reports on: an individual session that worked on two goals, one member's note from a group, and a teenager seen by video. One more session is written first as BIRP and then as GIRP, so you can see exactly what moves. You'll also get a GIRP note template you can copy, a list that settles where things go when GIRP has no heading for them, and words to use in each section.
Every client in this article is invented. Any resemblance to a real person is a coincidence.
What is a GIRP note?
A GIRP note is a progress note with four sections: Goal, Intervention, Response, Plan. Some templates say Goals, plural; the format is the same.
- Goal:the treatment plan goal and objective the session worked on, and where the client stands on it coming in.
- Intervention:what you did in the session, named specifically.
- Response:how the client responded, ending with where the objective stands now.
- Plan:what happens next, and whether each goal continues, changes or is met.
GIRP shares three of its four sections with BIRP (Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan). The difference is the opening line. A BIRP note starts with how the client presented today. A GIRP note starts with what the client is working toward, so the reader sees the target first and can read every later line against it. "45 minutes of checking a day" is just a number in a BIRP note. In a GIRP note it sits under a target of 15 minutes and a baseline of 90, so it reads as more than halfway there.
Like DAP, SOAP and BIRP notes, a GIRP note is a progress note and part of the client's record, not a psychotherapy note under HIPAA. The federal definition of psychotherapy notes excludes "counseling session start and stop times, the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and any summary of the following items: Diagnosis, functional status, the treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and progress to date" (45 CFR 164.501). A GIRP note is mostly the treatment plan and progress to date. Clients can generally ask for a copy of their record (45 CFR 164.524), so write each note in words you'd be comfortable with your client reading.
When GIRP fits best
GIRP works when the treatment plan has measurable objectives and most sessions work on them:
- Goal-led treatment: CBT, exposure and response prevention, behavioral activation, motivational interviewing for cutting down drinking, solution-focused and other brief work with a clear target.
- Structured groups and programs, where each member has their own plan and the group follows a set curriculum.
- Notes someone will check against the plan: a payer review, a supervisor, an audit in a group practice. The goal on the first line makes the link easy to find.
- Clients who like to see progress. The Goal section keeps the baseline, the target and this week's number together, which is easy to share with the client at a review.
It is a less natural fit for:
- Intake and assessment sessions, before there is a plan to report on. Use your intake format and start GIRP once the plan is written.
- Crisis sessions and new disclosures that aren't in the plan yet. See "When a session doesn't fit a goal" below.
- Long-term exploratory or psychodynamic work, where goals are broad and each session follows what the client brings. A DAP note or a SOAP note gives your clinical reading more room.
What goes in each section
The ACA Code of Ethics asks counselors to "take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation accurately reflects client progress and services provided" (ACA Code of Ethics, A.1.b). The NASW Code of Ethics asks social workers for "sufficient and timely documentation in records to facilitate the delivery of services and to ensure continuity of services" (NASW Code of Ethics, 3.04). In GIRP, progress has a fixed place to land, which makes the first of those easy to meet.
Goal
- The goal and the objective as written in the treatment plan, with the baseline, the target and the date. Copy the wording; don't paraphrase it.
- Which objective, or objectives, this session worked on, when the plan has several.
- Where the client stands coming in: their report since the last session, this week's number on the log or measure the objective uses, and how last session's plan went.
- The client's own words for the goal, when the plan records them. This helps with teens and with clients who find clinical wording distant.
Intervention
- What you did, in the past tense, named specifically and tied to an objective: "graded exposure at step 4 of the hierarchy, for objective 1.1."
- Homework you reviewed, psychoeducation, skills you taught or rehearsed, referrals you discussed and any coordination of care.
- Not what you intend to do. "Therapist will work with the client on coping skills" is a plan, and it belongs in Plan.
Response
- How the client responded to each intervention: a short quote, ratings before and after, a skill practiced, anything declined.
- How the client presented, when it's clinically relevant: arrival, engagement, affect, speech. GIRP has no Behavior or Data section, so presentation goes here.
- What you asked about risk and what the client said.
- A closing line for each objective you worked on: met, progressing, no change or worse, and how you know. This is your clinical reading.
Plan
- What the client will do, with a number and a time frame, tied to the objective.
- Your next step, referrals, and coordination of care with the client's consent noted.
- The next session's date and format.
- The status of each goal you worked on (continue, revise or met), and when the treatment plan is next reviewed.
Where does it go in a GIRP note?
GIRP has no heading for the client's presentation, a measure score or a risk screen, so these are the lines people hesitate over. Here is the rule each example in this article follows:
- The measure the objective names (a log, a count, a PHQ-9 total): this week's number in Goal, next to the baseline and the target. What the change means goes in the last line of Response.
- A measure the objective doesn't use: Response, next to the previous score.
- The client's report since the last session about the goal: Goal.
- A client quote: by what it's about. A quote about the goal goes in Goal; a reaction to today's work goes in Response.
- How the client presented today: Response.
- Homework: how it went goes in Goal, because it is progress on the objective. Reviewing it with the client is Intervention. The new assignment is Plan.
- Risk: what you asked and what the client said go in Response. Safety work you did, such as reviewing a safety plan, goes in Intervention, and next steps go in Plan. When the treatment plan has a safety goal, report the screen under that goal.
- A topic that isn't in the plan: say so in Goal ("Session also addressed: ...") rather than folding it into a goal it doesn't belong to. If it will need ongoing work, note in Plan that it goes to the next plan review.
- Two goals in one session: list both in Goal and label each intervention and each response with its objective number, as in example 1.
- Information from a partner, parent or another provider: in the section it fits, with the source named ("Partner's tally:", "Mother reports:").
- Your own reactions, or questions for supervision: not in the progress note.
- A call or message between sessions: a separate dated contact note.
The progress notes cheat sheet uses the same mapping for GIRP, so its word lists drop straight into these sections.
A GIRP note template you can copy
Paste this into your notes, delete the lines you don't need and keep the order. The header lines are what payers and auditors check before they read the clinical content.
For telehealth, record where the client is during the session. HHS guidance says health professionals must "be licensed or legally permitted to practice in the state where the patient is located" (HHS, Licensure for behavioral health), and many payers also want the format (video or audio only) on the note.
GIRP notes example 1: an individual session that worked on two goals
Invented client: a 37-year-old high school chemistry teacher we'll call Malik, in his seventh session of exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD. Checking the stove, locks and faucets makes him late for work most mornings, and he asks his partner many times a day to confirm things for him.
The lines of his treatment plan this session reports on:
- Goal 1:Leave home for work without checking taking over the morning.
- Objective 1.1:Checking 15 minutes or less a day on at least 5 of 7 days by 12/20, per his checking log. Baseline: about 90 minutes a day.
- Goal 2:Handle doubt without asking his partner to check for him.
- Objective 2.1:No more than one request a day for his partner to confirm the locks or stove by 12/20, per her tally. Baseline: 6 to 8 a day.
- Planned interventions:weekly ERP with a graded exposure hierarchy; psychoeducation on reassurance seeking; one joint session with his partner, with his consent.
Session details:
- Date of service: 10/21, 4:30 to 5:20 PM, session 7
- Individual psychotherapy, in person
Goal: Goal 1, objective 1.1: checking 15 minutes or less a day on at least 5 of 7 days by 12/20 (baseline about 90 minutes). Checking log kept on 7 of 7 days: average 45 minutes a day (60 last week). On time for work on three of five days. Goal 2, objective 2.1: no more than one request a day for his partner to confirm the locks or stove by 12/20 (baseline 6 to 8). Partner's tally, which client brought: average of 4 a day. Client: "The stove is still the worst. I know it's off and I still have to touch the knobs." Last plan: daily faucet exposure (turn it off once, no rechecking) done on 6 of 7 days.
Intervention: For objective 1.1: reviewed the checking log and moved to step 4 of his exposure hierarchy (expected distress 60 out of 100). Client switched the office kettle on and off once, left the room and did not go back to check for 20 minutes, with therapist coaching him to notice the urge without acting on it. Planned the home version with the stove. For objective 2.1: gave psychoeducation on how asking for reassurance works like checking (quick relief, then stronger doubt). Wrote with the client a short line his partner can use instead of answering: "I'm not going to check for you, and I know you can handle the doubt."
Response: Distress 70 at the start of the exposure, 75 at its peak around five minutes and 35 at 20 minutes; did not go back to check. Said, "It went down without me doing anything." Engaged and steady throughout; laughed once about "arguing with a kettle." Worried about the partner line: "She'll think I'm angry with her." Agreed to share a one-page handout on reassurance with her first. Denied thoughts of harming himself or others when asked. Objective 1.1 progressing: more than halfway from baseline to target, and today his distress fell by half without checking, which supports moving to the stove at home. Objective 2.1 progressing more slowly (from 6 to 8 a day down to 4); worry about upsetting his partner is the main barrier.
Plan: Client will do the stove exposure once a day (turn one burner on and off, leave the kitchen, no checking) and log distress at the start, at the peak and at 20 minutes. Keep the checking log. Share the reassurance handout with his partner by Sunday so she can start using the agreed line. Therapist will review both logs and move to step 5 next session: lock the front door once and walk to the car without going back. Joint session with his partner offered for session 9; client agreed, and he will sign the consent next session. Next session 10/28, 4:30 PM, in person. Goals 1 and 2 continue; treatment plan review at session 10.
Why this note works:
- Both objectives are copied from the plan with the baseline and the target, so "45 minutes" means something before the reader reaches Response.
- Each intervention is labeled with the objective it served, which keeps a two-goal session easy to follow.
- Response ends with a status for each objective and the reason, so nobody has to work out the progress from the numbers.
- Another person's information is labeled as hers, and the Plan handles consent before she joins a session.
GIRP notes example 2: one member's note from a group
In group therapy, each member gets their own note in their own record. The group's focus and your interventions can be the same two sentences in every member's note. Goal, this member's part of Intervention, Response and Plan belong to this member alone. Refer to other members without names or details that could identify them. The ACA Code of Ethics asks counselors to "clearly explain the importance and parameters of confidentiality for the specific group" (ACA Code of Ethics, B.4.a); the note shouldn't undo that explanation.
Invented client: a 59-year-old school bus dispatcher we'll call Gloria, who cares for her husband after an early dementia diagnosis. She is in session 5 of an eight-week caregiver stress group with six members, seen in the office.
The lines of her treatment plan this session reports on:
- Goal 2:Look after her own health while she cares for her husband.
- Objective 2.1:Take at least two hours a week for herself, away from caregiving, in three of four weeks by 12/31, per her weekly log. Baseline: none in the month before group.
- Objective 2.2:GAD-7 below 10 by 12/31. Baseline: 14.
Session details:
- Date of service: 10/22, 6:00 to 7:30 PM, group session 5 of 8
- Group psychotherapy, in person; six members, one leader
Goal: Goal 2, objective 2.1: at least two hours a week for herself, away from caregiving, in three of four weeks by 12/31 (baseline none). Last week: one 90-minute walk with a friend on Saturday while her son stayed with her husband; no other time. Objective 2.2: GAD-7 below 10 by 12/31 (baseline 14); 12 today, completed before group. Client: "Every time I leave, I feel like I'm abandoning him."
Intervention: Group focus: five-step problem solving for a caregiving barrier, and asking family for specific help. Therapist taught the steps with a worksheet, led role-plays in pairs and gave each member an information sheet on local respite programs. For objective 2.1: coached this member through the steps using her own barrier ("nobody else knows his routine") and, in the role-play, coached her to ask for a set time instead of "whenever you can." Normalized guilt about time away as common among caregivers.
Response: Named her barrier and came up with three options with her partner in the exercise: a written routine card for her husband's afternoons, having her son spend one afternoon learning the routine, and the respite program on the sheet. Chose the routine card first. In the role-play, asked her "son" for "Saturday from 1 to 3, every week," and said afterward, "I always add 'if it's not too much trouble,' and then nobody comes." Tearful when the group talked about guilt; accepted support and stayed engaged. Spoke four times, twice without being invited. Objective 2.1 progressing: 90 minutes last week against a target of two hours, with guilt about leaving as the main barrier. Objective 2.2 progressing: GAD-7 down 2 points since the start of group.
Plan: Client will write the routine card by Thursday, ask her son for Saturdays from 1 to 3 PM using the words she practiced, and log any time she takes for herself. She will decide by the next group whether to call the respite program. GAD-7 again at session 8. Next group 10/29, 6:00 PM, in person. Goal 2 continues.
Why this note works:
- The group's content takes two sentences; the rest is about Gloria.
- Other members appear only as "her partner in the exercise" and "the group." No names, no stories.
- Both objectives get a status, so the note shows her progress, not just her attendance.
GIRP notes example 3: a teenager seen by video
Invented client: a 16-year-old we'll call Jaylen, in his fifth session for depression that began after his family moved across the country in the summer. He is seen by video from his bedroom. At intake, his mother consented to treatment, and the three of them agreed in writing that what Jaylen says in sessions stays private, with two exceptions: safety concerns are always shared, and his mother hears in general terms how treatment is going.
The lines of his treatment plan this session reports on, with his own words beside each goal:
- Goal 1 ("not feel so flat all the time"): reduce depressive symptoms.
- Objective 1.1: Do an activity he used to enjoy (guitar, basketball, drawing) on at least 4 days a week by 12/15, per his activity log. Baseline: about one day a week.
- Objective 1.2: PHQ-A (the adolescent version of the PHQ-9) below 10 by 12/15. Baseline: 17.
- Goal 2 ("have someone to sit with at lunch"): build at least one friendship at his new school.
- Objective 2.1: Start a conversation with a classmate on at least three days a week by 12/15. Baseline: none.
Session details:
- Date of service: 10/23, 4:00 to 4:50 PM, session 5
- Individual psychotherapy by video; client at home in Colorado, alone in his room with headphones; location confirmed at the start; mother at home and reachable by phone, as in his emergency information
Goal: Goal 1 ("not feel so flat all the time"), objective 1.1: an activity he used to enjoy on at least 4 days a week by 12/15 (baseline about one). Activity log: guitar on three days and basketball at the park once, so 4 days this week (2 last week). Objective 1.2: PHQ-A below 10 by 12/15 (baseline 17); 14 today. Goal 2 ("have someone to sit with at lunch"), objective 2.1: start a conversation with a classmate on at least three days a week by 12/15 (baseline none). This week: none. Client: "I still eat in the library."
Intervention: For objective 1.1: reviewed the activity log and his mood ratings before and after each activity; scheduled next week's activities with him, including one with another person. For objective 2.1: used problem solving on the lunch goal, broke it into smaller steps and let him choose the first; rehearsed an opening question for his lab partner. Agreed with the client on what, if anything, his mother would hear this week.
Response: Mood rose from about 3 to 6 out of 10 on average across the four activities. Said, "Basketball was the best one, even though I was bad at it." Kept his camera on throughout; slouched at first and sat up when talking about music; short answers about school. Pushed back on the lunch goal ("that's not happening yet") and chose a smaller first step himself: asking his lab partner one question about homework. Rated how likely he is to do it at 7 out of 10. Asked privately about thoughts of suicide or self-harm; denied both. Objective 1.1 reached for the first time this week; one week isn't enough to call it met. Objective 1.2 progressing (17 to 14). Objective 2.1 no change; the smaller step he chose is the next test.
Plan: Jaylen will do an activity he enjoys on at least 4 days and ask his lab partner one question by Friday, logging both. He will ask his mother himself for a ride to the park on Saturday; he chose to tell her about the basketball plan and nothing else. Therapist shared nothing with his mother this session. Repeat the PHQ-A in two weeks. Next session 10/30, 4:00 PM, by video. Goals 1 and 2 continue.
Why this note works:
- His own words sit next to each clinical goal, so he would recognize his goals if he read the note, and any reader can see what he wants from therapy.
- The telehealth lines cover privacy, location and a way to reach a parent, which you need if you ever have to send help during a video session.
- It records what was and wasn't shared with his mother, which matches the agreement made at intake.
Notes for minors need one more check. Under HIPAA, a parent is usually a minor's personal representative and can see the record, but there are exceptions, such as when the parent agreed to a confidentiality arrangement between you and the teen, and state law decides much of the rest (45 CFR 164.502(g)). Set the rules at intake, put them in the consent, and write every note so it holds up if either of them reads it.
GIRP vs BIRP: the same session written both ways
Invented client: a 45-year-old restaurant manager we'll call Colin, in his sixth session of motivational interviewing and relapse prevention for drinking that rose during a hard year at work. He chose to cut back rather than stop. Seen by video from his home.
From his treatment plan:
- Goal 1:Cut back his drinking to a level he and his doctor are comfortable with.
- Objective 1.1:No more than 2 drinks on any day, and no alcohol on at least 4 days a week, by 12/15, per his drink log. Baseline: 4 to 6 drinks on 6 nights a week.
As a BIRP note
Behavior: Client logged in on time from his home office, alone. Looked tired; said he worked a double shift on Saturday. Drink log completed for 7 days: no alcohol on three days, 2 drinks or fewer on three days, and 5 drinks on Saturday after closing. Said, "Saturday was the after-shift thing. Everyone stays." Reported no shaking, sweating or trouble sleeping since cutting back. Denied thoughts of harming himself or others.
Intervention: Reviewed the drink log. Used motivational interviewing to explore what he gets from staying after close and what it costs him. Mapped Saturday nights as a high-risk situation and planned a response with him. Rehearsed what he will say when staff offer him a drink.
Response: Named what staying gives him ("it's the only time I'm one of the crew") and what it costs (getting home at 3 a.m., Sunday hangovers). Chose to stay for one soda and leave by 12:30. Rated confidence in the plan at 7 out of 10, up from 5 at the start. Steady progress; Saturdays after a double shift are the main pattern left.
Plan: Follow the Saturday plan and keep the drink log. Therapist will review both next session and ask again about withdrawal signs. With his written consent, send his primary care doctor a short update before his checkup next month. Next session 10/29 by video.
As a GIRP note
Goal: Goal 1, objective 1.1: no more than 2 drinks on any day, and no alcohol on at least 4 days a week, by 12/15, per drink log (baseline 4 to 6 drinks on 6 nights a week). This week's log, completed for 7 days: no alcohol on three days (target 4); within the 2-drink limit on 6 of 7 days; 5 drinks on Saturday after closing. Client: "Saturday was the after-shift thing. Everyone stays." Last plan (keep the drink log) done.
Intervention: For objective 1.1: reviewed the drink log against the target. Used motivational interviewing to explore what he gets from staying after close and what it costs him. Mapped Saturday nights as a high-risk situation and planned a response with him. Rehearsed what he will say when staff offer him a drink.
Response: Logged in on time from his home office, alone; looked tired after a double shift. Named what staying gives him ("it's the only time I'm one of the crew") and what it costs (getting home at 3 a.m., Sunday hangovers). Chose to stay for one soda and leave by 12:30. Confidence in the plan 7 out of 10, up from 5 at the start. Reported no shaking, sweating or trouble sleeping since cutting back. Denied thoughts of harming himself or others. Objective 1.1 progressing: within the daily limit on 6 of 7 days and one day without alcohol short of the target; Saturdays after a double shift are the main pattern left.
Plan: Client will follow the Saturday plan (one soda, leave by 12:30) and keep the drink log, aiming for a fourth day without alcohol. Therapist will review both next session and ask again about withdrawal signs. With his written consent, send his primary care doctor a short update before his checkup next month. Next session 10/29 by video. Goal 1 continues.
What moved between the two
- The numbers got a target. In BIRP, "no alcohol on three days" is a fact. In GIRP it sits next to the target of 4, so it reads as one day short.
- The presentation moved down. BIRP opens with how he logged in and looked. GIRP opens with the objective and puts his presentation in Response.
- The clinical reading names the objective. "Steady progress" became "objective 1.1 progressing," with the evidence.
- The interventions name what they served. With one objective it is a short label; with two, as in example 1, it is what keeps the note readable.
- The Plan points at the target ("aiming for a fourth day without alcohol") and ends with goal status, which is what a treatment plan review reads first.
- Nothing else changed. Intervention, Response and Plan do the same jobs in both formats, so switching a client from BIRP to GIRP is mostly a change to the first section.
BIRP or GIRP: which one to choose
- Choose GIRP when the plan has measurable objectives and most sessions work on them, or when someone will read your notes against the plan.
- Choose BIRP when the client's presentation changes a lot from week to week, or the work is technique-led without a stable target. Our BIRP note examples rewrite one session as BIRP, DAP and SOAP.
- Whichever you choose, use it consistently for each client. Payers generally care about what a note contains, not which letters it uses.
How GIRP ties each note to the treatment plan
The ACA Code of Ethics says counselors and clients "regularly review and revise counseling plans to assess their continued viability and effectiveness, respecting clients' freedom of choice" (ACA Code of Ethics, A.1.c). The APA's record keeping guidelines describe records as documenting "treatment plans, services provided, and client progress" (APA Record Keeping Guidelines). GIRP builds that link into every note. Each section pulls from one part of the plan:
- The plan's goal becomes the first line of Goal, word for word.
- The objective, with its baseline, target and date, becomes the second line, followed by this week's number on the same measure.
- The plan's interventions show up in Intervention, named the way the plan names them, so a reader can see you are doing what the plan says.
- The objective's status closes Response: met, progressing, no change or worse.
- The goal status goes in Plan, with the next review date or a reason to review now.
Read three GIRP notes for one client in a row and you should be able to sketch a line for each objective. If you can't, something in the chain is missing. Our treatment plan template shows how to write objectives with a baseline, a target and a measure, which is what makes the Goal section work.
When an objective is met
Write "met" in Plan with the evidence, and decide at the next review what replaces it: a harder objective, fewer sessions or discharge planning. One good week is rarely enough. Jaylen reached his target once, and the note says so without calling it met.
When an objective stalls
If the number hasn't moved by the checkpoint you set, say so in Response ("no change since 10/01") and bring the plan review forward in Plan. Look at attendance, homework and whether the measure is the right one before you change techniques. The treatment plan template covers what a review should record.
When the wording drifts
If the Goal section says something different from the plan, one of them is wrong. Change the plan first, date the new version, then copy the new wording into your notes.
When a session doesn't fit a goal
Not every session works on the plan, and GIRP shouldn't make you pretend it did.
- Before there is a plan: write the intake or assessment note in its own format. Start GIRP at the first session after the plan is agreed.
- A crisis or a rise in risk: write the Goal line honestly ("No treatment plan goal addressed; session focused on safety after [event]") and document the risk fully: what you asked, what the client said, your reasoning and what you did. Add a safety goal to the plan if one is needed. Our safety plan template covers the plan itself.
- A new disclosure, such as substance use, a medical problem or past trauma: note it under "Also addressed" and add it to the next plan review in Plan.
- The client wants to talk about something else: that's fine, and an honest note beats a stretched goal. If it happens week after week, the plan may not reflect what the client wants, which is a reason to review it together.
Words to use in each section
These are the phrases that do most of the work in GIRP. For presentation, affect and risk wording, the progress notes cheat sheet has longer lists.
Goal
- "Goal 1, objective 1.2, as written in the treatment plan:"
- "Baseline [ ]; target [ ] by [date]; this week [ ]."
- "Client reports [count] since last session."
- "Client's words for this goal: '...'"
- "Last plan: done / partly done (two of three) / not done."
- "Session also addressed [topic], not in the current plan."
Intervention
- Verbs: reviewed, taught, practiced, rehearsed, role-played, coached, explored, reflected, scheduled, planned with, assigned, gave psychoeducation on, coordinated with.
- Tie each one to an objective: "graded exposure at step 4 for objective 1.1," "activity scheduling for objective 1.1," "problem solving for objective 2.1."
- Name the method: "motivational interviewing: explored what he gets from drinking and what it costs," "relapse prevention: mapped a high-risk situation and planned a response."
Response
- "Distress 70 at the start, 35 after 20 minutes."
- "Chose the first step himself."
- "Declined [the role-play]; agreed to [try it next session]."
- "Needed one prompt the first time; did it alone the second time."
- "Objective 1.1 met: [evidence]."
- "Objective 1.1 progressing: [baseline] to [now], target [ ]."
- "Objective 2.1 no change since [date]; see plan."
- "Objective 1.2 worse: [evidence]; plan review brought forward."
Plan
- "Client will [task] on [number] days by [day]."
- "Therapist will [next step] next session."
- "Goal 1 continues. Objective 1.2 revised to [ ]. Objective 2.1 met."
- "Treatment plan review on [date]," or "plan review needed now because [ ]."
- "With written consent, [contact or coordination]."
How long a GIRP note should be, and how to write one quickly
For a 45 to 60 minute outpatient session, most GIRP notes run about 150 to 350 words. The Goal section is quick because most of it is copied from the plan; put your care into the numbers and the status lines. Sessions with risk, a new disclosure or two goals need more, as example 1 shows.
A routine that keeps most notes to about ten minutes:
- Before the session, open the treatment plan and last week's note. Copy the goal and objective lines into Goal and list last week's Plan items under "Last plan."
- In the last few minutes, agree on the plan with the client out loud.
- Right after, fill in this week's numbers in Goal and one quote.
- Write Intervention with an objective number on each line, then Response against each intervention, ending with a status for each objective.
- Write Plan from what you agreed, add the goal status and sign the same day. If you add something later, mark it as a late entry or an addendum with the date you wrote it.
Common GIRP note mistakes
- A goal that isn't in the plan, or one reworded every week. The Goal section should match the plan word for word.
- Only the long-term goal. "Reduce depression" gives the note nothing to measure. Add the objective with its target.
- Copying the Goal section forward with last week's numbers. The plan lines stay the same; "This week" never does.
- An Intervention written as a plan. "Therapist will help the client develop coping skills" describes the future. Write what you did.
- A Response with no evidence. "Client was receptive" says nothing about the objective. Give a number, a quote or something you saw.
- No presentation or risk anywhere. GIRP has no Behavior section, so both get dropped. Put them in Response.
- Forcing an off-plan session into a goal. Say what the session was about and take it to the plan review.
- A group note about the group. Two sentences on the group, the rest on the member.
- Calling an objective met after one good week, or never updating the status at all.
A 60-second check before you sign
- Do the goal and objective lines match the treatment plan word for word?
- Is this week's number next to the baseline and the target?
- Does every intervention name the objective it served, and does each one have a response?
- Are the client's presentation and, if you asked, the risk questions and answers in Response?
- Does Response end with a status for each objective you worked on?
- Does Plan include a number, a time frame, the next session and the goal status?
- Are the date, start and end time, format and, for telehealth, the client's location there?
- Would you be comfortable if the client, or a teen's parent where the rules allow it, read it?
How this works in TranqBay
TranqBay is practice software for therapists in private practice: a practice website, online booking, video sessions, session notes and client forms in one place. Here is where a GIRP note fits.
- Choose GIRP for the session. When you add a note to a session, you pick its format: BIRP, DAP, SOAP, GIRP, or a blank note in your own words.
- A prompt under each heading. Goals asks for the treatment goals this session addressed, Intervention the techniques and interventions you used, Response how the client responded, and Plan the next steps, homework, referrals and next session focus.
- The session details sit beside the note. The session's date, time, duration, modality and the client's presenting concerns are in a panel next to the note, so most of the header lines are already in front of you.
- Last week's note is easy to find. Finished sessions list their notes with their format, so you can copy the goal lines and last week's Plan before the client arrives.
- Measures before the session. TranqBay's form library has ready-made templates you send to a client for a session, including the PHQ-9, GAD-7, PC-PTSD-5, AUDIT-C, intake forms and consent forms. The client fills them in online and the answers wait with the session. TranqBay doesn't score them: add up the total, or use the GAD-7 scoring tool or the PHQ-9 scoring tool, and record it in Goal next to the baseline, as in example 2.
- Video sessions are end-to-end encrypted, which covers sessions like Jaylen's and Colin's.
- Structured formats such as GIRP are part of the advanced note templates, which some plans include.
If you want to see where a GIRP note sits before you set anything up, practice.tranqbay.health shows a session page with its notes next to the booking and the video call.
Frequently asked questions about GIRP notes
What does GIRP stand for?
Goal, Intervention, Response, Plan. Goal is the treatment plan goal and objective the session worked on, Intervention is what you did, Response is how the client responded and where the objective stands, and Plan is what happens next.
What is the difference between GIRP and BIRP notes?
Only the first section. BIRP opens with the client's behavior and presentation; GIRP opens with the treatment plan goal and objective, and puts the presentation in Response. Intervention, Response and Plan are the same. The worked example above shows one session in both.
How is GIRP different from DAP and SOAP?
DAP and SOAP have an Assessment section for your clinical reading and no section named for your interventions. GIRP has an Intervention section and puts your reading in the last line of Response, stated against the objective.
Where does the client's mood and presentation go in a GIRP note?
In Response, with how the client responded to the session's work. If the client's mood is itself the objective's measure, such as a mood rating or a PHQ-9 total, the number also goes in Goal next to the baseline.
Should the goal be copied word for word from the treatment plan?
Yes. Copying it keeps every note traceable to the plan. If the goal no longer fits, update the plan first, then use the new wording.
What if a session didn't work on any treatment plan goal?
Say so in the Goal section and record what the session addressed instead. For a crisis, document the risk fully. If the new topic needs ongoing work, add it to the plan at the next review, or sooner if risk is involved.
Can GIRP notes be used for group therapy?
Yes, and they suit structured groups well. Write one note per member, in that member's record: the group's focus in a sentence or two, then the member's own goal, response and plan. Refer to other members without names or identifying details.
Are GIRP notes accepted by insurance?
Payers generally don't require a particular format. They look for content that supports medical necessity: the date, start and end time, who attended, the problem being treated, what you did, how the client responded and a plan tied to treatment goals. A complete GIRP note covers all of this. Check your payer contracts for their own rules.
Is a GIRP note a psychotherapy note under HIPAA?
No. A GIRP note records the treatment plan, progress, modalities and session times, which HIPAA's definition of psychotherapy notes leaves out. It is a progress note and part of the record. Whatever software stores your notes should sign a Business Associate Agreement with you. TranqBay's Business Associate Agreement applies when you accept the Terms, with no separate document to sign.
Can clients, or the parents of teens, read GIRP notes?
Usually, clients can. HIPAA gives them a right to access their record, and progress notes are part of it (45 CFR 164.524). For minors, a parent is often the personal representative and can see the record too, with exceptions under HIPAA and state law (45 CFR 164.502(g)).
Before your next session
Open the treatment plan before your next session, copy the goal and objective lines into the template, and fill in this week's number before the client logs in. After a few weeks, each client's notes will read like a progress chart for their own goals.
If you also want booking, video sessions and session notes in one place, see how TranqBay works for private practice: you can look at the practice website designs, the booking page your clients would use and the session page where a note like these sits. If you're deciding whether to join, this page explains how joining TranqBay works.
Sources
Regulations 3Associations 3HHS 1988 Lifeline 1
Laws and regulations3
- 145 CFR 164.501: definition of psychotherapy notes (eCFR)ecfr.govhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.501
- 245 CFR 164.502(g): personal representatives, including parents of unemancipated minors (eCFR)ecfr.govhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.502
- 345 CFR 164.524: right of access to protected health information (eCFR)ecfr.govhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.524
Professional associations3
- 4American Counseling Association, 2014 ACA Code of Ethics, standards A.1.b, A.1.c and B.4.acounseling.orghttps://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
- 5National Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics, standard 3.04 Client Recordssocialworkers.orghttps://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English/Social-Workers-Ethical-Responsibilities-in-Practice-Settings
- 6American Psychological Association, Record Keeping Guidelinesapa.orghttps://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/record-keeping