Templates · Free template · Mental health
BIRP Note Template
A printable BIRP progress note for therapy and counselling sessions: Behavior, Intervention, Response and Plan, with prompts for each section and two filled-in examples.
What BIRP stands for
Behavior is what the client presented with: what they said, how they appeared, and what you observed. Intervention is what you did in the session. Response is how the client responded to it. Plan is what happens next.
BIRP puts the intervention and the client's response in their own sections, which makes it a good fit where you need to show that a specific intervention was delivered and what effect it had, as many funders and supervisors ask for.
BIRP, DAP or SOAP?
All three record the same session. SOAP separates subjective report from objective findings and suits clinicians who measure. DAP merges both into Data and is the most compact. BIRP is the most explicit about interventions and response. Pick one per practice and use it consistently.
BIRP Note
Session
B: Behavior
Presenting concerns, client statements, mood and affect, observations.
I: Intervention
Techniques and approaches used, and the goal each addressed.
R: Response
How the client engaged with and responded to the interventions.
P: Plan
Homework, next session focus, referrals, frequency.
Sign-off
Template from zdrovia.ca/templates/birp-note-template/ · Chart it on a tablet instead, free, at zdrovia.ca · Adapt to your college's documentation standard before use.
BIRP note example: anxiety
Session 3, generalized anxiety.
- Behavior
- Client reports worry "most of the day" about family finances, rates anxiety 7/10. Fidgeting, speech rapid at the start of session. GAD-7 15.
- Intervention
- Introduced worry postponement and diaphragmatic breathing; practised breathing for 5 minutes in session. Reviewed the CBT model of anxiety.
- Response
- Anxiety in session dropped from 7/10 to 4/10 after breathing practice. Client said postponing worry "sounds hard but worth trying".
- Plan
- Daily 15-minute worry time and breathing twice a day; log both. Next session in one week to review the log.
BIRP note example: substance use
Session 8, alcohol use goals.
- Behavior
- Client reports drinking on 3 days this week (goal was 2), mostly after work. Says "Friday was the hard one". Alert, engaged, no signs of intoxication.
- Intervention
- Motivational interviewing to explore the Friday trigger; developed an if-then plan for the drive home.
- Response
- Client identified stopping at the liquor store as the decision point and chose to change the route home. Confidence in the plan 7/10.
- Plan
- Try the new route for the next two Fridays. Continue drink diary. Next session in one week.
Examples are fictional and for illustration only.
Structured notes without the typing
Zdrovia's charting gives you note templates you can adapt to this one, outcome scores that trend across visits, and an AI Scribe that drafts the note from what you say in the room. Everything stays on one patient record, free for solo practitioners, with data stored in Canada.
See how Zdrovia is set up for therapy practices.
Frequently asked questions
What does BIRP stand for?
Behavior, Intervention, Response and Plan.
When should I use BIRP instead of DAP?
When you need to show clearly which interventions were used and how the client responded, which is common in funded programs, supervision and addiction services.
How long should a BIRP note be?
A few lines per section is enough for a progress note. Keep detailed process material in separate psychotherapy notes where your practice keeps them.
Related
This template is a documentation aid, not clinical guidance. It records decisions about dosing, depth, and settings; it doesn't make them. Documentation standards vary by province and profession, so adapt it to your regulatory college's requirements.