DAP Notes for ACT: Template + Examples (2026)
Overview
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Short answer: a DAP note for acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has three parts. Data: what the client reported, such as the difficult thoughts, feelings and urges that showed up, what they avoided or did anyway, their values-based actions since last session and measure scores, plus the ACT processes and exercises you used in session and your observations. Assessment: your interpretation of the client’s psychological flexibility: how they responded to defusion, acceptance and values work, how avoidance is affecting their life, and progress toward treatment goals. Plan: the committed action the client chose, practice between sessions, measures to repeat and the next session.
Write ACT processes in plain, observable terms. Instead of “worked on defusion,” write what the client did, such as saying “I’m having the thought that I’ll sound stupid” and rating how strongly the thought gripped them before and after. Link each committed action to a value the client named and to a goal in the treatment plan.
What to document in a DAP note for ACT
| Section | What to document | Example wording |
|---|---|---|
| Data | Difficult thoughts, feelings and urges; avoidance and values-based actions since last session; measure scores; ACT exercises used; observations; suicide screen | “Skipped 2 of 3 seminars; asked no questions. Thought: ‘I’ll sound stupid.’ AAQ-II 31 (35 at intake). Used ‘I’m having the thought that…’ and a willingness exercise; grip of the thought 9/10 to 5/10.” |
| Assessment | Psychological flexibility in session and outside it; which processes helped; how avoidance affects goals; progress; risk | “Client practiced defusion and stayed with anxious sensations in session (goal 3 partly met in session). Avoidance still limits seminar attendance (goal 1 not met). Whether she spoke in a seminar or meeting was not established, so goal 2 cannot yet be rated.” |
| Plan | Committed action linked to a named value; practice; measures; next session | “Committed action: attend all 3 seminars and ask one question in one of them (value: learning openly). Practice defusion daily. AAQ-II and SPIN in 4 weeks.” |
Safety. Acceptance work is not acceptance of risk. If a client describes thoughts of death or self-harm, screen directly even when the session is about making room for difficult thoughts. If a client reports suicidal thoughts, assess and record current thoughts, plan, intent, preparatory behavior, past attempts, access to means (including firearms and medications), protective factors, your risk formulation and the safety plan. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline takes calls and texts at 988; for imminent danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
How to Document DAP Notes for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Data
Combine subjective reports and objective observations into a single data section
When documenting the Data section for ACT, capture the client’s self-reported internal experiences including symptoms, presenting issues, and any identified triggers. Include observations of mood and affect as expressed by the client during the session.
- Record client’s descriptions of distressing thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations relevant to current concerns.
- Note specific situations or triggers that the client identifies as contributing to their emotional or behavioral patterns.
- Document any shifts or fluctuations in mood or affect observed or reported since the last session.
- Include client’s expressions of values conflicts or experiential avoidance behaviors.
- Capture statements reflecting the client’s readiness or resistance to engage in acceptance or mindfulness strategies.
Assessment
Provide clinical analysis, treatment progress, and diagnostic considerations
In the Assessment section for ACT, document your clinical observations regarding the client’s engagement with therapeutic techniques and processes. Evaluate the client’s progress toward acceptance, cognitive defusion, and values-based action.
- Describe the client’s level of psychological flexibility demonstrated during exercises.
- Note usage and effectiveness of specific ACT interventions such as metaphors, mindfulness practices, or values clarification.
- Assess the client’s insight into avoidance patterns and willingness to experience discomfort.
- Provide clinical impressions regarding symptom changes or stabilization based on session interaction.
- Evaluate client’s emotional responsiveness and cognitive shifts related to experiential acceptance.
Plan
Document next steps, interventions, and follow-up scheduling
The Plan section for ACT should outline forthcoming therapeutic steps, including homework assignments, any needed adjustments to the treatment approach, and scheduling details to support ongoing progress.
- Assign experiential homework focused on practicing acceptance or cognitive defusion techniques between sessions.
- Plan modification of interventions based on client’s current challenges or responses.
- Schedule next session with consideration for client’s availability and treatment intensity needs.
- Identify referrals to adjunctive services if additional support is warranted.
- Set goals for values-driven actions to encourage behavioral change aligned with client priorities.
SOAP Notes for ACT
Alternative format for documenting act
BIRP Notes for ACT
Alternative format for documenting act
Progress Notes for ACT
Alternative format for documenting act
SIRP Notes for ACT
Alternative format for documenting act
GIRP Notes for ACT
Alternative format for documenting act
PIE Notes for ACT
Alternative format for documenting act
Example DAP note for ACT (social anxiety, defusion and committed action)
Fictional documentation example, not treatment guidance. Every detail is invented. Adapt it to the session you actually provided and your organization’s requirements.
Session details: Fictional client, 26, graduate student in public health. Social anxiety disorder (F40.10). Session 4 of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), 50 minutes, telehealth by video, client at home in a private room (CPT 90834; telehealth modifier and place of service per payer rules). No current psychiatric medication. Treatment-plan goals: (1) attend all scheduled seminars each week; (2) speak at least once a week in a seminar or meeting; (3) use a defusion or acceptance skill when anxiety rises, without leaving the situation.
Data: Client reports attending 1 of 3 seminars this week and asking no questions; skipped the other two after the thought “I’ll say something stupid and everyone will see I don’t belong here” (grip of the thought 9/10). Heart racing and hot face before seminars; urge to leave. Went to a study-group meeting on Thursday and stayed for the full hour despite anxiety 7/10. Values exercise from session 3: named “learning openly” and “being a reliable colleague” as most important. AAQ-II 31 (35 at intake; higher scores mean more psychological inflexibility). Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) 38 (45 at intake). PHQ-9 6, item 9 scored 0. Asked directly: denies current or past thoughts of suicide or self-harm, plan, intent, preparatory behavior and past attempts. In session: practiced defusion by saying the thought slowly and then “I’m having the thought that I’ll say something stupid”; grip fell from 9/10 to 5/10. Willingness exercise: client imagined raising her hand in seminar and described the sensations (racing heart, tight throat) while letting them be there for about 2 minutes, rating willingness 6/10. Linked the seminar to her value of learning openly. Observed: alert, appropriately dressed; anxious at the start (fidgeting, little eye contact with the camera), more settled after the exercises; speech normal; thought process logical; no evidence of psychosis.
Assessment: Client showed she can notice the self-critical thought as a thought and stay with anxious sensations in session; the drop in the grip of the thought and her willingness rating suggest that defusion and willingness practice are helping. Outside session, avoidance still shapes her week: she missed 2 of 3 seminars, so goal 1 is not met. She reported asking no seminar questions; whether she otherwise spoke in a seminar or the study-group meeting was not established, so goal 2 cannot yet be rated. She practiced defusion and stayed with anxious sensations during the in-session willingness exercise (goal 3 partly met in session). Staying at the study group despite anxiety suggests willingness, but use of a defusion or acceptance skill outside session remains unconfirmed. AAQ-II and SPIN are both lower than at intake, consistent with modest improvement. Risk formulation: social isolation and academic pressure are stressors. The clinician judges acute suicide risk low today given the direct denial of current or past suicidal thoughts, plan, intent, preparatory behavior and attempts, PHQ-9 in the mild range, supportive friends in her program and engagement in treatment. Reassess each session and sooner if symptoms or circumstances change.
Plan: Committed action the client chose, linked to her value of learning openly: attend all 3 seminars this week and ask one question in one of them, bringing the anxious thoughts and sensations along rather than waiting for them to go. Practice the “I’m having the thought that…” exercise once a day and note in her phone how strongly the thought grips her before and after. If she leaves a seminar early, she will note what showed up and bring it to session rather than treat it as failure. Next session: review the week and practice a values-based response to the urge to leave. AAQ-II and SPIN again in 4 weeks. Session 5 next week by video. Client knows to call or text 988 in a crisis and to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for imminent danger.
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Tips for DAP Notes for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Quote the hooking thought
Write the thought in the client’s words and rate how strongly it grips them, such as 9/10 before defusion and 5/10 after.
Describe the exercise
Name the ACT exercise and what the client did, such as “I’m having the thought that…” or a willingness exercise, instead of “worked on defusion.”
Name the value
Link each committed action to a value the client named, such as learning openly, so the reason for the step is clear.
Record avoidance and action in numbers
Write what the client avoided or did anyway, such as 1 of 3 seminars attended, so change can be tracked.
Repeat a measure
Repeat a process measure such as the AAQ-II with a symptom measure such as the PHQ-9, GAD-7 or SPIN, and compare with intake.
Make the committed action specific
Write what, when and how often, such as “ask one question in one seminar this week,” so it can be reviewed next session.
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Further Reading
- APA Documentation Guidelines — Provides comprehensive standards for clinical documentation relevant to mental health professionals using structured note formats like DAP.
- SAMHSA — Offers resources on evidence-based practices and documentation standards for behavioral health treatments including ACT.
- NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) — Contains research and clinical information on mental health therapies, supporting accurate and informed documentation.