Audio Recording Consent Form for Therapy

Before you start

Check whether the therapy practice requires a printed form, a fillable document, or a recording stored in a secure client portal. Recording may happen locally on an input device such as a phone or digital recorder, or through a telehealth platform that saves the session in the cloud. Ask the therapist or practice administrator which format they need before you type anything into the form.

Keep the consent form separate from the audio file. The form should identify the client, therapist, date, purpose of the recording, who may listen, how long the recording will be kept, and how it will be destroyed. These details may vary by region and professional rules, so follow the wording supplied by the provider.

Step-by-step instructions

Use these actions as a general workflow. Adjust the exact fields to the consent document provided by the therapy office.

• Open the consent form in a word processor or PDF viewer. If the form is protected, complete only the fillable areas.
• Enter the full name of the client and the therapist, and check the spelling before moving on.
• Fill in the session date and the expected duration or recording scope, such as one session or a series of sessions.
• Read each statement about storage, access, transcription and deletion. Mark yes or no only where the form asks for a choice.
• Add any handwritten notes in the designated comments area instead of changing the printed terms.
• Sign and date the form using the method accepted by the practice. This may be a physical signature, a typed name, or a secure e-signature.
• Save a copy for your records only if the practice allows it. Use the filename that the provider requests.

Check the output

Print or export the form and read every completed field. Confirm that the client name matches the name used by the therapy office and that the date is correct. Make sure none of the required consent options are blank and that any optional fields were left blank deliberately.

Audio quality is not part of the form itself, but the form may state how the recording will be made. If you are also checking the recording setup, keep the input level moderate and reduce background noise before the session begins. The sample rate is usually set by the recording software or platform, not by the consent document, so do not change an audio setting unless the provider requested a specific format.

Common problems and next steps

You cannot type into the form. Open the file with an application that supports fillable fields. If the form is a scanned image, the practice may require you to print it, complete it by hand, and return a clear scan or photo.

You do not know whether video is included. Some consent forms cover video recording as well as audio. Read the wording carefully; if video is mentioned but not intended, ask the therapist to clarify before signing.

You are unsure how long to keep the recording. The retention period should be stated on the form or explained by the provider. Do not guess based on a personal storage habit.

The recording sounds too quiet or noisy. For a session using a physical input device, move the recorder closer to the speaker, lower competing sounds, and keep the same distance throughout the session. For an online meeting, use the microphone selectable in the meeting software and check the input level before the discussion starts. The final file is still governed by the consent terms, so make any setup changes before recording begins.