SOAP notes for school counseling
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Short answer: a school counseling SOAP note records why the student was seen and what happened. Subjective: what the student said, in their own words, and any teacher or parent report, attributed. Objective: what you observed and any school data relevant to the concern, such as attendance or missing work. Assessment: your professional judgment about the concern and its effect on school functioning, and the result of any safety screening. Plan: what the student and you will do, referrals, any parent or teacher contact, and the follow-up date.
School counseling is a practice setting, not a diagnosis. Most school counselors do not diagnose, so the Assessment states your judgment about the concern rather than a diagnostic label. Write only what the record needs: school counseling notes can be read by others, and in many districts they are education records. The table shows what goes in each section.
What to document in a school counseling SOAP note
| SOAP section | What to document | Example wording |
|---|---|---|
| Subjective | How the student came to you (self-referral, teacher or parent referral) and the concern in the student’s own words | “Self-referred. Student said: ‘I have three things due and I don’t know where to start.’” |
| Subjective | Teacher or parent report, attributed to the person who gave it | “Per the student’s advisor, the student seemed upset in class on Monday.” |
| Objective | What you observed: arrival, affect, engagement, what the student did in the session | “Arrived on time with a pass; briefly tearful, then engaged; completed a weekly planner with the counselor.” |
| Objective | School data relevant to the concern, verified from a school record you reviewed | “School gradebook reviewed: two biology assignments are marked missing.” |
| Assessment | Your professional judgment about the concern and its effect on school functioning | “Concern relates to organizing several deadlines; it is affecting work completion in one class.” |
| Assessment | Safety screening, if done, and its result | “Asked about self-harm and suicidal thoughts using the district protocol questions: denied. No safety or reportable concerns identified.” |
| Plan | Student actions, counselor actions, referrals, contacts made with consent and the follow-up date | “Student to start the science outline after school today. With the student’s agreement, counselor to email the biology teacher about late-work options. Check-in Thursday.” |
Only record a safety screen, a parent contact or a teacher contact if it actually happened. If it did not, leave it out rather than writing a negative finding.
School counseling SOAP note example
Fictional documentation example, not treatment guidance. Adapt it to the meeting you actually held and your district’s requirements.
Subjective: Fictional 9th-grade student, age 14, self-referred; individual meeting, 25 minutes. Student said: “I have three things due this week and I don’t know where to start.” Reported two missing biology assignments and sleeping about six hours a night this week because of staying up late on homework. Student said the concern is school work and denied any problems at home.
Objective: Arrived on time with a pass from study hall. Briefly tearful when listing the assignments, then engaged and focused. With the counselor, listed the week’s deadlines in a planner and chose the science outline as the first task.
Assessment: The concern relates to organizing several deadlines at once and is affecting work completion in biology. The student engaged well in planning and identified a first step. Asked about self-harm and suicidal thoughts using the district protocol questions: the student denied both. No safety or reportable concerns identified.
Plan: Student will start the science outline after school today and bring the planner to the next check-in. With the student’s agreement, the counselor will email the biology teacher to ask about late-work options. Offered a place in the study-skills small group; the student will think about it. Check-in on Thursday during advisory.
See a note like this in the editor: open a prepared fictional SOAP note in MentalNote, no sign-up. For your own sessions, the AI SOAP note generator drafts the note from a recorded session for you to review and edit.
Using a different format? See the school counseling PIE note example or the school counseling DAP note example.
Privacy: FERPA, HIPAA and who can read the note
When a school district employs the counselor, the counselor’s records about a student are generally education records under FERPA, and records covered by FERPA are excluded from HIPAA’s definition of protected health information. Notes kept in the maker’s sole possession, used only as a personal memory aid and not shared with anyone except a temporary substitute, are not education records. Other arrangements differ: for example, a community health provider delivering services in a school may be covered by HIPAA. State law and district policy also apply.
Under FERPA, parents generally have the right to inspect their child’s education records until the student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary institution, when the rights transfer to the student. Write each note expecting that it may be read by the student, a parent or another staff member. This is general information, not legal advice: start with the HHS guidance on FERPA and HIPAA and ask your district’s privacy officer or counsel which rules apply to your records.
Tips for school counseling SOAP notes
- Keep it brief and factual: record what the student needs from the record, in plain language. Leave out rumors, details about other students and sensitive family details that the plan does not need.
- Attribute every source: label what the student said, what a teacher or parent reported and what you observed, and keep each separate.
- Do not diagnose unless that is your role: describe the concern and its effect on school functioning. If you refer the student for an outside assessment, record the referral, not a suspected diagnosis.
- Follow your district’s safety protocols: for a suicide-risk concern, record the screening, who you consulted, the parent or guardian notification and the referral, as your district’s protocol requires. For suspected abuse or neglect, report as your state’s mandated-reporting law requires and record the report.
- Record consent for contacts: note when the student agreed to a teacher contact, when a parent was contacted, and any written consent your district requires before sharing information outside the school.
- Do not fill gaps: do not add “denies suicidal ideation,” medication details or normal mental-status findings when those were not assessed or supplied.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in a school counseling SOAP note?
Subjective: the student’s concern in their own words and any teacher or parent report, attributed. Objective: what you observed and relevant school data. Assessment: your professional judgment about the concern and its effect on school functioning, plus the result of any safety screening. Plan: next steps, referrals, contacts and the follow-up date.
Are school counseling notes covered by FERPA or HIPAA?
When a school district employs the counselor, student records are generally education records under FERPA, and FERPA-covered records are excluded from HIPAA. Notes kept only as a personal memory aid in the counselor’s sole possession are not education records. A health provider delivering services in a school may be covered by HIPAA instead, so ask your district’s privacy officer or counsel which rules apply.
Can parents see school counseling notes?
Often, yes. Under FERPA, parents generally have the right to inspect their child’s education records until the student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary institution. Sole-possession notes used only as a memory aid are not education records, and state law and district policy can add rules. Write every note expecting that the student or a parent may read it.
Should a school counselor write a diagnosis in a SOAP note?
Usually not. Most school counselors do not diagnose, so the Assessment should state your professional judgment about the concern and its effect on school functioning. If you refer the student for an outside assessment, record the referral. A licensed clinician providing school-based mental health services may diagnose within their scope, following the rules for that service.
How do you document a suicide-risk concern or an abuse disclosure?
Follow your district’s protocol and your state’s law. For a suicide-risk concern, record the student’s words, the screening and its result, who you consulted, the parent or guardian notification and the referral. For suspected abuse or neglect, report as your state’s mandated-reporting law requires, record the student’s words without investigating, and record the report (agency, date and time, reference number).
Related guides: DAP notes for school counseling · BIRP notes for school counseling · progress notes for school counseling · SOAP notes for school counselors · SOAP notes for child and adolescent therapy · teen confidentiality and parental access · ADHD SOAP note example.
Review the SOAP format or see an ADHD documentation example.
Updated October 23, 2026.