Can You Take Notes During an EMDR Session?

Can You Take Notes During an EMDR Session?

Short Answer: Yes. You can take notes during an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) session if you find it useful. You might write down a thought, memory, feeling, or realization that you want to remember. However, you do not need to record everything that comes up. During the bilateral stimulation itself, it is usually simpler to focus on the exercise and make notes during a pause or afterward.

Key Takeaways

• Yes, you can take notes during an EMDR session.
• Note-taking is optional; it is not a required part of EMDR.
• If something feels worth remembering, a few words or a short note may be enough.
• It usually makes more sense to write between sets of bilateral stimulation rather than while trying to follow the stimulation.
• You do not need to document or analyze every thought, memory, or feeling that comes up.
• With self-guided EMDR, you can pause whenever you want if you would like to write something down.

Is Note-Taking Part of EMDR?

Taking notes is not a required part of EMDR.

During an EMDR session, you may notice memories, thoughts, feelings, images, or body sensations. Sometimes something unexpected comes to mind, or you make a connection that you would like to remember later.

If that happens, you can write it down.

But there is no requirement to keep a detailed record of everything you experience during a session.

For many people, a brief note is enough.

For example:

• “Remembered school.”
• “Less bothered by that part.”
• “Thought about what happened afterward.”
• “Want to work on this next time.”
• “Different memory came up.”

The note only needs to make sense to you.

When Is the Best Time to Take Notes?

If you want to take notes, a natural time is during a pause between sets of bilateral stimulation or after the session.

During bilateral stimulation, your attention is usually focused on the memory, thought, feeling, or sensation you are working with while also following the visual, auditory, or tapping stimulation.

Stopping in the middle of that to write may interrupt your focus.

Instead, you can finish the set, pause, and jot down anything you want to remember before continuing.

With self-guided EMDR, this is particularly easy because you control the pacing yourself. You can pause the session, make a quick note, and continue when you are ready.

Do You Need to Write Down Everything That Comes Up?

No.

EMDR can bring a variety of thoughts, images, memories, emotions, or associations to mind. You do not need to create a written record of all of them.

Trying to capture everything may make note-taking feel like another task you have to perform rather than something useful.

If you want to take notes, consider keeping them simple.

You might record only something that:

• You want to remember later
• Seems particularly meaningful to you
• You may want to return to in another session
• Helps you remember where you left off

If nothing seems worth writing down, you do not need to take any notes at all.

If you are working with stress, you may also notice thoughts or situations that you want to remember for another session.

Will Taking Notes Interrupt the EMDR Process?

A quick note during a natural pause does not need to become a major interruption.

The more practical question is whether writing is helping you or pulling your attention away from the exercise.

If you find yourself trying to document every thought as it happens, you may spend more time thinking about what to write than noticing what is coming up.

In that case, it may be easier to wait until the set or session is finished.

On the other hand, if writing down a few words helps you remember something you want to return to, taking a brief note may be useful.

There is no need to follow one rigid rule.

Should You Analyze Your Notes During the Session?

You do not have to.

There is a difference between quickly recording something and stopping to analyze it in detail.

Suppose another memory suddenly comes to mind. You could simply write:

“Memory from college.”

That may be enough to remind you of it later.

You do not necessarily need to stop and write several paragraphs about why the memory appeared, what it means, or how it connects to everything else.

EMDR does not require you to understand or explain every association as soon as it appears.

Sometimes noticing something and continuing is enough.

When working with self-esteem, you may notice certain thoughts or beliefs that you want to make a brief note about and return to later.

Can Notes Help You Remember What Happened During a Session?

They can.

After a session, you may want to remember what you worked on, what changed, or whether another issue came to mind that you would like to address later.

A few brief notes can give you a simple record.

For example, you might write:

Focus: Argument with my friend

What came up: Another memory from high school

Afterward: Felt less bothered by the original memory

Next time: Maybe work on the high school memory

There is no required format. Your notes can be as short or detailed as you find useful.

What If You Prefer Not to Take Notes?

That is completely fine.

Note-taking is a personal preference, not an EMDR requirement.

Some people like having a written record. Others would rather finish the session and move on without documenting it.

Neither approach means you are doing EMDR more or less correctly.

If taking notes feels useful, take them.

If it feels unnecessary, skip them.

Can You Journal After an EMDR Session?

Yes, if you enjoy journaling.

Journaling is different from taking quick notes during a session. Instead of briefly recording something you want to remember, you may choose to spend more time afterward writing about your thoughts or observations.

You might write about:

• What you worked on
• What you noticed during the session
• Whether your feelings about the memory changed
• Another memory or thought that came up
• Something you would like to explore in a future session

But journaling is optional.

You do not need to write about an EMDR session afterward for the session to be worthwhile.

What About Notes During Therapist-Guided EMDR?

If you are doing EMDR with a therapist, you can still make notes if you want to.

You might jot down something between sets or write something after the appointment so you remember it later.

The therapist may also make their own clinical notes, but those serve a different purpose from personal notes you keep for yourself.

Your own notes can simply focus on whatever you want to remember.

Taking Notes During Self-Guided or Virtual EMDR

With self-guided EMDR, you have direct control over when you pause and continue.

For example, while using Virtual EMDR, the self-guided online program, you can pause if an important thought or memory comes up and you want to write it down. Once you have made your note, you can return to the session when you are ready.

You may also prefer to keep a notebook or notes app nearby and write a few things down after the session.

There is no need to turn note-taking into another required step. The purpose is simply to help you remember something if you want to.

This is one of the practical differences between working independently and participating in therapist-guided EMDR: in a self-guided format, you decide for yourself when a pause would be useful.

Should You Keep Your EMDR Notes Private?

EMDR notes can contain personal memories, thoughts, feelings, or experiences, so you may prefer to store them somewhere private.

That might mean keeping a notebook in a private place or using whatever privacy settings you normally use for personal digital notes.

You also do not need to write sensitive details if you would rather not.

A few words that only you understand may be enough to remind you what you meant.

Can You Take Notes About What You Want to Work on Next?

Yes.

This can be one of the simplest reasons to keep notes.

Sometimes another memory or issue comes to mind during a session, but you may prefer to stay with your current focus rather than immediately switching to something new.

You can make a short note and return to it later.

For example:

“Next session — memory about moving.”

That lets you remember the idea without needing to change what you are doing in the current session.

Conclusion

Yes, you can take notes during an EMDR session, but you do not need to.

If a thought, memory, or realization comes up that you want to remember, you can jot down a few words during a pause or make notes after the session. There is usually no reason to try to document everything while it is happening.

The main goal is to stay focused on the EMDR process rather than turning the session into a note-taking exercise.

Whether EMDR is therapist-guided, online, or self-guided, notes are simply an optional tool. If they help you remember something useful, use them. If you would rather focus on the session without writing anything down, that works too.