Group Therapy Notes Template
for Clinicians
Last updated: March 2026
Reviewed by the WellNotes Clinical Team
Type or dictate your session observations. Get a complete group therapy note — covering group process, individual contributions, and interventions — in minutes instead of an hour.
What are Group Therapy Notes?
Group therapy documentation presents unique challenges compared to individual session notes. Clinicians must capture the group process, track individual contributions and progress, document therapeutic interventions, and note how the group responded as a whole — all while managing the complexity of multiple clients in a single session.
Effective group therapy notes balance detail with efficiency. They document the group's therapeutic themes and dynamics while also tracking each member's participation, progress toward individual goals, and response to the group experience. Insurance companies and licensing boards expect documentation that demonstrates medical necessity for each group member.
WellNotes simplifies group therapy documentation with a structured template that covers group process, individual member contributions, interventions used, group response, and the plan moving forward. Generate comprehensive group notes in minutes instead of spending an hour per session on documentation.
How It Works
Three steps to a finished group therapy note
Describe the Session
Type or dictate what happened — group themes, individual contributions, interventions used, group response. No special formatting needed.
WellNotes Structures Your Note
Your observations are organized into proper sections: group process, individual contributions, interventions, group response, and plan.
Review, Edit, and Sign
Read through the note, make any edits, then export as PDF or copy to your EHR. Done.
Group Therapy Notes Sections Explained
Group Process
Overview of the session's therapeutic themes, group dynamics, cohesion level, and the stage of group development observed during the session.
Individual Contributions
Each group member's participation, disclosures, behavioral observations, and progress toward their individual treatment goals during the session.
Interventions
Specific therapeutic techniques and facilitation strategies used during the session — group exercises, psychoeducation, process observations, and skills training.
Group Response
How the group collectively responded to interventions — changes in cohesion, emotional tone, engagement level, and interpersonal interactions observed.
Plan
Next session focus, homework for group members, any individual follow-up needed, and modifications to the group treatment approach.
Documentation Before & After WellNotes
You just ran a 90-minute group with 8 members. Now you need to document what each person contributed, the group dynamics, your interventions, and the plan — often the most time-consuming note of the week.
Group ends. You dictate your observations. A complete group note appears — process documented, individual contributions captured, plan outlined — ready to sign.
Group Therapy Notes Example
A realistic sample generated by WellNotes
Group Process
Session 8 of 12-week CBT-based anxiety management group (6 members present, 1 absent). Group demonstrated increased cohesion compared to early sessions — members initiated peer support without facilitator prompting. Primary themes: workplace stress, perfectionism, and avoidance behaviors. Group is in the working stage with productive interpersonal exchanges and willingness to challenge each other constructively.
Individual Contributions
Member A: Shared successful use of thought challenging at work presentation — group provided positive reinforcement. Member B: Quiet initially, disclosed new panic attack; group responded with empathy and normalization. Member C: Took leadership role in exposure exercise discussion, offered to be accountability partner for Member D. Member D: Reported avoidance of homework, explored resistance with group support. Member E: Presented thought diary showing reduction in catastrophizing frequency. Member F: Provided feedback to peers, demonstrated strong insight into own avoidance patterns.
Interventions
1. Check-in round using subjective anxiety ratings (0-10 scale). 2. Psychoeducation on perfectionism and its relationship to anxiety. 3. Group cognitive restructuring exercise — members worked in pairs to challenge perfectionistic thoughts. 4. Behavioral experiment planning — each member designed one experiment to test a perfectionistic belief. 5. Process observation: highlighted group's tendency to reassure rather than challenge, encouraged constructive feedback.
Group Response
Group engaged actively with perfectionism content — high relevance reported by all members. Paired exercise generated productive discussion and peer learning. Members showed improved ability to give and receive constructive feedback compared to Session 4. Emotional tone shifted from anxious to empowered by session end. All members committed to behavioral experiments.
Plan
1. Next session: Review behavioral experiment outcomes. Introduce exposure hierarchy development. 2. Individual follow-up: Contact Member B between sessions to assess panic symptom severity. 3. Homework: Complete one behavioral experiment testing perfectionistic belief. Continue thought diaries. 4. Preparation for group termination discussions to begin Session 10.
Who Uses Group Therapy Notes?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Learn moreStart Writing Group Therapy Notes in Minutes
Built for clinicians, by clinicians. Type brief session observations. Get a complete, secure group therapy notes — structured, formatted, and ready to save.
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