With my previous therapist and current therapist, I have recorded our sessions. I only did so after receiving their permission and explaining to them my need for it. In my situation, it wasn't a trust issue for me but a tool to use to help me process my sessions afterwards. I experienced a huge problem with remembering our conversations in the sessions which left me feeling quite frustrated and scrambled. The recordings helped a lot. I was able to go back, listen and process the material that was discussed. With my current therapist, I stopped recording the sessions a long time ago mainly as a test to see if I had progressed in my ability to recall our therapy dialogue. There was improvement but I still have difficulty at times remembering some of our conversations during sessions.

I, for one, would not appreciate being recorded or videotaped without my consent and believe a therapist should be given the same respect. Overall, taping sessions can be a very helpful therapeutic tool for a client.