> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.opentherapy.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Journal

> A private place to write between sessions, with prompts, moods, and the option to share an entry with your therapist.

The journal is a private place to write between sessions. It's free on every Open Therapy account, whether you've booked a session or not.

## Where your entries live

On your device. Nothing leaves it unless you choose to share an entry with a therapist.

<Warning>
  Because entries are stored on the device you wrote them on, they won't follow you to a different
  phone or computer, and clearing your browser data will remove them. Copy anything you want to keep
  permanently.
</Warning>

## Writing an entry

Each entry has a date, a title and a body. You can also add:

| Field                    | Options                                                      |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Mood**                 | Low, Flat, Okay, Good, Bright                                |
| **Tags**                 | Your own, for finding things later                           |
| **Share with therapist** | Attaches it to your next session for them to read beforehand |

## Prompts

If you're not sure where to start, the journal offers three sets.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Not sure where to start">
    * What took up the most room in your head today?
    * What went better than you expected?
    * Where did you feel it in your body, and when?
    * What did you avoid, and what did it cost?
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Before a session">
    * What do you want to make sure you say this week?
    * What's changed since last time, in either direction?
    * What did you try, and what actually happened?
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="On a hard day">
    * What would you say to a friend in exactly this week?
    * Name three things that are still true, and small.
    * What's the next hour going to be, not the next month?
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Sharing with your therapist

Turn on **Share with therapist** on an entry and it's attached to your next session for them to read beforehand. Everything else stays private.

<Tip>
  Sharing an entry is often more useful than trying to remember a difficult week out loud at the start
  of a session. It also gives the therapist time to think before you're both in the room.
</Tip>

## Streaks and word counts

The journal tracks consecutive days written and how much you've written. It's there if it helps and ignorable if it doesn't — a broken streak isn't a clinical event.

## Prompts from the library

Audio sessions in the library each carry a journal prompt — *"What made you open this today?"*, *"Where did your mind keep going?"* — which you can carry straight into a new entry. See [Membership](/clients/membership).