Therapy notes, also known as progress notes or case notes, are written records created by therapists during or after a therapy session. These notes serve as a documentation of the client’s progress, the therapist’s observations, and the interventions used throughout the therapeutic process.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the definition of psychotherapy notes are as follows: “notes recorded (in any medium) by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session and that are separated from the rest of the individual's medical record.

These notes might involve content of your sessions with a single client, couple, or group. You might use psychotherapy notes to keep track of your progress in therapy and any ideas you have about topics for future exploration. These informal notes aren’t required, so you can maintain them privately and keep them confidential.