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Coaching Session Notes Template

Coaching and mentoring session notes (not therapy notes) follow one client toward one goal over several sessions. This template opens with last session's commitments, records what came up and what the client realized, and ends with new commitments and a private reflection.

Updated 2026-10-27

Copy and adapt

The template

Coaching session notesTemplate

Coaching session [n]: [Client name], {{date}}

Engagement goal: [the outcome the client contracted for, in their words] Session: [n] of [total], [60 min], [video / in person] Related: [[Client name]]

Commitments from last session

  • [What they said they would do]: [what happened]
  • [What they said they would do]: [what got in the way]

Their focus today

  • [What the client wants from this session, in their words]

What came up

  • [Situations, numbers, quotes worth keeping]

Insights (theirs, not mine)

  • [What the client noticed or named in this session]

New commitments

  • [Action the client chose] ([client]) by [date]
  • [Resource or introduction I offered] (@me) @due(YYYY-MM-DD)

Progress toward the goal

  • [Their 1 to 10 rating today and last time, or evidence of change]

Next session

  • [Date], focus: [topic]

Coach's reflection (private): [patterns, what I avoided asking, what to try next time]

5 examples

Examples for different situations

The same structure, filled in for the situations people actually bring to it. Copy the one closest to yours.

1.First session: turning a vague goal into a contract

When it fits: Use this in the first session of an engagement, when the client arrives with a goal like "be a better leader" and the real work is agreeing what would count as done.

First session: turning a vague goal into a contractExample 1

Coaching session 1: Gareth Lowe, 2026-11-03

Engagement goal: to be agreed today Session: 1 of 6, 75 min, video Related: [[Gareth Lowe]]

Commitments from last session

  • None, first session. Chemistry call was on Oct 20.

Their focus today

  • "I was promoted to head of sales in August and I'm working 60-hour weeks. I want to be a better leader."

What came up

  • He runs every pipeline review for 14 reps himself: 9 hours a week.
  • Two team leads, Naomi and Sean, were promoted with him. He says they are "not ready" to run reviews, but has not let them try.
  • His manager's feedback in September: "You're still acting like the best rep on the team."

Insights (theirs, not mine)

  • When asked what "better leader" would look like on a Tuesday, he said: "I'd be in one pipeline review a week, not five."
  • He named that he keeps the reviews because they are where he feels competent.

Agreed engagement goal

  • By the end of February, Naomi and Sean run their own teams' pipeline reviews and Gareth attends one a week. Measure: hours in reviews, from 9 to 3.

New commitments

  • Tell Naomi and Sean about the goal and ask what support they need (Gareth) by Nov 7
  • Log hours spent in pipeline reviews this week (Gareth) by Nov 10
  • Send him the delegation-levels article we discussed (@me) @due(2026-11-04)

Progress toward the goal

  • Baseline: 9 hours a week in reviews. Confidence he can hand them over: 3 of 10.

Next session

  • 2026-11-17, focus: what Naomi and Sean said.

Coach's reflection (private): He moved quickly from "they're not ready" to "I've never let them try" once he heard himself. Watch for the pull back when the first review goes badly.

2.Session after the client did none of the commitments

When it fits: Use this when the client arrives having done none of what they committed to, and the session is about what got in the way rather than a new list.

Session after the client did none of the commitmentsExample 2

Coaching session 3: Hiroshi Tanabe, 2026-11-11

Engagement goal: move from teaching high-school physics into an instructional design role by summer 2027 Session: 3 of 8, 60 min, video Related: [[Hiroshi Tanabe]]

Commitments from last session

  • Three informational interviews with instructional designers: none done.
  • Finish the portfolio module redesign: started, not finished.

Their focus today

  • He opened with "I'm sorry, I didn't do anything." Asked to talk about why instead of making a new plan.

What came up

  • He drafted the message to a former colleague, Mei, who moved into the field in 2024. Did not send it.
  • Grading season took 15 hours a week more than usual, which is real, but the message takes five minutes.
  • "If Mei says it's hard to break in, I'll have to admit this might not work."

Insights (theirs, not mine)

  • He realized he is avoiding information that might end the plan, not avoiding work.
  • "Not knowing feels safer than a no. But I'm paying for it in months."

New commitments

  • Send the drafted message to Mei, unchanged (Hiroshi) by Nov 12
  • One informational interview booked, not done, before next session (Hiroshi) by Nov 25
  • Portfolio paused until after grading ends Nov 21 (agreed, not a failure)

Progress toward the goal

  • He rates his confidence in the switch 5 of 10, down from 6. He said the honest number is useful.

Next session

  • 2026-11-25, focus: what Mei said.

Coach's reflection (private): I was tempted to problem-solve his calendar. The calendar was not the problem. Keep commitments to one per session for a while.

3.Mentoring session where the mentee wants a referral

When it fits: Use this for a mentoring relationship, where the mentor does give advice and opinions, and the mentee asks for something the mentor is not ready to give.

Mentoring session where the mentee wants a referralExample 3

Mentoring session 5: Kwame Asante, 2026-11-14

Engagement goal: Kwame moves from product designer to associate product manager within a year Session: 5, monthly, 45 min, coffee near his office Related: [[Kwame Asante]]

Commitments from last session

  • Write a one-page problem brief for the checkout bug backlog: done, shared Nov 2.
  • Ask his manager about a PM shadowing day: approved for December.

Their focus today

  • He asked directly for a referral to the APM opening at my company, posted Nov 10.

What came up

  • His brief was clear on the problem and weak on prioritization: eight items, no order.
  • I told him honestly I would refer him in the spring, after he has done one prioritization exercise with real trade-offs, not now.
  • He was disappointed and said so. We agreed it was better to hear it now than after a weak interview.

Insights (theirs, not mine)

  • He said he had been treating the referral as the goal, when the goal is being ready for the job.

Advice I gave (mentoring, so on the record)

  • Rank the eight items in his brief by cost of delay and show the ranking to his PM. Ask her where she would disagree.

New commitments

  • Ranked version of the checkout brief, reviewed by his PM (Kwame) by Dec 5
  • Introduce him to Claire Dubois for a 30-minute talk about her APM year (@me) @due(2026-11-18)

Progress toward the goal

  • Two of the four skills we listed in session 1 now have evidence: problem framing, stakeholder asks.

Next session

  • 2026-12-12, focus: the ranked brief and the shadowing day.

Mentor's reflection (private): Saying no to the referral was the most useful thing I did this session. Make sure the spring offer is real and write it into his note.

4.Business coaching session on raising prices

When it fits: Use this when the client runs their own business, the session turns on numbers, and the commitment has to be small enough to test before the next call.

Business coaching session on raising pricesExample 4

Coaching session 4: Tobias Kranz, 2026-11-19

Engagement goal: reach 9,000 dollars a month from photography without working weekends, by June 2027 Session: 4 of 10, 60 min, video Related: [[Tobias Kranz]]

Commitments from last session

  • Pull last year's revenue by client: done.
  • Draft the new rate card: not started, "kept rewriting the first line."

Their focus today

  • "I know I need to raise prices. I'm scared the regulars will leave."

What came up

  • 38 clients last year. 4 of them brought 40 percent of revenue; 21 booked once.
  • He has not raised his day rate (650 dollars) since 2023.
  • Weekend weddings are 30 percent of revenue and the work he most wants to stop.

Insights (theirs, not mine)

  • The regulars he is afraid of losing are the 4 big clients, and he would not raise their rates first anyway.
  • "I'm protecting the 21 one-off clients from a price they'll never see again."

New commitments

  • New day rate of 780 dollars for all new clients from Dec 1 (Tobias) by Dec 1
  • Tell the 4 main clients about a 2027 rate in January, not now (Tobias) by Jan 15
  • Stop accepting new weekend weddings for dates after June 2027 (Tobias) by Nov 30

Progress toward the goal

  • October revenue: 6,200 dollars. Weekends worked in October: 3.

Next session

  • 2026-12-03, focus: first reactions to the new rate.

Coach's reflection (private): The numbers did the coaching today. Bring the spreadsheet back every session until the rate change is old news.

5.Final session: closing an engagement

When it fits: Use this in the last session, when you review progress against the goal agreed at the start, decide what the client keeps doing without you, and set a check-in date.

Final session: closing an engagementExample 5

Coaching session 6: Gareth Lowe, 2027-02-23

Engagement goal: by end of February, Naomi and Sean run their teams' pipeline reviews and Gareth attends one a week. Hours in reviews from 9 to 3. Session: 6 of 6, 75 min, in person Related: [[Gareth Lowe]]

Commitments from last session

  • Skip Sean's reviews for three weeks: done, attended once by invitation.
  • Ask Naomi and Sean for feedback on his involvement: done, both said "fewer interruptions."

Their focus today

  • Review the engagement, and what happens when Q2 pressure hits.

What came up

  • Hours in pipeline reviews last week: 4. Started at 9.
  • Naomi now runs her reviews fully. Sean still asks Gareth to join "for the big deals."
  • Q2 target is up 18 percent. He expects to be tempted to take reviews back.

Insights (theirs, not mine)

  • "I miss the reviews less than I thought. I miss being the one with the answer."
  • He wants to stop joining Sean's big-deal reviews but has not told him.

New commitments

  • Agree with Sean which deals, if any, need him: a written threshold (Gareth) by Mar 6
  • Monthly self-check: hours in reviews, in his own calendar (Gareth) by Mar 31
  • Three-month check-in call (@me) @remind(2027-05-25 09:00)

Progress toward the goal

  • Hours: 9 to 4 (target 3). Confidence handing over reviews: 3 of 10 at session 1, 8 of 10 today.

Next session

  • Check-in only, 2027-05-25.

Coach's reflection (private): Goal not fully met (4, not 3) and that is fine; he can name what is left. The Q2 target is the real test. Ask about Sean first on the check-in call.

Who this page is for

Search for a session notes template and most results are clinical: therapy progress notes in SOAP, DAP or BIRP format. This page is for coaches and mentors (career, leadership, executive, business) working with clients toward goals the client chose. It is not a template for therapy, counseling or any work that involves diagnosis or treatment. Those notes have legal and privacy requirements this template does not address.

What belongs in coaching session notes

A coaching note has a different job from a meeting note. It follows one person toward one goal across six or ten sessions, so each section exists to keep that thread intact.

  • Engagement goal. The outcome agreed in session one, in the client's words, with a measure. It sits at the top of every note so that every session can be checked against it.
  • Commitments from last session. What the client said they would do, and what happened. This is where most of the learning shows up, especially when the answer is "nothing."
  • Their focus today. The client sets the agenda. Writing it down in their words keeps you from coaching the topic you find interesting.
  • What came up. Facts, numbers and quotes worth keeping. Not a transcript.
  • Insights, theirs. What the client realized. If you write your own interpretation here, the notes become your theory of the client.
  • New commitments. Chosen by the client, small enough to do before the next session, with a date.
  • Progress toward the goal. A rating or a number, the same one every session, so the trend is visible.
  • Private reflection. One or two lines for you.

Keeping the thread across an engagement

The value of session notes is in reading them in order. Link each session to one note per client that holds the goal and the agreement. Before every session, reread the last note's commitments and the client's own rating. In the final session, read the first note aloud with the client: the first and fifth examples above are the same engagement, four months apart, and the difference between them is what the client paid for.

Sharing notes with clients

Agree on it at the start. A common pattern is to send the commitments and the client's insights after each session, because seeing their own words in writing makes the commitments stick. Keep your reflection separate so you can share the rest without editing.

Common mistakes

  • No engagement goal. Without a measure, the final session cannot say whether coaching worked.
  • Skipping undone commitments. They are usually the most useful topic of the session.
  • Writing your conclusions as their insights. Keep the client's words in the insights section.
  • Too many commitments. Three ambitious actions get none done. One small one gets done.
  • Notes as a transcript. Nobody rereads them, including you.

When to use a different template

A manager's regular meeting with a direct report is a one on one, with priorities and blockers that coaching notes leave out. The client's own written plan belongs in a personal development plan, and goals that need sharpening fit the goal-setting template or the SMART goals examples.

Customization tips

  • Contract the goal in session one

    Write the engagement goal at the top of every note, in the client's words, with a measure. Without it, sessions drift into whatever happened that week, and the final session has nothing to review against.

  • Start with last session's commitments

    Open every session by checking what the client said they would do. Undone commitments are not a failure to record and move past; the second example shows how they become the session.

  • Keep insights in the client's words

    Write what the client realized, not what you concluded about them. It keeps the notes shareable, and when you read them back before the next session, you hear the client rather than your own theory.

  • Add an advice section for mentoring

    Mentors do give advice, so give it its own section, as in the third example. Coaches can leave it out. Keeping advice separate shows the mentee what came from them and what came from you.

  • Keep your reflection private and short

    One or two lines at the bottom: patterns, what you avoided, what to try next. If you share session notes with clients, move this line to a private note before sharing.

In the app

How to do this in Scribelet

  1. Open Desk Settings, then Templates, tap Add Template and paste the template above. Set the category to Meeting, add #coaching as a default tag, and keep {{date}} in the title.

  2. Create one note per client with the engagement goal and contract details, and link every session with [[Gareth Lowe]]. The client note's backlinks panel lists every session in order, which is the engagement history you review in the final session.

  3. Write your own follow-ups as - [ ] Send the article (@me) @due(2026-11-04), and set a check-in with @remind(2027-05-25 09:00). Scribelet sends a push reminder at that local time.

  4. Before a session, ask the AI chat "what has Hiroshi committed to since September, and what happened each time?" It answers from your session notes with citations to each one.

  5. Right after a session, record a voice note. Scribelet transcribes it and structures it into a note with headings and action items, which you can sort into the template.

  6. Keep coaching clients in their own desk. Each desk is encrypted at rest with its own key, which suits notes about people's careers and businesses.

Templates, template variables and AI generation are documented in Note templates.

Frequently asked questions

What should coaching session notes include?

The engagement goal, the commitments from last session and what happened, the client's focus for today, what came up, the client's own insights, new commitments with dates, progress toward the goal, and the next session. A short private reflection at the bottom helps you coach the next session better.

Should I share session notes with my coaching client?

Many coaches share the commitments and the client's insights after each session so the client has them in writing. Keep your private reflection separate, as the template does. Agree in your coaching contract what you share, what you keep, and for how long.

How long should I keep coaching notes?

There is no single rule for non-clinical coaching. Set a retention period in your client agreement and follow it. Some coaching bodies ask members to keep session logs for credentialing, so check the requirements of any body you belong to.

What is the difference between coaching session notes and therapy session notes?

Therapy and counseling notes are clinical records in formats such as SOAP, DAP or BIRP, with legal and privacy requirements that this template does not meet. Coaching notes track a client's chosen goal and commitments. If your work involves diagnosis or treatment, use a clinical format and a tool built for it.

What is the difference between coaching notes and mentoring notes?

A coach mostly asks questions and the client finds the answer; a mentor also shares advice and experience. Mentoring notes therefore add a section for advice given, so both people can see later which ideas came from whom.

How do I write session notes faster?

Take fragments during the session under each heading, then spend five minutes right after turning them into commitments with dates. Pre-fill the goal and last session's commitments before the call, so you only write what is new.

One client, one goal, every session in order

Save this session template in Scribelet, link each session to the client's note, and ask your notes what the client committed to before you start the next call. Encrypted, free to start.

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