Uncovering the Ins and Outs of Recording Psychotherapy Sessions
Recording therapy sessions can be a valuable tool for reinforcing new coping skills and strategies, but it raises important ethical considerations and requires best practices centered on informed consent, confidentiality, and secure technology use.
Before any recording takes place, both therapist and client must explicitly discuss and agree to the recording. This includes the purpose, how the recording will be used, who will have access, and how it will be stored or destroyed. The therapist should explain how the recording fits into the treatment process and address any concerns.
From an ethical and legal standpoint, recordings must be treated with the same confidentiality and security standards as therapy notes and clinical records. This includes storing recordings in a secure, access-controlled environment and limiting access to authorized personnel only. Unauthorized sharing or insecure storage breaches ethical and often legal obligations.
When it comes to technology choices, use platforms and tools that offer end-to-end encryption and comply with HIPAA or other relevant privacy laws. Recommended options include HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms such as Zoom for Healthcare, Doxy.me, and SimplePractice, which provide encrypted sessions, password protection, consent-based recording features, and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
Best practices for recording therapy sessions include:
- Having a clear conversation about recording at the start, documenting consent in writing.
- Using secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms with encryption for any recording.
- Limiting recording to only what is necessary for treatment or supervision.
- Storing recordings securely, with strong access controls and retention policies aligned with ethical record-keeping standards.
- Advising clients to be in a private, interruption-free space during recorded sessions to protect privacy.
Alternatives to recording therapy sessions include taking detailed notes during sessions, using a voice-to-text app, or recording key insights after the session has ended. It's important to discuss the idea of recording a therapy session with your therapist and to be transparent about your intentions.
Journaling can be a quick stream-of-consciousness style entry, capturing insights before they fade away. Our website offers flexible online therapy services through therapist messaging and secure, on-demand access. Using journaling immediately after therapy sessions can help retain insights, track progress, and stay grounded between appointments.
In many places, it is legally allowed to record a private conversation that includes conversations with a therapist, but consent rules vary by location, and it's important to know the laws where you live. Recording your therapist without their knowledge can fracture the trust built in the therapeutic relationship and potentially jeopardize future care.
Digital tools like journaling apps, mood trackers, or other digital therapy companions can help clients stay on track between therapy sessions. Research suggests that we lose about 50% of new information within the first hour and about 70% by the following day, making journaling a valuable method for memory retention.
Talkcast, an AI-generated mini-podcast designed to keep the work alive well after the therapy session ends, has shown promising results. In a pilot study, over 90% of clients said that Talkcast made therapy more helpful. Talkcast lives inside our website's HIPAA-compliant app, under the same safeguards that protect all messages and sessions.
Our website articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors, grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. In about two-thirds of states in the United States, one-party consent is required for recording a private conversation, while 13 states require two-party or all-party consent. If multiple sessions are to be saved, label the files in a neutral, non-descriptive way, such as "Session1_July2025". Stand-alone voice recorders offer an alternative to phone apps, as they save audio files to internal storage or encrypted memory cards instead of being synced to the cloud.
In conclusion, ethical recording of therapy sessions relies on transparent, informed consent discussions with the therapist and using secure, compliant technology to safeguard client confidentiality and comply with legal requirements.
- A licensed therapist should discuss with their clients the use of secure technology for online therapy sessions to enhance mental health treatment, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and secure technology use.
- When journaling after therapy sessions, clients can retain insights, track progress, and stay grounded between appointments, with digital tools like journaling apps, mood trackers, or other health-and-wellness apps helping to keep clients on track between sessions.
- To protect client privacy and comply with legal requirements, therapists must store recorded therapy sessions in secure, access-controlled environments, limiting access to authorized personnel only, and avoiding unauthorized sharing or insecure storage breaches.
