The Complete Guide to Writing Progress Notes Quickly

If you’re reading this, you probably know the struggle of progress notes. They can feel time-consuming and overwhelming, especially after a full day of sessions. Sadly, this can contribute to our feeling burnt out and also creates anxiety as our unfinished notes pile up. We know that documentation is an essential part of therapy as it supports clinical decision-making, protects us legally, and ensures that clients receive high-quality care…but knowing this can also sometimes lead us to feel even more stressed about the quality of our notes. When I was in training, I had a friend who had months of unfinished notes that caused him so much guilt and anxiety that, despite being a great clinician, he started to doubt his career choice. Along with my own struggles with documentation, his story was part of my motivation to figure out how to help fellow clinicians get their notes done with less emotional turmoil.

The good news is that progress notes don’t actually have to take forever or to cause such distress. With the right strategies—and with tools like Note Designer Software—you can finish your notes consistently, accurately, and on time.

Let’s take a look at some of the strategies I’ve discovered over the years:

1. Use a Clear Format for Your Notes

Having a structure saves time and keeps notes consistent. Without one, it is easy to forget details or spend too long deciding what belongs where.

Common frameworks include SOAP, DAP, BIRP, and PIRP notes. These provide a strong foundation, but you can also adapt them or build your own checklist. For example, you might include sections such as: presenting issues, observations, safety and risk concerns, interventions, client response, and next steps.

In Note Designer, these formats are built in. You can choose SOAP, DAP, BIRP, PIRP, SIRP, PIE, or customize your own. If you prefer, Note Designer’s Ethical AI can also generate a structured draft automatically from a few brief statements you enter, formatted in whichever note type you choose. This makes it easier to keep every note both professional and complete.

2. Create a Focused Environment for Documentation

Small changes to your setup can make a big difference in how quickly you complete notes.

• Dedicated workspace: Open a clean desktop or browser window with only your notes software. Close other programs to reduce distraction (no TikTok or Instagram!).
• Background cues: Play the same type of background music while writing or turn on particular lighting that you find pleasing. Maybe pour your favorite cup of tea. Over time, these cues can serve as signals that it’s time to focus.
• Reduce friction: Keep templates and checklists ready. In Note Designer, you can save your favorite custom templates and reuse them. With Note Designer’s Ethical AI, you can also shorten the process even further by writing just a few phrases and letting the AI expand them into a full note.

3. Manage Your Timing Wisely

The best time to finish a progress note is right after the session. Even if you plan to “catch up later,” most of us know that rarely happens. Writing notes immediately keeps details fresh and prevents a growing backlog.

If you do fall behind, try the Pomodoro method: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. This is especially effective when paired with Note Designer, since Ethical AI can generate a draft in seconds that you only need to review and edit. Many clinicians find that this cuts documentation time down to just a few minutes per note.

4. Follow a Simple, Repeatable Process

When you sit down to write, keep it straightforward.

1. Quick brain dump: Spend 30 seconds jotting down immediate impressions or important moments from the session.
2. Work step by step: Move through your chosen format, answering the same questions each time. Note Designer can prompt you through each section, or Ethical AI can create a structured draft automatically.
3. Final review: Edit for clarity, make sure key observations and interventions are included, and confirm the note is aligned with your clinical judgment.

5. Break the Cycle of Procrastination

We need to be honest with ourselves: if we don’t write our notes now, will we actually do them later? For many clinicians, the answer is no. Recognizing this truth helps break the cycle of delay and stress. We might also want to gently acknowledge how our perfectionism and obsessional tendencies may be playing into this. It is helpful to keep in mind that a “good enough” note is all it needs to be, and that a “done note” is better than no note at all.

If you do find yourself with a build-up of late documentation, it is especially important to not fall into a state of despair and self-criticism that can only lead to further procrastination. Acknowledge how unpleasant it feels and then apply the “divide and conquer” strategy to begin the process in a targeted manner (week by week, client by client) using some of the strategies mentioned above.

With Note Designer’s Ethical AI, you no longer have to dread a backlog. Even if you’re behind, you can enter a few quick points from memory, choose your preferred format, and generate a complete note draft in seconds. This makes catching up realistic and far less stressful.

Final Thoughts

Progress notes don’t have to be a constant source of frustration and dread. With a reliable format, a focused environment, smart time management, and the support of Note Designer Software (with or without using our Ethical AI), you can complete documentation quickly and confidently.

Note Designer was created by clinicians who understand the realities of practice. Our Ethical AI never records or stores client information, keeping privacy fully in your control. You can generate structured notes from just a few phrases, use customizable templates, and finish documentation in minutes.

The sooner you write them, the sooner you’re done, and the more energy you’ll have for developing and growing your practice.

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.

👩🏻‍💻 This blog post is derived from 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.