An Art Therapist’s Guide to Documentation: Writing Progress Notes and Treatment Plans That Keep You Audit-Ready

Sep 25

If you’re an art therapist, you probably didn’t get into this field because you love writing progress notes. Let’s be real, most of us would rather be with our clients, supporting them through creative expression, than staring at a screen trying to figure out what language will keep us compliant in case of an insurance audit.

But documentation doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or scary. With the right structure (and the right tools), you can write progress notes and treatment plans that not only reflect the amazing work you’re doing in session but also keep you covered for insurance requirements.

And spoiler alert: Jane makes this process so much easier.

Why Documentation Matters for Art Therapists

Progress notes and treatment plans are more than just “paperwork.” They’re part of our ethical responsibility as clinicians and, for many of us, a requirement when billing insurance. Good documentation helps you:

Track your client’s growth over time
Stay aligned with treatment goals
Communicate clearly with other providers
Protect yourself in case of an insurance audit

The trick is learning to balance clinical accuracy with language that resonates with the art therapy process.

How to Write Progress Notes That Are Audit-Ready

Insurance auditors want to see that your notes demonstrate medical necessity and connect back to the treatment plan. That means your notes should answer these questions:

What brought the client in?
What interventions were used?
How did the client respond?
How does this connect to their goals?

A simple structure you can follow:

1. Client Presentation: Briefly describe mood, affect, behavior, or key updates.
2. Intervention: Note what creative/art therapy interventions were used. (Example: “Client engaged in collage-making to explore self-identity.”)
3. Response: Record how the client responded to the intervention.
4. Clinical Impressions: Link the session to progress toward treatment goals.
5. Plan: Outline what’s next (continue, adjust, new approach).

Using clinical language doesn’t mean stripping away the art therapy piece, it means translating it into a way insurance can understand.

How to Write Treatment Plans That Work

A treatment plan should be individualized, measurable, and tied to medical necessity. Key components include:

Diagnosis: Use the DSM-5 diagnosis tied to treatment.
Goals: Broad, long-term objectives (e.g., “Increase ability to regulate emotions”).
Objectives: Smaller, measurable steps (e.g., “Client will identify three coping strategies to manage anxiety within 8 weeks”).
Interventions: How you’ll support the client (e.g., “Art therapy techniques including drawing, painting, and guided imagery”).

Keep goals measurable but flexible enough to leave room for creativity.

How Jane Makes Documentation Simple for Art Therapists

Here’s where Jane saves the day. Jane is an all-in-one practice management platform that makes writing and storing compliant documentation seamless and now includes AI-powered charting with Jane’s AI Scribe. AI can feel scary in general, but especially in the work that we do. Check out my full blog post where I chat about Jane’s AI Scribe and why it’s not the scary kind of AI.

Some of my favorite Jane features for art therapy documentation:

Customizable Charting Templates: Create SOAP or DAP note templates tailored for art therapy, including interventions, client responses, and clinical impressions.
AI Scribe: Use Jane’s AI Scribe to generate draft SOAP notes from session details. You can then review, edit, and personalize, making documentation faster and easier.
Template Library: If you already use Jane, I’ve added both an Art Therapy SOAP Note template and an AI Scribe Art Therapy SOAP Note template to your template library for quick use so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! If you search “Allie Joy” in the template library, my notes I’ve added will pop up for you to add them to your own library.
Treatment Plan Tracking: Keep client goals, objectives, and progress all in one place and update them as therapy evolves.
Audit-Ready Storage: Notes are securely stored, timestamped, and organized so if insurance ever comes knocking, you’re ready.
Integrated Scheduling and Billing: Everything lives in one system, which means no more juggling between scheduling software, notes, and billing.

With Jane, documentation feels less like a chore and more like a natural extension of the work you’re already doing, while giving you the option to harness AI to save time. If you’re curious about Jane and want to learn why it is the best switch you will make, you can learn more here! Also be sure to use the code “ALLIE1MO” when you sign up or switch for a one month grace period on your account.

Final Thoughts

As art therapists, our clinical notes and treatment plans should reflect the creativity and care we bring to our sessions and keep us protected with insurance compliance. By using structured, measurable language (and letting Jane handle the organization side) you can spend less time stressing over paperwork and more time with your clients, and maybe even a little more time for yourself!

If you’re looking for a way to make progress notes and treatment plans simple, secure, and compliant, Jane is the tool I recommend every time.

If you’re the kind of therapist who color-codes their notes and daydreams about passive income streams while eating a quick lunch at your desk (no shame at all), come say hi on Instagram @creativelyclinical. I love connecting with other creative clinicians doing therapy their way.

Allie Joy is an LPC & Board Certified Art Therapist in Connecticut who is passionate about all things relating to creativity. She owns a private practice as well as Creatively Clinical, where she helps therapists weave creativity into their work and diversify their income for a more balanced life. Allie believes that every therapist (and person!) has the ability to tap into their creative potential, and it’s not about artistic ability, it’s about bringing curiosity, innovation, and authenticity into the things we do.