Complete a Play Therapy Progress Note

The Play Therapy Progress Note template is designed to support clinicians providing child-centered and play-based therapy services.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, play therapy often relies heavily on observation of a child's play activities, themes, interactions, and behaviors. The Play Therapy Progress Note template combines a familiar DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) structure with specialized sections that help clinicians document the unique aspects of play therapy sessions.

The template is available by default in the Note Templates tab of the Library and can be customized by Practice Administrators and Clinical Administrators to fit the needs of your practice.

Creating a Play Therapy Progress Note

1. Open or create a Progress Note.
2. Begin a new Progress Note.
3. From the template selector at the top-right of the note, select Play Therapy Progress Note.
4. The note will open using the Play Therapy template. 

Play Therapy Progress Note Structure

The Play Therapy Progress Note includes specialized sections for documenting:

• Materials used during the session
• Observed play themes
• Session observations and activities
• Treatment plan progress
• Clinical assessment
• Treatment planning and next steps

Materials Used

The Materials Used section allows clinicians to document toys, activities, and materials used during the session.

Examples may include:

• Dollhouses and figures
• Sand trays
• Art supplies
• Puppets
• Rescue vehicles
• Fantasy characters
• Sensory tools

Documenting materials used can provide valuable context about how the child engaged in therapy and which activities supported the therapeutic process.

Observed Play Themes

The Observed Play Themes section allows clinicians to quickly identify common themes observed during the session.

Examples include:

• Attachment and separation
• Anger and aggression
• Power and control
• Fear and anxiety
• Trust and mistrust
• Mastery and resilience
• Shame
• Loss and grief

These themes often provide important insight into the child's emotional experience, developmental needs, and therapeutic progress.

Data

Use the Data section to document:

• Session activities
• Play interactions
• Behavioral observations
• Significant events during the session
• Client participation and engagement

This section provides space for the detailed observations that are central to play therapy documentation.

Treatment Plan Progress

Use the Treatment Plan Progress section to document:

• Progress toward treatment goals
• Connections between session observations and treatment objectives
• Improvements or challenges observed during the session

Assessment

Use the Assessment section to document:

• Clinical impressions
• Responses to interventions
• Case conceptualization
• Emotional and behavioral functioning
• Therapeutic themes and patterns

Plan

Use the Plan section to document:

• Next steps in treatment
• Planned interventions
• Recommendations
• Areas of future therapeutic focus

Sign and Save

Once you have completed your Play Therapy Progress Note for the session, select the Sign this Form checkbox to electronically sign the note and click the Create Note button. Electronic signatures are captured in accordance with appropriate requirements. Multiple factor authentication is required to identify the user signing the note. The application automatically captures the timestamp for the signature as well. Electronic signatures cannot be edited or modified.

If the document is placed in draft mode and then re-signed, the signature on the note will reflect the most recent electronic signature captured. You can view other signatures, including the timestamp of the first signature on the note, using the Note Revision History. All actions related to note signatures are captured in the activity log for the practice.

To save an unfinished Play Therapy Progress Note, leave Sign this Form unchecked and click the Save Draft button. You may access your drafted Play Therapy Progress Note later from your To-Do list or click Patients > Patient Name > Documents tab.

Customize the Play Therapy Progress Note Template

The Play Therapy template can be customized by the Practice Administrator and Clinical Administrator using the Note Builder. They can:

• Enable or disable the template
• Copy the template
• Add or remove sections
• Add, remove, or change checkbox options
• Adjust placeholder text to best suit your practice

To customize the template:

• Navigate to Library > Note Templates.
• Select Play Therapy Progress Note.
• Edit the template using the Note Builder by selecting the Edit pencil icon.
• Save your changes.