EMDR progress note templates, with examples
Copy-ready templates in SOAP, DAP and BIRP format, four filled-in session notes, and a phrase bank for the things you write most. Fill in the brackets, and the note is done.
Free, no account needed. Plain text for any EHR.
Pick your format
Use the format your EHR or payer expects. The EMDR content is the same in all of them. Copy the template, fill in the brackets, and delete what does not apply.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (SOAP) Date: [date] Session: [#] Length: [minutes] Format: [in person / telehealth] Treatment goal: [goal from the treatment plan] S SUBJECTIVE Client reports [symptoms, changes and events since last session, in their words]. Reevaluation: last target "[a few words]" at SUD [ ]; [new material / none]. O OBJECTIVE Presentation: [affect, orientation, engagement]. EMDR phase(s) [ ]. Target "[a few words]". NC "[ ]", PC "[ ]". [number] sets of [eye movements / tapping / tones]. SUD [start] to [end]. VoC [start] to [end]. A ASSESSMENT [What shifted during processing.] Client [stayed within window of tolerance / needed grounding]. Target [complete / incomplete]. Progress toward goal: [improving / stable / no change]. P PLAN Closed with [calm place / container / grounding]; client [settled and oriented]. Between sessions: [ ]. Next session: [ ].
The most widely recognized format, and the one most payers and EHRs expect.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (DAP) Date: [date] Session: [#] Length: [minutes] Format: [in person / telehealth] Treatment goal: [goal from the treatment plan] D DATA Client reports: [symptoms and changes since last session, in their words] Reevaluation: last target "[a few words]" at SUD [0 to 10]; [new material / none] EMDR phase(s): [ ] Target: "[a few words]" NC: "[ ]" PC: "[ ]" Start: VoC [1 to 7], SUD [0 to 10], [emotion], felt in [body] Intervention: [number] sets of [eye movements / tapping / tones]; [interweave or resource, if used] A ASSESSMENT Response: SUD [start] to [end]; VoC [start] to [end] What shifted: [memories, insight, emotion, body] Stability: [stayed within window of tolerance / needed grounding] Target: [complete / incomplete] Progress toward goal: [improving / stable / no change], shown by [example] P PLAN Closure: [calm place / container / grounding]; client [settled and oriented] Between sessions: [notice and log dreams, memories, triggers] Next session: [reevaluate and continue / install PC / next target]
Popular with therapists, since client report and observation often overlap in talk therapy.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (BIRP) Date: [date] Session: [#] Length: [minutes] Format: [in person / telehealth] Treatment goal: [goal from the treatment plan] B BEHAVIOR Client presented [affect, engagement] and reported [symptoms and changes since last session]. I INTERVENTION EMDR phase(s) [ ]. [Reevaluated last target / assessed new target "[a few words]"]. Provided [number] sets of [eye movements / tapping / tones]. [Interweave or resource, if used.] R RESPONSE SUD [start] to [end]; VoC [start] to [end]. [What shifted.] Client [stayed present / needed grounding]. Target [complete / incomplete]. P PLAN Closed with [calm place / container / grounding]. Between sessions: [ ]. Next session: [ ].
Often required in agencies and community mental health.
EMDR, phase [ ]. Target "[a few words]": SUD [start] to [end], VoC [start] to [end]. [One sentence on what shifted.] [Complete / incomplete]; closed with [calm place / container / grounding], client settled. Next: [plan].
For a free-text record, when a full format is not required.
Four filled-in notes
Written in SOAP. The first three follow the same fictional client, also used in our Phase 3 and Floatback examples.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (SOAP)
Date: Oct 14, 2026 Session: 4 Length: 60 min
Format: In person
Treatment goal: Reduce shame-driven withdrawal at work
S SUBJECTIVE
Client reports more irritability at work after a conflict with their manager, and two nights of poor sleep. Reevaluation: no new material since last session.
O OBJECTIVE
Presentation: tense at the start, engaged throughout.
EMDR phases 3 and 4. Target "argument with father, age 15". NC "I am worthless", PC "I have value". Start: VoC 2, SUD 8, shame, felt in the stomach.
11 sets of eye movements. SUD 8 to 3; VoC not reassessed. Processing looped at SUD 5 for three sets ("I should have kept my mouth shut"). A change of direction did not help; a responsibility interweave was offered after set 7.
A ASSESSMENT
After the interweave, anger at the father and then sadness came up. Client stayed within window of tolerance. Target incomplete. Progress toward goal: early change; client now links the memory to current conflicts at work.
P PLAN
Closed with the container; client settled and oriented.
Between sessions: notice and log dreams, memories and triggers.
Next session: reevaluate target and continue desensitization.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (SOAP) Date: Oct 21, 2026 Session: 5 Length: 60 min Format: In person Treatment goal: Reduce shame-driven withdrawal at work S SUBJECTIVE Client reports feeling less ashamed this week, one dream about the kitchen, and speaking up once in a team meeting. Reevaluation: target "argument with father, age 15" at SUD 3. O OBJECTIVE Presentation: calm and engaged. EMDR phases 4 to 6. 6 sets of eye movements, then installation of "I have value". SUD 3 to 0; VoC 2 to 6. Body scan: mild, pleasant warmth in the chest. A ASSESSMENT Target complete. VoC 6 accepted as fitting; client: "I still have days when I doubt it, and that is okay." Progress toward goal: improving, shown by speaking up in a meeting for the first time. P PLAN Brief debrief; client calm. Between sessions: notice any new material. Next session: present trigger "manager raising his voice in meetings", then a future template.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (SOAP) Date: Oct 7, 2026 Session: 2 Length: 60 min Format: In person Treatment goal: Reduce shame-driven withdrawal at work S SUBJECTIVE Client reports frequent shame and withdrawal after criticism at work. O OBJECTIVE Presentation: engaged, some tension when describing work. EMDR phases 1 and 2. Psychoeducation on EMDR and the stop signal. Calm place installed with short, slow sets; container practiced. Floatback from present trigger "manager raised his voice in a meeting" (NC "I am worthless", shame, stomach, SUD 7): supervisor criticized report, age 22 (SUD 5); argument with father, age 15 (SUD 8). Nothing earlier. A ASSESSMENT Calm place brought lightness in the chest; container worked. Client is ready for processing. Touchstone: argument with father, age 15. P PLAN Between sessions: practice the calm place daily with the cue word "Lake". Next session: Phase 3 assessment of the touchstone.
EMDR PROGRESS NOTE (SOAP) Date: Oct 16, 2026 Session: 3 Length: 45 min Format: In person, age 8, caregiver in waiting room Treatment goal: Reduce fear that limits daily activities S SUBJECTIVE Caregiver reports fewer nightmares, but continued fear of dogs on the way to school. O OBJECTIVE Presentation: playful and engaged. EMDR phases 3 to 6. Target "the dog at the park". NC "I'm not safe", PC "I'm safe now". Start: VoC 3, SUD 6, scared, felt in the tummy. Ratings shown as faces and steps; the child said the numbers. 8 short sets with a butterfly figure. SUD 6 to 0; VoC 3 to 7. Body scan clear. A ASSESSMENT Target complete. Child stayed engaged throughout. Progress toward goal: improving. P PLAN Closed with the calm place. Caregiver told that reactions can come up during the week, and how to respond. Next session: reevaluate, then a future template for walking past dogs.
Phrase bank
Ready-made sentences for the situations you document most. Click a sentence to copy it, then fill in the brackets.
Preparation
Assessment
Processing is moving
Processing stalled
Strong emotion
Overwhelm or dissociation
Incomplete session
Completed target
Between sessions
Risk
Next session
What every EMDR note needs
Five things, whichever format you use. They are also what payers and auditors look for.
- 1
The goal it serves
Name the goal from the treatment plan that the session worked on.
- 2
What you did
The EMDR phase, the target in a few words, the type and number of sets, and any interweave or resource.
- 3
How the client responded
SUD and VoC from start to end, what shifted, and how stable the client was.
- 4
How you closed
The closure procedure, and how the client was when they left.
- 5
What comes next
The plan for the next session, so the next note can pick it up.
What to leave out
The full trauma narrative and graphic detail. A few words that identify the target are enough, such as “argument with father, age 15”. Leave out other people’s names, too.
Or let the note write itself
EyeMove builds the session note the moment you close the session, from what you entered during it.
- 1
Built from the session
Target, cognitions, ratings, sets, interweaves, tools and closure, in standard clinical wording.
- 2
SUD across the session
Every SUD check becomes a graph, so flat stretches and turning points stand out.
- 3
Copy it to your record
Notes are encrypted in your browser and deleted within four hours. No AI: nothing listens, records or guesses.
Write less after the session, and keep your attention on the client during it.
30-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Questions about EMDR notes
Reviewed by Bjarne ØverlandClinical psychologist, specialist in psychotherapy, and founder of EyeMoveLast updated November 2026
Which format should I use for EMDR progress notes?
The one your EHR or payer expects. SOAP is the most widely recognized and built into most EHRs, DAP is popular with therapists because client report and observation often overlap, and BIRP is common in agencies. The EMDR content is the same in all three: what you targeted, what you did, how the client responded and what comes next.
How detailed should an EMDR progress note be?
Detailed enough that a colleague could pick up the next session. Name the target in a few words, give the ratings and what shifted, and leave out the full trauma narrative.
How do I document EMDR for insurance?
Link the session to a goal in the treatment plan, name the intervention (EMDR, the phase and the type of BLS), record the client’s response with SUD and VoC, and note progress toward the goal and the plan. Requirements vary by payer, so check theirs.
Should I write the trauma details in the note?
Usually not. A few words that identify the target are enough, such as “argument with father, age 15”. Clients and payers can request records, and the full narrative rarely adds clinical value.
How do I write a note for an incomplete EMDR session?
Say that the target is incomplete, give the last SUD, note that installation and body scan were not done, and describe how you closed and how the client was at the end. Start the next note with the reevaluation.
How do I document SUD and VoC?
As start and end values, for example SUD 8 to 3 and VoC 2 to 6. If the session ended before installation, write that the VoC was not reassessed.
Can I use these templates in my EHR?
Yes. They are plain text, so you can paste them into SimplePractice, TherapyNotes or any record system that accepts free text, or save them as a template there.
Does EyeMove use AI to write session notes?
No. EyeMove builds the note at closure from what you entered during the session, using fixed rules. Nothing listens to, records or transcribes the session, and notes are encrypted in your browser and deleted within four hours.