Two Times Longer is Better in Play Therapy Documentation

Shorter notes are better. 

In the world of documentation shorter is almost always better.  Check out more HERE about why you should stop writing novels for progress notes and what to do about it HERE! 
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But, that’s not what we are here to talk about today. 
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As Gretchen Rubin famously says "The opposite of a profound truth is also true", sometimes with notes - you have to go long. 

I wanted to highlight the two times you absolutely need to write longer notes in play therapy. 

High Risk Situations in Play Therapy Documentation 

High risk situations for clients can differ depending on the population you work with, but the high risk umbrella typically covers topics like abuse disclosures, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, and general crisis situations.  For these notes it is essential to go into a deep dive into the presenting issue, safety planning assessments, actions you took (and why), how the client responded, and future plans for safety and stabilization.

This could be information about screening for suicidal ideation and why you reccomended (or didn’t) hospitalization.  This could be capturing enough details in your documentation or abuse disclosures so it is clear what occurred,  when, where, how often, and who was the alleged perpetrator. 

For high risk situations you don’t want to leave anything out. This documentation may be seen by hospital staff who will need to make a determination whether to admit your client for acute care OR by Child Protective Services to determine next steps after abuse disclosure. 

In the (very rare) case that high risk situations are a part of a board report or investigation you want to be crystal clear (with your time stamped note) the exact details of everything that occurred and why. This also serves as a protection for your clinical license in case there are any questions of why something did or did not happen. The time stamped note is worth its weight in gold versus a verbal recounting of something that happened weeks, months, or years ago. 

Ethical and Legal Considerations In Play Therapy Documentation 

When working with kids there are a TON of ethical and legal situations that can present.  This may range anywhere from a parent requesting you to be a mediator in a high conflict divorce case, a guardian ad litem pressuring you to make custody recommendations, among other requests, statements, or comments from parents or caregivers.

For these situations it is important to put as much as you can into quotes and be very clear about how you responded and why. Again, these are situations that may have high risk to turn into a board report or investigation so your notes also protect your clinical licensure and practice. 

Additionally, there are times that clients (due to trauma, mental health diagnosis, other circumstances) can make sexual comments, attempt to physically touch the therapist in inappropriate ways, can threaten the therapist, or a number of different behaviors that could have ethical or legal ramifications. 

Again, in these situations be very clear about exactly what the child said or did, how you responded as a therapist, how this was communicated to parents, and (if any) safety plans or future structure or boundaries that will be put in place for safety. 

When Longer Notes Are Worth Every Extra Minute

In play therapy, shorter notes are usually the name of the game—but there are moments when going long isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. High-risk situations and ethical or legal considerations demand detail, clarity, and thoughtful documentation. By taking the extra time to capture exactly what happened, how you responded, and your next steps, you’re not only protecting your clients—you’re protecting your professional integrity and license.
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Remember: thorough documentation isn’t busywork—it’s part of delivering safe, effective, and ethical care in the playroom.

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