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Therapy & Coaching Notes

A structure for your own therapy or coaching journey. Session reflections, patterns, between-session work. For your own reflection only. Not for practitioners storing client material. Do not store other people's private information here.

Requires an AI connected to your Hjarni account via MCP.

https://hjarni.com/templates/therapy-coaching-notes

Copy this URL and paste it into Claude or ChatGPT to install the template.

How to use

  1. 1 Share this page. Paste this URL into Claude or ChatGPT. Your AI reads the template definition and installs it.
  2. 2 Folders, tags, and instructions appear. Your AI creates the full structure in your Hjarni account, ready to use.
  3. 3 Start adding notes. The AI instructions guide your AI on where to put things and how to organize them.

Your own reflections from sessions, between sessions, and over time. Private to you.

A folder of half-finished journal notes does not compound. A shape that holds session reflections, patterns, and between-session work in separate places does. This template gives those notes a structure your AI can read back to you when patterns get hard to see.

Scope and limits

  • This template is for your own reflection on your own therapy or coaching work. It is not designed for therapists or coaches storing client material.
  • Hjarni is not a clinical tool. Claude and ChatGPT do not give clinical advice, diagnose, or recommend treatment. Bring questions like that to your licensed practitioner.
  • Do not store other people's private information in this folder. If you want to keep notes about another person, use a different template.
  • If you are in crisis, contact your practitioner or a local crisis service. This template is not an emergency resource.

A session reflection format

Every reflection follows the same five lines. The starter note in Session Reflections is this skeleton.

# Session <YYYY-MM-DD>

What came up:
What surprised me:
What I want to sit with:
Practitioner suggestions:
A line to remember:

Patterns are slow, themes are slower

The Patterns folder is for recurring moves you have noticed. The Themes folder is for longer arcs. Both update slowly. When you ask Claude "do you see anything across the last six sessions", the answer comes from your own session notes, in your own words.

A workflow that earns the template's keep

  1. After each session, write a short reflection while it is still fresh.
  2. When you notice a recurring move, add or update a Pattern note.
  3. Capture between-session practices in their own folder so they survive past the week you start them.
  4. Before the next session, ask Claude or ChatGPT to pull the last few reflections and any open Patterns. Walk in with continuity.

A real example

Five sessions in, you notice the same move keeps showing up: when something feels heavy, the first response is to plan and organize. You ask Claude to surface the pattern. Claude reads your reflections, returns a list of the sessions where you wrote about it, and quotes the lines back to you. You bring it to the next session, in your own words, with the dates.

Common questions

Common questions

Is this a journal app?

It is closer to a journal with structure. Reflections, patterns, between-session practices, themes, and prompts are kept in separate folders so your AI can search them meaningfully.

Will the AI give me clinical advice?

No. Folder instructions tell each AI to not diagnose, not give clinical advice, and to suggest raising clinical questions with your practitioner.

Is my data private?

Notes are stored in your Hjarni account. Treat them like any private journal. If you want extra protection, do not store identifiable details about other people.

Should my therapist or coach use this for their clients?

No. This template is for the person in therapy or coaching, reflecting on their own work. A practitioner storing client material has a different set of obligations and should not use Hjarni for that.

Related pages

Templates overview | Writing Style Guide template | Reading List template | Custom AI instructions per folder | Hjarni vs ChatGPT Memory

Structure

Tags

session pattern between-session theme prompt

Folders

Therapy and Coaching Notes
Your own reflections from sessions, between sessions, and over time. Private to you.
Has AI instructions
5 starter notes
Session Reflections
One note after each session. What came up, what you sat with.
Has AI instructions
Patterns
Recurring patterns you have noticed across sessions.
Has AI instructions
Between-Session Work
Practices, journaling prompts, exercises assigned or self-set.
Has AI instructions
Themes
Longer arcs that span weeks or months.
Has AI instructions
Prompts
Journaling prompts that have actually helped you.
Has AI instructions

For your AI

Share this page with your AI. It reads the definition below, creates the folders, instructions, tags, and starter notes in your account.

Show template definition

Install steps for AI agents:

  1. Check existing tags with tags-list. Only create missing ones with tags-create.
  2. Create containers top-down using containers-create, noting the returned IDs. Use parent_id to build the hierarchy.
  3. For each container with llm_instructions, call instructions-update with level: "container" and the container's ID.
  4. Create any seed notes using notes-create, placing them in the correct container by ID. Use container_path to resolve which container.
  5. Discuss any customizations with the user before or after installing.
---
name: Therapy & Coaching Notes
description: 'A structure for your own therapy or coaching journey. Session reflections,
  patterns, between-session work. For your own reflection only. Not for practitioners
  storing client material. Do not store other people''s private information here.

  '
tags:
- session
- pattern
- between-session
- theme
- prompt
containers:
- name: Therapy and Coaching Notes
  description: Your own reflections from sessions, between sessions, and over time.
    Private to you.
  llm_instructions: |
    This is a personal therapy and coaching notes system. The user owns this material and uses it for their own reflection.
    - Treat the entire folder as private. Do not summarize it externally, share it, or include it in drafts intended for other people.
    - This system is for the user's own journey only. It is not designed for therapists or coaches to store client material. If the user asks you to record private information about another person here, decline and remind them that third-party private disclosures do not belong in this folder. Do not redirect that material to another folder or template.
    - Never give clinical advice, diagnose, or recommend treatment. If the user asks for that, suggest raising it with the licensed practitioner.
    - Reflect back what the user wrote in their own words. Do not rewrite emotional notes into more polished language.
    - When asked about patterns, search Patterns and Themes first. Cite the dates of the supporting Session Reflections.
    - If the user describes a thought of self-harm or harm to others, stop the workflow and gently encourage them to contact their practitioner or an appropriate crisis service.
  children:
  - name: Session Reflections
    description: One note after each session. What came up, what you sat with.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for post-session notes.
      - One note per session. Title format: "Session <YYYY-MM-DD>".
      - Use the shipped skeleton: What came up, What surprised me, What I want to sit with, Practitioner suggestions, A line to remember.
      - Keep the writing in the user's voice. Do not polish it.
      - When the user describes a session in conversation, suggest saving the reflection here.
      - Tag every note with "session".
  - name: Patterns
    description: Recurring patterns you have noticed across sessions.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for patterns the user has identified themselves.
      - One pattern per note. Title is a short, neutral noun phrase.
      - Include: Description, Supporting sessions (with dates), Counter-examples, What helps.
      - Never label a pattern as a clinical condition. Use the user's own language.
      - Tag every note with "pattern".
  - name: Between-Session Work
    description: Practices, journaling prompts, exercises assigned or self-set.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for practices the user is working on outside of sessions.
      - One note per practice. Title format: "Practice: <Short name>".
      - Include: What the practice is, When to do it, What has come up doing it.
      - When the user mentions a practice in conversation, suggest updating the matching note rather than starting a new one.
      - Tag every note with "between-session".
  - name: Themes
    description: Longer arcs that span weeks or months.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for the broader threads.
      - One theme per note. Title is a short noun phrase the user has used themselves.
      - Include: Description, Supporting patterns, Where it shows up in life, Where it has shifted.
      - Themes are slow to update. Do not append in a journal style. Edit in place when there is a real shift.
      - Tag every note with "theme".
  - name: Prompts
    description: Journaling prompts that have actually helped you.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for reusable prompts.
      - One prompt per note. Title is the prompt itself.
      - Include: When to use, What it tends to surface.
      - When the user is stuck for what to write, return three prompts from this folder.
      - Tag every note with "prompt".
  notes:
  - title: Session 2026-05-16
    body: |
      A starter session reflection. Replace with your own notes.

      ## What came up
      Replace with what you actually want to remember from the session.

      ## What surprised me
      Replace with a line about what landed unexpectedly.

      ## What I want to sit with
      Replace with one or two things to revisit before the next session.

      ## Practitioner suggestions
      Replace with any specific suggestion or assignment from your practitioner.

      ## A line to remember
      Replace with a sentence you want to come back to.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your own reflection. This folder is private to you.
    tags:
    - session
    container_path: Therapy and Coaching Notes > Session Reflections
  - title: 'Pattern: Reaching for productivity when overwhelmed'
    body: |
      A starter pattern note. Replace with your own observation in your own words.

      ## Description
      When something feels emotionally heavy, the first move is often to plan, schedule, or organize.

      ## Supporting sessions
      - [[Session 2026-05-16]]

      ## Counter-examples
      Times when the response was different are worth noting too.

      ## What helps
      Naming the move out loud before doing it.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your own pattern.
    tags:
    - pattern
    container_path: Therapy and Coaching Notes > Patterns
  - title: 'Practice: Three lines before bed'
    body: |
      A starter between-session practice. Replace with your own.

      ## What the practice is
      Three lines a night: one thing that landed today, one thing that did not, one thing for tomorrow.

      ## When to do it
      Before brushing teeth.

      ## What has come up doing it
      Replace with what you have actually noticed since starting.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real practice.
    tags:
    - between-session
    container_path: Therapy and Coaching Notes > Between-Session Work
  - title: 'Theme: Self-trust'
    body: |
      A starter theme note. Replace with your own.

      ## Description
      A longer arc about trusting your own read on a situation without external confirmation.

      ## Supporting patterns
      - [[Pattern: Reaching for productivity when overwhelmed]]

      ## Where it shows up in life
      Replace with the contexts you have noticed.

      ## Where it has shifted
      Replace when you notice it shifting. Slow updates only.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your own theme.
    tags:
    - theme
    container_path: Therapy and Coaching Notes > Themes
  - title: What am I avoiding writing?
    body: |
      ## When to use
      When the session ended and you cannot bring yourself to write a reflection.

      ## What it tends to surface
      The actual reason the reflection feels hard.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real prompt that has helped you.
    tags:
    - prompt
    container_path: Therapy and Coaching Notes > Prompts

Write once. You both remember.

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Give your AI a memory

Works with Claude and ChatGPT today. Gemini coming soon.