2026 Group note examples for therapists

CBT for Anxiety skills group, session 4 of a 12-week curriculum. 75 minutes. 7 of 8 members present. Member [Patient name] absent (work conflict, advance notice). Co-facilitated by this clinician and [Provider].

Today's theme: cognitive distortions, with focus on catastrophizing and mind-reading. Interventions: didactic presentation (15 min), member-led sharing of one distortion noticed this week (30 min), small-pair work on the 3-column thought record (20 min), full-group debrief (10 min).

Cohesion strong; members visibly more comfortable than in early sessions. One member led their pair work spontaneously — first leadership-type behavior observed. No conflict. Safety high — two members shared more personally than they have previously.

[Patient name]: present, contributed actively, identified two personal catastrophizing examples (one work-related, one health-related), completed the 3-column record on both during pair work. Progress toward individual goal of identifying 3 distortions/week: met for this week. Engagement: high.

Next session: behavioral experiments. Homework: identify and challenge one catastrophizing thought per day for 7 days using the 3-column tool. Individual follow-up needed: none from this member; check in next session re: continued progress. Next group session [Date].

Standard DBT skills group, distress tolerance module week 6 of 10. 90 minutes. 6 of 7 members present. One absence ([Patient name], illness, prior notice). This clinician facilitating; skills group leader [Provider] co-leading.

Today's skill: TIP (temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, paired muscle relaxation). Interventions: brief review of last week's diary cards (15 min), didactic teaching of TIP with rationale (20 min), in-session practice of each TIP component (40 min — including a brief outdoor walk for intense exercise), commitment statements (15 min).

Engagement varied — two members initially resistant to the intense-exercise component, normalized through validation. By session end, both reported willingness to try. Group cohesion stable. One member quietly tearful during paced-breathing practice; offered to share, was offered the option not to — chose to share briefly, was supported.

[Patient name]: present, engaged, practiced all four TIP components in session. Specifically named cold-water-to-face as 'something I can imagine using' — first concrete intention to use a TIP skill from this member. Diary card review showed two new effective skill uses this week. Engagement: improved from previous weeks.

Next session: behavioral chain analysis review. Homework: TIP practice nightly regardless of distress level; one cold-water-to-face practice this week from each member. Individual follow-up: none required from this member. Next group session [Date].

EMDR therapy group intensive, resourcing focus, session 2 of 4 (this group does not reprocess in group — resourcing only). 90 minutes. 5 of 5 members present. This clinician facilitating solo.

Today's focus: building the container imagery. Interventions: review of safe place practice from session 1 (15 min), didactic on the container concept (15 min), individual guided container construction with paired bilateral stimulation (45 min), group debrief (15 min).

Calm and reflective tone throughout. No conflict. Members supported one another in the debrief — one member shared difficulty constructing the container, two others offered their own experiences. Safety high.

[Patient name]: present, successfully constructed a personal container imagery (described as 'a steel box with a heavy lid I lock'). Reported VOC for 'this container is solid' at 7/7. Practiced placing one current distress item into the container during the session. Engagement: high.

Next session: calm-place body cue construction. Homework: daily safe place practice (5 min), daily container check (1 min). Individual follow-up needed: none from this member; ready for Phase 3 work in individual sessions. Next group session [Date].

IFS process group, session 8 of 12. 90 minutes. 6 of 7 members present. One absence ([Patient name]'s partner, advance notice). This clinician facilitating. Group has been together since session 1 with stable membership.

Today's theme: meeting a manager part with the group's support. Interventions: opening Self-energy check-in (10 min), didactic on managers vs. firefighters (10 min), member-led work where one member volunteered to engage a manager part in front of the group with this clinician's facilitation (45 min), group reflection on what each person noticed in themselves (25 min).

Deep work today. The volunteering member's manager became visible to the group; other members noticed similar managers activating in themselves. Several reported feeling 'less alone' in their parts work. Cohesion notably deepened.

[Patient name]: present, engaged. Did not volunteer for the live work but reported in the debrief that a previously-unnoticed 'fixer' manager became visible during the demonstration. Plans to bring this part to individual session for further engagement. Engagement: introspective, contributing in debrief.

Next session: meeting a firefighter part. Homework: notice and journal the 'fixer' manager from this member; for the group as a whole, daily Self-energy check-in. Individual follow-up: this member to bring the fixer manager to next individual session. Next group session [Date].