Who this is for
Therapists and counselors who want accurate progress notes captured right after a session, not reconstructed late at night.
The moment this saves you
I see six clients back to back and write notes at 8pm from memory, by which point the nuance of each session, the small breakthrough, the thing they avoided, has flattened into something generic.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Session note for the client I just saw. Main theme today was work stress, specifically conflict with their manager that's bringing up old patterns around authority and feeling unheard. There was a notable moment where they connected it to their relationship with their father, that felt like a real insight, first time they've made that link out loud. Mood was lower than last week, more anxious. They've been doing the breathing exercises we discussed, which is good engagement. Plan for next session is to keep exploring the authority pattern, and I want to introduce some boundary-setting work. Next session is in two weeks.
Session note, June 5, 2026
- Presenting theme: Work stress, conflict with their manager surfacing old patterns around authority and feeling unheard
- Notable moment: Connected the work conflict to their relationship with their father, first time making that link aloud (felt like real insight)
- Mood / affect: Lower and more anxious than last week
- Engagement: Practicing the breathing exercises (good adherence)
- Plan: Continue exploring the authority pattern; introduce boundary-setting work
- Next session: In 2 weeks
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to dictate a note from a therapy or counseling session. Turn it into a structured progress note: a bold "Session note, [today's date]" heading, then labeled lines: Presenting theme, Notable moment (any breakthrough or significant exchange, in my framing), Mood / affect, Engagement (homework/adherence), Plan (focus for next time), and Next session (timing if I give it). Keep clinical observations as I state them, in professional language. Do NOT add interpretations, diagnoses, or a plan I didn't state. Output only the note.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Medical Visit Note
Between patients, the details from the last visit are already slipping. Speak your observations the moment you step out, the history, the exam, the plan. You get a clean clinical note in your own words, without paying for a transcription subscription you don't need.
Coaching Session Log
A good coaching session ends with the client owning real commitments, and your job is to hold them to it next time. Speak the session right after, the focus, the breakthroughs, what they committed to. You walk into the next call knowing exactly what to follow up on.
Client Intake Note
A first session is a firehose, history, goals, the real reason they came. Right after, speak what you learned. You get a structured intake summary, the background, presenting concern, and goals, so you start session two knowing exactly where you are.
Questions people ask
Questions therapists ask about Therapy Session Note
What is the best way for a therapist to write session notes after a session without spending 20 minutes on documentation?
Dictate a structured debrief immediately after the session ends, while your observations are still sharp. The Therapy Session Note context converts your spoken summary into a session note in under two minutes. You capture what matters without the documentation backlog.
How do I write session notes that are useful for the next session?
Session notes are most useful for follow-up when they capture the session date and client identifier, the key themes or goals discussed, the reported progress or challenges, the directions explored, and the plan for next time. The Therapy Session Note context structures your spoken debrief to cover these areas consistently.
Can I keep therapy notes between clients?
Yes. Add the Therapy Session Note context to Contextli, then dictate a session note between sessions. You speak your observations for 60 to 90 seconds and receive a structured note ready to file. The recording and transcription stay on your device.
How do I keep therapy notes consistent across clients?
Consistency comes from using the same structure every time. The Therapy Session Note context enforces a fixed set of sections from your spoken input, so each session note covers the same fields regardless of how you happened to describe the session. That makes the notes easy to scan and compare later.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.