How Can You Record Changes Between EMDR Sessions?

How Can You Record Changes Between EMDR Sessions?

Short Answer: You can record changes between Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) sessions with a simple note or journal entry. You might write down a new thought, memory, dream, trigger, body sensation, emotional shift, or change in how a previously processed memory feels. You do not need to keep a detailed diary or constantly monitor yourself. A few words are often enough to help you remember something worth discussing or revisiting later. EMDR guidance specifically recognizes that processing may continue between sessions and that a brief log can help track what changes.

Key Takeaways

• Between-session tracking can be simple and brief.
• You may record changes in thoughts, memories, emotions, body sensations, dreams, triggers, or reactions.
• You do not need to write down everything you experience.
• A short phrase is often enough to remind you what happened.
• Recording both improvements and remaining difficulties can be useful.
• In therapist-guided EMDR, these observations can be reviewed during the next reevaluation.
• You do not need to deliberately search for changes; simply notice what occurs naturally.
• With self-guided EMDR, a brief personal log can help you notice patterns across sessions without turning the process into homework.

Why Record Changes Between EMDR Sessions?

EMDR processing does not always end the moment a session stops.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs notes that new information processing may continue between sessions.

That means you might later notice:

• A memory feels less intense
• A familiar situation bothers you less
• A new thought comes to mind
• Another memory appears
• A belief feels different
• A body sensation changes
• A dream relates to what you processed
• An old trigger produces a different response

Writing down a brief observation can help you remember it later.

Without a note, you may simply forget what changed by the time the next session arrives.

Do You Need to Keep a Detailed Journal?

No.

Between-session tracking does not have to become a major project.

A note such as:

“Thought about the meeting today and felt calmer.”

may be enough.

Or:

“Same memory came up, but it felt farther away.”

Or:

“Had a dream related to school.”

The EMDR International Association describes keeping a log or journal of thoughts, situations, dreams, and memories that arise between sessions. It does not require writing a long account of every experience.

Think of the record as a reminder rather than a full diary.

What Types of Changes Can You Record?

There is no single category you have to track.

Useful observations may include several different kinds of changes.

Thoughts

You might notice a new thought such as:

“Maybe I was not responsible.”

or:

“I understand that situation differently now.”

You can record the thought in your own words.

Memories

Another memory may come to mind that seems related to the target.

A short entry could simply say:

“Remembered another event from college.”

You do not need to describe the entire memory.

Emotions

You might notice that something feels:

• Less upsetting
• Less embarrassing
• Less frustrating
• More neutral
• More manageable

You can record the change without needing to explain why it happened.

Body Sensations

You may notice that a physical reaction connected with a trigger feels different.

For example:

“Chest tension was lower when I thought about it.”

Body sensations are part of the material EMDR may track during processing, so changes in them can be useful information.

Dreams

Some people notice dreams connected with material they have been processing.

If a dream seems noteworthy, you might write:

“Dream about old workplace.”

There is no need to interpret the dream unless you want to discuss it later.

Reactions to Triggers

You may encounter a situation that previously caused a strong reaction and notice something has changed.

For example:

“Saw his name and did not react as strongly.”

That can be useful information because it shows how the change is appearing in everyday life.

If anger is something you are addressing, a brief note could describe a familiar situation in which your reaction felt less intense.

Should You Record Positive Changes Too?

Yes.

Between-session notes should not focus only on distress.

It can be useful to record changes such as:

• Less emotional intensity
• Greater calm
• A more balanced thought
• Less self-blame
• A trigger feeling easier
• A memory seeming more distant
• Greater confidence
• A different response in a familiar situation

EMDR reevaluation looks at what has changed since the previous session, not only what still feels difficult.

A positive change may be just as useful to remember as a difficult moment. If you are working on self-esteem, you might note moments when you respond to yourself with less criticism or greater confidence.

Do You Need to Track How You Feel Every Day?

No.

There is generally no need to conduct a daily self-assessment unless you personally find that useful.

Constantly asking:

“Did EMDR change this?”

or:

“How distressed am I right now?”

can turn ordinary life into ongoing monitoring.

A simpler approach is:

Notice meaningful changes when they naturally occur.

If nothing noteworthy happens for several days, there may be nothing to record.

How Short Can an Entry Be?

Very short.

For example:

• “Dream about accident.”
• “Less upset during phone call.”
• “New memory from high school.”
• “Felt calmer around family.”
• “Same trigger, weaker reaction.”
• “Different thought about responsibility.”
• “Tension in shoulders when reminded.”

Those notes may be enough to remind you of the experience later.

Should You Include the Date?

You can.

Adding a date may make it easier to see when something happened.

For example:

October 14 — remembered school incident after work.

or:

October 16 — usual trigger felt less intense.

Dates can be especially useful if you are trying to see patterns across several sessions.

But they are optional.

Can You Use Your Phone?

Yes.

You can record observations in whatever format is convenient.

For example:

• Phone notes
• A journal
• A notebook
• A document
• A simple checklist

There is no required EMDR tracking format.

If using your phone makes recording something easier, that is fine.

What Is a TICES Log?

Some EMDR clinicians use a tool called a TICES log.

TICES stands for:

• Trigger
• Image
• Cognitions, meaning thoughts or beliefs
• Emotions
• Sensations

The EMDR International Association defines the TICES log as a way of recording experiences that occur between sessions.

For example, you might record:

Trigger: Saw a certain location
Image: Memory of the argument
Thought: “I should have handled it differently”
Emotion: Sadness
Sensation: Tight stomach

You do not need to use this format unless it helps you.

A simple personal note can work just as well for remembering what happened.

Do You Need to Rate Every Change?

No.

You may encounter EMDR rating scales during sessions, but you do not necessarily need to reproduce them in your personal notes.

You can simply write:

“Much less upsetting.”

or:

“About the same.”

or:

“More noticeable today.”

If your therapist has specifically asked you to use a scale, you can follow that approach.

Otherwise, ordinary language is usually enough.

Should You Record Things That Have Not Changed?

Sometimes.

For example:

“Memory still feels just as upsetting.”

may be useful information.

Not every session produces an immediate shift in every part of a target.

Recording that something remained the same can help provide a clearer picture at the next reevaluation.

What Happens to These Notes at the Next Session?

In therapist-guided EMDR, the next appointment generally begins with reevaluation.

The therapist and client review what happened after the previous session, how the target feels now, and whether anything new emerged.

Your notes can help you remember:

• New thoughts
• New memories
• Changes in reactions
• Dreams
• New triggers
• Reduced distress
• Material that still feels unfinished

You do not need to read every entry aloud.

You can simply mention whatever seems most relevant.

Does Everything You Record Become a New EMDR Target?

No.

A note is information, not automatically a treatment target.

Some observations may simply show that processing is continuing.

Others may reveal a related memory or trigger worth addressing later.

During reevaluation, therapist and client can decide what is most relevant to the treatment plan.

Should You Analyze Your Notes?

Not necessarily.

Recording and analyzing are different things.

A note might simply say:

“Old memory came up while driving home.”

You do not then need to spend an hour asking why it appeared or what every detail means.

The EMDR International Association describes between-session journaling partly as taking a “snapshot” of what occurred so it can be reviewed later.

That is a useful way to think about it:

Capture the observation without having to solve it.

What If Nothing Changes Between Sessions?

That is also worth accepting.

You do not need to produce something for your notes after every session.

Some periods between sessions may contain noticeable changes.

Others may feel completely ordinary.

You do not need to search for memories, thoughts, dreams, or reactions simply so you have something to record.

Should You Record Every Dream?

No.

Dreams can sometimes occur between EMDR sessions, and EMDR guidance includes them among the things a person may choose to record.

But you do not need a complete dream journal.

If a dream seems clearly connected to your EMDR work or particularly memorable, a short note may be enough.

What If You Notice a Change Several Days Later?

Record it then.

Changes do not have to happen immediately after the session.

For example, three days later you might encounter a familiar trigger and realize:

“That did not bother me as much as usual.”

That can be useful information even though it did not appear right away.

Can Recording Changes Become Too Much?

It can become less useful if you feel obligated to constantly monitor yourself.

The purpose of a log is to make things easier to remember, not to keep your attention fixed on EMDR all day.

A good rule is:

Record what stands out. Let the rest of your day be your normal day.

Veterans Affairs guidance specifically says people can generally go about daily life as usual while changes happen naturally between sessions.

What About Online EMDR?

The same approach works with therapist-guided online EMDR.

Because you may already be using a phone or computer, it can be easy to keep a simple note file for between-session observations.

You might keep one document called:

EMDR Notes

and add only the date and a brief observation when something meaningful occurs.

Then you can refer to it during your next online appointment.

What About Self-Guided EMDR?

Recording changes can also be useful with Virtual EMDR, the structured self-guided online program.

Virtual EMDR users choose when to do sessions and manage their own pacing, pauses, and available visual or audio bilateral stimulation settings.

Because there is not a live therapist guiding reevaluation in the moment, a brief personal record can help you remember how things changed from one self-guided session to another.

For example, you might record:

• The target you worked on
• A noticeable change afterward
• A thought or memory that emerged
• A trigger that later felt different
• Something you may want to revisit

You do not need to create a detailed clinical record.

A few useful observations are enough.

Conclusion

Recording changes between EMDR sessions does not need to be complicated.

EMDR guidance recognizes that thoughts, situations, dreams, memories, and other changes may arise between sessions and that briefly recording them can help with later reevaluation.

You can use a journal, your phone, a notebook, or any other simple system.

Write down what stands out.

That might be:

“This trigger bothered me less.”

“Another memory came up.”

“I had a new thought about what happened.”

“The memory feels more distant.”

Then continue with your normal day.

You do not need to constantly monitor yourself, create a detailed diary, or interpret every observation.

The goal is simply to capture meaningful changes so you can remember them later—not to turn the time between EMDR sessions into another therapy session.