BIRP notes are a structured clinical progress note format that records four things from a session: Behaviour, Intervention, Response and Plan. Widely used in mental health, counselling and alcohol and other drug settings, they keep documentation objective, consistent and fast to review, so clinicians spend less time writing and more time with clients.

What are BIRP notes?

BIRP is a progress note format that breaks each session into four parts. The acronym stands for:

Behaviour: what you observed and what the client reported, recorded objectively.
Intervention: the specific techniques or approaches you used, and why.
Response: how the client reacted to those interventions during the session.
Plan: the next steps, homework, goals and follow-up.

The format is popular in behavioural health, counselling, community mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) services because it keeps the focus on what the clinician did and how the client responded. That makes progress easy to track across sessions and easy for another clinician to pick up if care is shared.

BIRP is one of several structured formats. If you are weighing your options, our guide comparing SOAP, BIRP, DAP and other note types sets them side by side, and the complete SOAP notes guide covers the most common alternative in detail.

How do you write each part of a BIRP note?

The strength of BIRP is that each letter has a clear job. Keep the sections distinct and resist the urge to blend observation with interpretation.

Behaviour

Record what you observed and what the client told you, in factual language. Include both verbal and non-verbal cues, and quote the client where it adds meaning.

Prefer concrete descriptions over labels. Instead of "appeared anxious", write "sat with hands clasped, spoke quickly and reported difficulty sleeping for the past week".
Separate observation from opinion. "Checked phone repeatedly and gave brief answers" is an observation. "Was disengaged" is an interpretation.
Capture the client's own words when they are clinically relevant, using quotation marks.

Intervention

Document what you actually did and the reasoning behind it. This is the section that shows your clinical decision-making.

Name the technique. For example, "delivered psychoeducation on the fight-or-flight response" or "used cognitive restructuring to examine a catastrophic thought".
Add a brief rationale so the note explains why, not just what: "introduced grounding to reduce in-session distress before processing the trigger".
Note any adjustments you made mid-session in response to the client.

Response

Describe how the client responded to your interventions. This is where you evidence whether an approach is working.

Record immediate, observable changes: "shoulders lowered and speech slowed after the breathing exercise".
Include direct feedback: the client said, "that actually helped me feel calmer".
Stay factual. "Completed the thought record with prompting" is clearer than "engaged well".

Plan

Set out what happens next. A good plan makes the following session easier to open and keeps the client oriented between visits.

List specific next steps or between-session tasks, such as "practise the grounding technique daily and log distress out of 10".
State the focus for the next session, for example "review the thought record and introduce behavioural activation".
Note any follow-up, referral, risk review or measure to repeat.

What does a BIRP note look like?

The examples below are illustrative and do not describe real clients.

Example 1: anxiety, individual therapy

Behaviour: Client attended on time, presented as tense, and reported three panic episodes since the last session, each lasting around ten minutes. Stated, "I keep thinking I'm going to lose control in public."
Intervention: Provided psychoeducation on the panic cycle. Practised diaphragmatic breathing in session and used cognitive restructuring to test the thought "I will lose control".
Response: Client engaged with the breathing exercise and reported distress dropping from 8 to 4 out of 10. Identified evidence against the catastrophic prediction and said the reframe "made sense".
Plan: Client to practise breathing daily and record panic episodes with triggers. Next session to review the log and introduce graded exposure. Continue weekly.

Example 2: alcohol and other drugs, community setting

Behaviour: Client reported two lapses this fortnight, both after conflict at home, and described feeling "hopeless" afterwards. Presented as low in mood but future-oriented about treatment.
Intervention: Used motivational interviewing to explore ambivalence and reinforce change talk. Reviewed high-risk situations and collaboratively updated the relapse-prevention plan.
Response: Client identified conflict as the main trigger and generated two coping strategies without prompting. Reported feeling "more in control" of the plan by the end of the session.
Plan: Client to use the coping card during conflict and contact the service if urges escalate. Next session to review triggers and coordinate with the GP. Book follow-up in one week.

Can you use a reusable BIRP note template?

Yes. A simple fill-in structure keeps notes consistent across a caseload:

Behaviour: [Objective observations and reported symptoms; client's own words where relevant.]
Intervention: [Techniques used and the rationale for each.]
Response: [How the client responded, including measurable change and direct feedback.]
Plan: [Next steps, between-session tasks, focus for next session, follow-up and any risk review.]

Keep entries concise, objective and contemporaneous. For a wider view of what belongs in any clinical record, see our explainer on what clinical notes are and how to write them well.

BIRP vs SOAP vs DAP: which should you use?

All three are structured progress note formats, and the best choice depends on your setting and what you need to emphasise.

BIRP foregrounds your interventions and the client's response, which suits therapy and behavioural work where tracking what you did matters most.
SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) separates the client's report from your objective findings and assessment, and is common across medical and allied health.
DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) is a shorter format that folds observation and report into a single data section.

There is no single correct answer. Many services standardise on one format for consistency. Our comparison of clinical note types walks through the trade-offs, and if you also write in other formats, the mental health progress notes guide has worked examples in SOAP, DAP and BIRP.

What are the most common BIRP note mistakes?

Blurring the sections. Interpretation creeping into Behaviour, or plan items landing in Response, undermines the format. Keep each letter to its job.
Vague language. "Improving" or "did well" tells the next reader little. Anchor claims to observable detail or a measure.
Skipping the rationale. An Intervention section that lists techniques without the reasoning loses the clinical thinking that makes the note defensible.
Copy-paste plans. Recycling the same plan every week hides genuine progress and can look like the record was not individualised.
Writing late. Notes written days after a session are harder to keep accurate. Document as soon as practical after the session.

Do BIRP notes meet Australian record-keeping standards?

The BIRP structure itself is a clinical convention, not a legal requirement, but the record it produces must meet the same standards as any health note. In Australia, that means keeping records that are accurate, legible, contemporaneous and adequate to support continuity of care, as set out in the Psychology Board of Australia code of conduct. Similar expectations apply across regulated health professions.

Health information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act. You must store and share BIRP notes securely and use them only for permitted purposes, in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. Retention obligations vary by state and profession; in Victoria, for example, the Health Records Act 2001 sets minimum retention periods, so check the rules that apply to your practice.

Can AI help you write BIRP notes?

AI documentation tools can draft a structured BIRP note from a session so you refine rather than write from scratch, which cuts admin time and helps notes stay consistent. The clinician remains responsible for accuracy and for signing off the final record, so always review AI-generated content before it enters the file.

PractaLuma is AI-native practice management software for Australian mental-health practices. Its clinical notes and AI scribe tools can generate BIRP-formatted notes inside a secure, clinician-controlled workspace. For a deeper look at how AI supports documentation, see our guide to AI for clinical notes, or explore PractaLuma's pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What does BIRP stand for? BIRP stands for Behaviour, Intervention, Response and Plan. Each section captures one part of the session: what happened, what you did, how the client responded, and the next steps.

Who uses BIRP notes? Psychologists, counsellors, mental health clinicians, social workers and alcohol and other drug workers commonly use BIRP notes, particularly where tracking interventions and client response over time is central to care.

How long should a BIRP note be? Long enough to record the session clearly and no longer. A few concise sentences per section is typical. Prioritise objective detail and clinical reasoning over volume.

Is BIRP better than SOAP? Neither is better in general. BIRP suits therapy and behavioural work by highlighting interventions and response, while SOAP suits settings that need a clear split between subjective and objective information. Choose the format that fits your practice and apply it consistently.

Can I change formats between sessions? It is usually best to keep one format per episode of care so the record reads consistently. If your service changes formats, document the change and keep entries within an episode aligned.

How to Write BIRP Notes: Examples and Templates