How to Write a GIRP Note: A focused format for goal oriented therapy

The GIRP note format—short for Goal, Intervention, Response, Plan—is a concise, goal-focused approach to psychotherapy documentation. It’s especially well-suited for structured treatments, time-limited therapy models, and clinical settings where progress toward clearly defined goals needs to be tracked consistently. The GIRP format keeps the therapeutic focus front and center at all times. Each section invites you to anchor your note in the client’s treatment objectives, your clinical actions, and how the client responded. It is also well suited for documenting medical necessity and continuity of care. In this post, I’ll show you how you can use a GIRP note to quickly and accurately document your therapy sessions.

G — Goal

This section outlines the specific goal(s) that were addressed during the session. These goals are typically derived from the client’s treatment plan and reflect their therapeutic priorities—whether behavioral, emotional, relational, or cognitive. This section helps tie each session directly to the larger arc of treatment. Clinician Prompt: 💡 Which treatment goal(s) did this session address, and how do they relate to the client’s presenting problems or diagnosis? Example Statements:

• The session focused on the ongoing treatment goal of improving emotional regulation in interpersonal relationships.
• Today’s work addressed the client’s goal of reducing avoidance behaviors linked to trauma-related memories.
• Session targeted short-term goal of increasing distress tolerance in response to workplace stressors.

I — Intervention

Here you document the therapeutic interventions used to support the identified goal. This may include specific techniques, psychoeducation, skill-building, or insight-oriented work, depending on your clinical approach. It’s also where you show how your work aligns with evidence-based or theoretically grounded practices. Clinician Prompt: 💡 What clinical interventions or techniques did I use to help the client work toward their identified goal? Example Statements:

• Provided psychoeducation on the cognitive model and guided the client through identifying automatic negative thoughts.
• Introduced mindfulness-based breathing techniques to support emotion regulation during high-stress situations.
• Used a relational lens to explore the client’s fear of rejection and how it shapes current communication patterns.

R — Response

This section captures how the client responded to the session and to your interventions. You might describe verbal feedback, emotional reactions, new insights, or ongoing resistance. This helps track the effectiveness of the session and supports clinical decision-making over time. Clinician Prompt: 💡 How did the client respond—emotionally, cognitively, or behaviorally—to the interventions used in this session? Example Statements:

• The client was engaged and open, reflecting on past patterns with increased insight. Expressed appreciation for the normalization of their experience.
• Initially resistant to cognitive restructuring, stating, “This feels forced,” but became more receptive as session progressed.
• Reported feeling calmer by the end of the session and expressed interest in practicing the techniques between sessions.

P — Plan

The Plan outlines the next steps in treatment, assigned tasks or goals, and the rationale for continued care. It’s also the section where medical necessity should be clearly documented to support reimbursement and ethical clinical practice. Clinician Prompt: 💡 What are the next steps in treatment, and how does this plan reflect the client’s ongoing clinical needs and justify continued care? Example Statements:

• Treatment will continue to focus on reducing social anxiety symptoms, which continue to impair the client’s ability to function at work. Weekly sessions remain medically necessary.
• Client will complete thought-tracking homework and record triggering situations to review at next session, scheduled for June 30 at 10:00 AM.
• Ongoing treatment plan includes increased exposure to avoided situations and continued development of coping strategies through CBT framework.

A Goal-Oriented Format for Meaningful Progress

GIRP notes offer a structured and efficient way to document therapeutic work while staying closely tied to the goals that matter most to the client. By focusing on treatment objectives, interventions, and outcomes, this format helps clinicians write notes that are clear, relevant, and clinically useful. The level of detail, tone, and content may vary depending on your clinical setting, licensing requirements, or documentation policies. When in doubt, refer to your regulatory body’s guidelines and any applicable organizational policies. If you’re billing to insurance or working with third-party payers, ensure that your GIRP notes clearly demonstrate medical necessity and document treatment progression. At Note Designer, we offer a dedicated GIRP note template designed specifically for mental health providers. The template includes customizable sections, professionally written drop-downs, and a growing library of content that reflects a range of therapeutic approaches. Whether you work from a CBT, trauma-focused, EMDR, or integrative perspective, the GIRP format can be tailored to suit your workflow and treatment model. Note Designer also includes an optional AI-Rewrite feature that can help polish your note once it’s drafted. Whether you want to refine phrasing, improve flow, or ensure a more professional tone, the AI-Rewrite offers gentle editing support—always keeping your clinical voice intact. We also offer an AI-Auto Note option: just type in a few key statements or choose from our drop-down menus, and the AI will generate a complete GIRP note based on your specifications—narrative or bullet point, preferred pronouns, and level of elaboration. It’s there when you need it, and always under your control.

For guidance on how to write other kinds of progress notes you can check out some of my other blogs below:

How to Write a SOAP Note: A practical guide for mental health providers

How to Write a DAP Note: A thoughtful and structured approach to therapy documentation

How to Write a BIRP Note: A clear and clinically meaningful approach

How to Write a Basic Therapy Progress Note: A practical guide

By Patricia C. Baldwin, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist Co-Founder Note Designer Inc. Author of 👩🏻‍💻 Note Designer: A simple step-by-step guide to writing your psychotherapy progress notes (2^nd Edition – updated and expanded); 2023.  © 2025 Patricia C. Baldwin. All rights reserved. This blog post is the intellectual property of Patricia C. Baldwin and may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author. Brief quotations may be used with appropriate citation and link to the original source.