Additional Info

Video Recording In Therapy

From Feb 2020-Feb 2023, I completed ISTDP Core Training with Dr. Allan Abbass, Dr. Joel Town, and Dr. Ange Cooper with the Centre for Emotions and Health, Dalhousie University. Training in ISTDP requires intensive learning, supervision, and review of my work through the use of video recording. Even after completing ISTDP core training, we’re encouraged to continue to use video recording and video review as an incredibly helpful tool to offer better therapy to people we work with.

Of course, video recording is optional and your informed consent is required for video recording and video review. I have a written consent form for video recording that I give to everyone I work with.

Video recording therapy helps me to study the process of treatment in order to make psychotherapy more effective and efficient. I use video recording to study that process in between sessions so that I can reflect on ways to improve my work with you. Research shows that just the act of video recording a therapy session motivates therapists to work better and therefore, you get a better therapeutic result. On top of that, when a therapist reviews video after a session, competency increases more and when, at times, a therapist shows their video to a seasoned supervisor and/or in a confidential training group, competency increases again.

While video recording is not mandatory to work with me, recording sessions is an important way of supporting me to do my best work with you. It’s an integral part of my training and competency. If I don’t have a video recording, I can’t study our session, or get skilled feedback on what has actually happened (as opposed to relying on an explanation or memory/perception, which can be partial and sometimes not accurate). When I can receive supervision feedback through reviewing video, it allows me to try a different intervention in our next session to achieve a better result.

For people who consent to video recording, I may review the recording in the following ways:

1. myself (self-supervision), and/or
2. with a supervisor (individual supervision), and/or
3. in a professional group context with a supervisor and/or other trained ISTDP therapist colleagues.

All of this is done under the strictest confidentiality agreements. All recordings are stored in a secure location and permanently destroyed immediately after they have been used for their intended purposes as stated above. Your video recording is not part of your client file. You have the right to not give your consent to video recording. You can consent to point 1 and/or 2 and/or 3 above. If at any point you change your mind about your consent, you can revoke your consent at any time by verbal and written request and upon doing so, any recordings will be immediately destroyed.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about video recording in therapy. Please feel free to reach out to me to ask me any questions about it.