How do I get permission to record my coaching sessions?

If you’re recording sessions for reflective practice, submission to a mentor coach or to apply for an ICF credential or other coaching certification, ideally, you want to record sessions with an authentic coaching client. This includes sessions from a ReciproCoach recorded sessions reciprocal peer coaching round, but you can also get permission to record from your non-coach clients by:

1. Building session recordings into your business offering

When you first begin with a new client, in your information pack, website benefits or initial conversations, let them know that you include session recordings as part of your service. This can be a value-add for them. Explain how much can be gained from listening back to a session, both as client and as their coach. As clients, they may like to listen back to session recordings to capture valuable ideas and insights that can come through very quickly during sessions – more quickly that written notes can keep up with. Indeed, not needing to stop to make notes can improve the flow of the session itself. Plus, you can explain that the added benefit is that you will be in a position to coach them better, if you can listen back to coaching sessions yourself, as this is arguably the most effective means of refining our coaching skills.

2. Including permission to record in your coaching agreement

In addition to building session recordings into your business offering, ensure that you include a statement about recordings in your coaching agreement. Here’s an example:

You may opt in or opt out of having your coaching sessions recorded. I will always ask you before recording a session, but if you would prefer that none of your sessions are recorded, you may also advise me accordingly. Any session recordings may be used by you for your personal development and by me for my professional development. I will ask your written consent before sharing any of your session recordings with a third party, coaching mentor, supervisor or assessor.

3. Offering recorded sessions at discounted rates

Many clients prefer not to have their sessions recorded. Some clients feel self-conscious, while other times, the nature of the coaching relationship and the sensitivity of confidential information simply won’t allow it. If you find that most of your clients prefer not to have sessions recorded, and/or due to the nature of your coaching, you can’t build the recording of sessions into your regular practice, you could instead offer discounted rates for coaching sessions where permission to record your sessions is a condition of receiving the coaching at a discounted price. Client who take up this offer will either feel comfortable being recorded in general, or save particular topics that they are comfortable having recorded for these discounted, recorded sessions.

Of course, the easiest way to record your sessions as coach is by joining one of the ReciproCoach recorded sessions rounds. These happen every three months or so, and not only do you get advance permission to record your sessions as a coach, you also get coaching from another coach in return for the sessions you give (you also give advance permission for your sessions as a client to be recorded). Because coaches understand the importance of recording sessions, they are more likely to feel more at ease than non-coaches with having sessions recorded. This usually results in an authentic, uncensored session.

If you have experience in getting permission to record sessions, please share them with us below: