Mentor’s Corner: Why We Get So Precise About Session Notes

Mentor’s Note: As part of my role mentoring practitioners-in-training for the EFT Universe certification program, I often receive thoughtful questions from mentees. These recurring posts are my way of answering those questions in a way that both mentees and the wider audience can benefit from. If you are exploring EFT for yourself, you are welcome to read along. You will get a glimpse into how practitioners are trained to use EFT safely and effectively.

A question I hear often in mentoring is:

• Why so nitpicky about session notes?
• Do I really need to write my thoughts down the same day or next day?
• Do I have to come up with answers to all the fields in the template?

This is one of the most important questions in training, because it goes to the heart of clinical skill development.

First Clarification: Timing

This is not about same-day submission. It is about same-day or next-day memorialization.

You can submit later.

But if you do not write down your process while it is fresh, you will forget details that matter.

The longer you wait, the more likely it is that:

• sequence gets fuzzy
• SUD changes become estimates
• rationale gets reconstructed
• aspects blur together

That is normal memory drift, not failure. The structure exists to protect against it.

What You Are Actually Being Asked to Track

In Mentoring Module 1, the documentation standard is not random. The key pieces are clear:

• Track SUDs throughout the session.
• Work with specific events, not broad global material.
• For each issue you tap on, identify at least three aspects.
• Use testing as intensity comes down, including checks in the safe range as you move toward zero.

And aspects are not vague. You are usually tracking:

• sensory aspects
• emotions
• body sensations

So when mentors ask for precision, that is what we mean. We are asking for the clinical map, not extra prose.

Do You Have to Fill Every Field with Everything?

No.

Some sections will be brief. Some may not apply.

But in the top half of the template, before the Who, What, When, Where, and Why, it is wise to stretch yourself.

Those early fields are not busywork. They are prompts for deeper noticing.

If they feel hard to complete, that is often useful information. It may mean more specificity could have been elicited. Or that certain aspects were present but not fully named.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is sharpening perception.

A Useful Approach

You do not need to write books in every section. You do need to convey what you are trying to show.

A practical way to think about it:

• Pick two or three objectives you are showcasing.
• In targeted session details, describe the moments where those objectives were actually demonstrated.
• List techniques used.
• Give rationale for why you used them.

You do not have to convey everything. You do have to make your clinical reasoning visible.

Why This Feels Strict, and Why It Matters

Here is the part I want every mentee to hear clearly:

This documentation is for two people:

• your present mentor
• your future self

The more important one is your future self.

You have to concretize your thinking. Slow it down. Make explicit what is implicit.

You need to be able to break your process down so that if something does not work, you can identify where, identify why, and adjust accordingly.

That skill is the point.

In certification, conditions are more controlled. There is support, lower pressure, and room to practice.

Later, with real paying clients who expect meaningful results, you will not have extra time to build that troubleshooting skill from scratch.

You need to build it now.

And that starts with clearly writing down what happened in your mind and in the session.

A Practical Way to Fill Notes Without Overwhelm

If notes are taking too long, use this sequence:

Write a quick skeleton same day or next day.

• target event
• key aspects
• SUD arc
• major techniques used

In targeted details, show sequence.

• A to B to C to D
• what shifted
• what did not
• what you changed in response

Pull only the techniques you actually used. Copy and paste from the template list. Add rationale for each.

Keep quality high, not word count high.

• specific over verbose
• clear over polished
• traceable over perfect

If a field does not apply, mark it clearly and move on. If you forgot something, name that directly in the write-up.

The Hidden Gain

Many trainees think notes are for evaluation. Mostly, notes are for calibration.

Good notes train you to:

• spot pattern drift early
• detect weak decisions without shame
• improve between sessions, not just after outcomes fail
• stay grounded when complexity rises

That is why mentors sound precise. Not to control you, but to prepare you.

Closing Reflection

If this has felt nitpicky, I understand.

Try this reframe:

This is not about proving you did a session. It is about building a practitioner mind that can stay clear under pressure.

Write your notes so future you can trust your own process.

That is the standard.