Sex therapy session notes: what to write, template and confidentiality

A sex therapy session note is a short, factual written trace of what was worked on during a session about a sexual or relationship difficulty. It covers the client's request, how the symptom is evolving, the couple context, the goals and the exercises suggested between two sessions. It helps you follow the work over time and prepare the next session. This article is for sex therapists, clinical sexologists, and psychologists or therapists who see clients for these reasons, in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Why sex therapy notes are different

A standard session note describes the request, the work done and the next steps. In sex therapy this structure still applies, but three things change the way you write. The topic is intimate. The work often involves a partner, present or not. And the difficulty may have a physical side that belongs to a doctor. We therefore advise a note that is precise about the follow-up, and restrained about everything else.

The reason for consultation, in the client's words

Write the request as the client phrases it, in quotation marks, in one or two sentences. You can add your own rephrasing next to it, clearly separated.

The history of the symptom

A few landmarks are enough: how long the difficulty has existed, whether it appeared gradually or after an event, whether it is constant or linked to certain situations, and what has already been tried. Stick to dated facts and what the client reports.

The relationship context

The relationship situation (in a relationship or not, length of the relationship, living together), how the client describes communication with their partner, and how the difficulty weighs on the relationship. One or two lines, written without judgement.

Goals

Note the goals agreed with the client, in simple and observable terms where possible. Reviewing them at each follow-up session shows what is moving forward and what needs adjusting.

Exercises between sessions, and feedback

If you suggest some work between appointments, note the name of the exercise, how often it should be done and the instruction in one sentence. At the next session, note the client's feedback: what was done, what was hard, what changed. The name of the exercise is enough, without a detailed description of its content.

The partner's place in couple sessions

State who was present, whether the session was individual or joint, and each person's request when they differ. We advise agreeing from the start, with both people, on what will be shared and what will stay private to each, then writing it down. For the structure of a couple note, see our couples therapy session notes template.

Medical referral when a physical check-up is useful

Some sexual difficulties may have a medical cause or component. Diagnosing and treating an illness is a doctor's role. If you suggest that the client see their GP or a specialist, simply note it: the date, to whom, the reason in one sentence, the client's response, and the feedback if they share it with you.

What is better left out

The most useful rule is to ask whether the information helps the follow-up. If it does not, it has no place in the note.

• Intimate details that do not help the follow-up. A general wording is usually enough. We advise writing so that the client could read their note without feeling exposed.
• Information about third parties. Former partners, family members, colleagues: avoid names and details that would make them recognisable. Write "a former partner" rather than a first name.
• A partner's confidences in an individual session, if they are not meant to appear in the shared file. File them according to the rule agreed with the couple.
• Judgements and unsupported interpretations. Prefer "the client describes" or "the client reports" to a label.

Sex therapy session note template

First session

• Date, length, type of session: individual or couple, in person or by video.
• People present: initials or pseudonym, role of each person.
• Referral: self-referred, or referred by a doctor or another professional.
• Reason for consultation (client's words): one or two sentences in quotation marks.
• Practitioner's rephrasing: one sentence, kept apart from the quotation.
• History of the symptom: onset, course, situations concerned, steps already taken.
• Relationship context: relationship situation, communication as described, impact on the relationship.
• Health information useful to the follow-up: only what the client chooses to share and what serves the work.
• Expectations and goals: two or three goals agreed with the client.
• Agreed framework: session frequency, confidentiality rule for couple work.
• Medical referral: suggested or not, to whom, client's response.
• Ideas for the next session: one to three lines.

Follow-up session

• Date, session number, people present.
• Feedback on exercises: what was done, what was hard, what changed.
• Changes since the last session: as the client sees them, in a few words.
• Topics worked on: two or three main points.
• Goal review: reached, in progress, to revisit.
• Exercise suggested: name, frequency, instruction in one sentence.
• Referral or letter: feedback from a medical check-up, letter to write.
• For the next session: topics to pick up, open questions.

For other structures, see our clinical document templates and our first session intake template.

Sensitive data: what the GDPR says

Article 9 of the GDPR deals with special categories of data. Its first paragraph prohibits the processing of several types of data, including "data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation". A sex therapy note almost always contains data of this kind.

The same article provides exceptions. Paragraph 2, point (h), covers in particular processing necessary for "the provision of health or social care". Paragraph 3 states that such data may then be processed by "a professional subject to the obligation of professional secrecy", or under their responsibility, or by another person also subject to an obligation of secrecy (quotations translated by us from the French text published by the CNIL). The text alone does not say which exception each practice falls under. If you are unsure about your own situation, we advise checking with the CNIL (or your national data protection authority) or your professional body.

In practice, we advise three habits: write down the useful minimum, keep notes in a secure tool rather than in a notebook or an unprotected word processor, and tell the client how their information is kept.

Professional confidentiality

In France, article 226-13 of the Criminal Code punishes "the disclosure of secret information by a person who holds it either by status or profession, or because of a function or a temporary mission" with one year of imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros (our translation). The text does not name any profession. Whether it applies to a sex therapist whose practice is not regulated is not settled by this article alone. We advise acting in every case as someone bound by confidentiality, for your notes as for your conversations. For the use of AI tools, see our article on professional confidentiality and AI.

Sexologist, sex therapist, psychotherapist: what the texts say

In France, decree no. 2010-534 of 20 May 2010 regulates the use of the title of psychotherapist. Registration on the national register requires training in clinical psychopathology of at least 400 hours and a practical placement of at least five months. Some professionals are exempted from all or part of this (article 2). Access to this training is limited to holders of a doctorate allowing them to practise medicine in France or of a master's degree in psychology or psychoanalysis. This decree deals with the title of psychotherapist. It does not deal with the titles of sexologist or sex therapist.

On the university side, several inter-university diplomas (DIU) in sexology exist. The Université Paris Cité page for the DIU in Sexology and Sexual Medicine (Sexual Health and Human Rights track) lists doctors of medicine as its audience and states that the diploma allows "the use of the qualification of sexologist attached to the base profession" (our translation). The Université Côte d'Azur page for the DIU in Clinical Sexology presents it as training that complements an initial qualifying profession. In Belgium and Switzerland, each country has its own rules. In your notes and letters, we advise stating your base profession and your training as they are.

How Delta helps you keep these notes

Delta is the clinical assistant for mental health and allied health professionals. You have two ways to take your notes. During the session, Delta transcribes what is said. Or, after the session, you dictate your observations. You can also add written notes.

Delta then generates the session report, with a short summary, a detailed summary and topics for the next session. It takes your profession and your approach into account. It updates the patient file, with a summary of the follow-up and the goals being tracked, so you can find the whole follow-up and how it has evolved in one place. It also drafts letters, for example a referral letter to a doctor, as well as certificates and assessments.

Data is hosted in France by an HDS-certified host, and AI processing takes place in France. The patient's name and identifying information are pseudonymised before the AI. No audio file is kept. The audio is used only during the session to produce the transcription. Data is never used to train a model, and it is encrypted in transit and at rest.

We advise reading over each report, as you would any note, and checking that it only contains what helps the follow-up.

Sources

• French Criminal Code, article 226-13, Légifrance (in force since 1 January 2002).
• GDPR, article 9, text published by the CNIL (French version).
• Decree no. 2010-534 of 20 May 2010 on the use of the title of psychotherapist, Légifrance.
• Université Paris Cité, DIU in Sexology and Sexual Medicine, Sexual Health and Human Rights track (page viewed on 19 October 2026).
• Université Côte d'Azur, DIU in Clinical Sexology (page viewed on 19 October 2026).