If you are a counselor in training, it is likely you will soon have to or already have had to, with permission, record sessions with your clients to submit for review from a professor or supervisor. For some, this can seem like a daunting task. It certainly was for me at first. As a counselor in training, my life is already in the middle of a transition. When I began seeing clients, I felt like there were so many things I needed to be mindful of during session. I wanted to make sure I was using the helping skills I was taught, I was trying to navigate new people and new situations, I was trying to make sense of a particular theory, and I didn’t exactly know who I was as, “Hillary the counselor”, just yet. It was hard enough to keep all of those plates spinning, now you want me to put them on display for someone in the field I admire and look up to?
After my first time recording a session, I was quite curious to listen to myself. I listened to the session when I went home that night. During the first fifteen minutes of the session, I could hear the awkwardness in my voice. It was clear to me that I was aware of the recorder in the beginning. I was not at ease. I was not my genuine self. I wasn’t being authentic. I said some silly things that I suppose in the moment were really just me making small talk, but I hated hearing that version of myself. Prior to listening to the tape, I thought the session had gone fine, but after listening to the tape, I was not so sure. When I received feedback from my professor on my technique, it made me feel bad. I was told that I had not done any reflection of feeling, which might be one of the most important micro skills a counselor can have.
While my overall feedback was positive, I still felt ashamed. However, as difficult as it was to read feedback on the skills I used, didn’t use, or misused, it was crucial to absorb that feedback. I spent a few days bummed out that I wasn’t a counseling prodigy and I moved on. Four months later it was time for me to submit another recording. This time was a bit different though. I had a better idea of who I was as a counselor. I had established this version of myself with myself, but also with my clients. On top of that, I was a bit more familiar with my theory and I was no longer worried about new situations or people. They existed, but I was confident I could navigate whatever came my way.
When we sat down to record this time, only the first five minutes were awkward. While I was still aware of the recorder, I was less inhibited by it. Listening to that session afterwards, I heard myself reflecting client feelings and content. I heard myself using other skills too. I heard myself making restatements and observing non-verbal communication. I listened to it three times over. I heard things I missed in the initial session. I heard opportunities I missed to explore specific topics. I heard ideas expressed by my client that I didn’t fully understand were being expressed to me during the session. The practice of listening to client tapes has been enlightening. I am so much more aware of who I am as a counselor, where I am as a counselor, and what I need to prioritize for my growth as a counselor because I listen to tapes and then embrace myself for where I am at instead of comparing myself to who I want to be.
If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.
Hillary R.,
Masters Level Intern, 2023
CounselingMatters.live 
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