For counseling and social work students
DAP vs. SOAP Notes: A Fictional Practice Visit Written Both Ways
See one invented counseling conversation written as a SOAP note and as a DAP note, where each fact goes, and common slips. Your site's template comes first.
Text-only practice with fictional clients, for adult learners (graduate students and early-career practitioners). Feedback is AI-generated and can be wrong.
SOAP and DAP are two common layouts for a counseling progress note. SOAP separates what the client reported (Subjective) from what you observed (Objective), then Assessment and Plan. DAP combines both into Data, then Assessment and Plan. Your site's template decides which you use; this guide practices placing facts in either.
Everything below is a fictional exercise. It is not a template for any site, it does not teach what must be recorded in a real record, and it is not a model answer for an assignment. Formats and required content differ by setting, so ask your site for the approved template and an example.
Do not practice with real notes in AI tools
Never paste a real note, a real client's words, or a lightly disguised real case into SeatTime or any other AI tool. Write practice notes about invented conversations only, and ask your site which systems are approved for real records.
The invented conversation
Role card: A fictional adult, about thirty, meets a trainee for the third time. They arrived on time. They said work has been "a lot" and that they slept about five hours on two nights this week. They looked at the floor while talking about a deadline, then smiled when talking about a weekend hike. They agreed to try a fifteen-minute walk after work twice before the next meeting.
The same visit as a SOAP note
| Section | Fictional content |
|---|---|
| S (Subjective) | Client said work has been "a lot." Reported sleeping about five hours on two nights this week. Said a deadline is on their mind. |
| O (Objective) | Arrived on time. Looked at floor while talking about the deadline. Smiled when describing a weekend hike. |
| A (Assessment) | Draft for supervisor review: stress about work appears connected to short sleep this week. Client's interest in hiking may be a resource. |
| P (Plan) | Client agreed to try a fifteen-minute walk after work twice before next meeting. Check in on this at the start of the next meeting. |
The same visit as a DAP note
| Section | Fictional content |
|---|---|
| D (Data) | Client arrived on time and said work has been "a lot," with a deadline on their mind and about five hours of sleep on two nights. Looked at the floor discussing the deadline; smiled describing a weekend hike. |
| A (Assessment) | Draft for supervisor review: stress about work appears connected to short sleep this week; hiking may be a resource. |
| P (Plan) | Client agreed to try a fifteen-minute walk twice before next meeting. Follow up at next meeting. |
What to notice
- Reports and observations stay apart. "Said work has been a lot" is what the client reported; "looked at the floor" is what you saw. In DAP they share a paragraph, but you can still tell which is which by the verb.
- Each assessment line points back to something above it. If you can't find the source fact, the line is a guess.
- The plan is what was agreed, not what you hope for. "Agreed to try" is different from "will exercise."
- Neither note says why anyone is sleeping badly. The assessment is tentative and short, with room for the supervisor to correct it.
Four steps for a practice rep
- Write the facts first. List what was said and what was seen, with no headings yet.
- Place them in SOAP. Check that each item is where it belongs.
- Place them in DAP. Notice what is lost and what is easier when two sections merge.
- Mark every inference. Underline words that go beyond the facts, such as "seems" or "appears," and ask whether the facts support them.
Common mistakes
- Putting a guess in the Objective or Data section. "Looked anxious" is an interpretation; "looked at the floor and spoke quickly" is a description.
- Quoting everything. A short quote can be useful; a full transcript is not a progress note.
- Writing the Plan as a wish. Record what was agreed and by whom.
- Copying the template's phrases without the facts. Standard wording does not stand in for what happened.
- Using language you would not say to the client. Many people can read their own records; keep wording respectful and plain.
Printable worksheet
| Field | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Fact the client reported | |
| Fact I observed | |
| Where each goes in SOAP | |
| Where each goes in DAP | |
| One inference I should soften | |
| What I'd ask my supervisor about the template |
Redo prompt: Change one fact (the client arrives late, or does not agree to the walk) and rewrite both notes. Notice which sections change and which don't.
Practicing this
Documentation basics covers separating what was reported from what you inferred with a different fictional encounter. For peer work, see role-play practice.
Try a free SeatTime conversation to talk with a fictional AI client, then write your own invented note about it. Feedback is AI-generated and can be wrong, and the demo may use a different situation.
Sources and further reading
- Agents of Change: SOAP vs. DAP vs. BIRP notes, an exam-prep blog comparing the section names. Vendor content; used only for the headings. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Headway: How to write DAP notes, a practice-management vendor's description of DAP. Used only for the headings. Checked October 24, 2026.
No source here is a university or accreditation requirement, and none is cited as an endorsement of SeatTime. All case details are original fiction.
Frequently asked questions
Which format should I use?
The one your site or course requires. Formats and required content vary, so ask for the approved template and an example your supervisor considers acceptable. This guide is to help you see where information goes, not to pick a format for you.
What is the difference between SOAP and DAP?
Public documentation guides describe SOAP as Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan, and DAP as Data, Assessment, Plan, with Data combining what the client reported and what was observed. Some sites use other formats, such as BIRP, with different headings.
What goes in the Assessment section as a student?
Ask your supervisor. In this exercise it holds a short, tentative reading of what the information may mean, in plain words, labeled as a draft for review. Do not put a diagnosis there unless your site specifically trains you to and asks for it.
Can I paste my real notes into an AI tool to practice?
No. Do not paste real notes, real client details or lightly disguised real cases into SeatTime or any other AI tool. Use wholly invented material, and ask your site which systems are approved for real records.
Try a five-minute practice conversation
SeatTime is a text-only practice simulator: you type to a fictional AI client, then read AI-generated feedback on what you did. No account or card needed for the free exercise.
Start the free practice exerciseThe demo may use a different fictional situation. Use the exercise here with a note you write about an invented conversation.
Text-only practice with fictional clients, for adult learners (graduate students and early-career practitioners). Feedback is AI-generated and can be wrong. It's optional practice outside your program and doesn't count toward any program, placement, or licensing requirement. Use fictional details only. Your supervisor's guidance comes first.
Choosing practice for a course or cohort? See program pricing and group access for counseling, MSW and MFT trainees.