#195 Why coaches and supervisors should record sessions

‍If the mention of recording a coaching or supervision session makes you feel slightly uncomfortable, you are not alone. As Eve Turner and Jo Cleary openly admit in this week’s episode of The Coaching Supervision Casebook Podcast, even highly experienced coaches and supervisors can find the prospect exposing, vulnerable and, at times, downright scary.

Yet their message is simple: do it anyway.

In her contribution to the Coaching Supervision Casebook, Eve describes an innovative supervision process involving a recording that was explored not only by the supervisor and supervisee, but also by a long-established global supervision group and, unusually, by the client featured in the recording itself. The result was a richness of learning that would have been difficult to achieve through recollection alone.

One of the strongest arguments for using recordings is that they move us beyond our subjective memory of events. As Eve observes, without a recording we bring only our interpretation of what happened. A recording allows us to revisit the reality of the interaction. We notice patterns, habits, repeated questions, moments of uncertainty, missed opportunities and strengths that would otherwise pass unnoticed.

The benefits extend far beyond technical skill development. Jo describes how reviewing a recording revealed parallel processes, deepened understanding and strengthened trust within supervisory relationships. Most strikingly, sharing the learning from supervision with the client transformed the relationship itself. The client reported experiencing the process as a gift and saw her supervisor in a more human, relatable way.

Of course, recordings carry risks. They can initially increase self-consciousness, alter behaviour and raise ethical and confidentiality considerations. Careful contracting is essential. Eve and Jo reassure us that these concerns reduce with practice. The more regularly recordings are used, the more natural they become.

Their challenge to practitioners is refreshingly direct: ‘Just do it’.

Record a session with appropriate consent. Review it yourself. Bring a short extract to supervision. Ask a positive question as well as a developmental one. Be curious rather than critical.

The greater risk may be missing the opportunity to see our practice more clearly, deepen our reflexivity and accelerate our growth as practitioners. Sometimes the most powerful learning is already available to us. We simply need the courage to press ‘record’.

Listen to the full conversation on The Coaching Supervision Casebook Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or at RSS.com.