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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by muffled on September 7, 2007, at 21:58:35
I once, early on, tried to tape a session with my mp3 player, but it was around my neck and mostly all I could hear was my heart!!! I felt so guilty bout doing it, even tho is was no good, that I told my T. I don't think she was too happy, but she was glad I was honest bout it. I DID mention taping in my writings, but she never brought it up as a possibility...so I dunno why exactly, but it seems to me that she really didn't want to tape.
The reason I WANTED to tape, was that I was SO frustrated, cuz I used to dissociate thru entire sessions, and I'd get home, and go to make notes.....and remember little or nothing. Later I would just have blank spots, and now I can remember most of the session. So I wanted to tape cuz it seemed like SUCH an utter waste of time going to T when I would have NO memory of it. It was ridiculous. Farcical. Stupid. I now realize that even tho I didn't remember anything, I think we were still building some level of trust, cuz while I had no memory of the session, I also had no real fear for my safety or anything retrospectively, so that was a good sign to me, that proly nothing bad happened.
And so I kept going back.
So what are others opinion/experience of taping sessions?
Was it useful?
Just kinda curious.
Thanks,
M
Posted by zenhussy on September 8, 2007, at 0:11:56
In reply to Regarding taping sessions..., posted by muffled on September 7, 2007, at 21:58:35
>>> So what are others opinion/experience of taping sessions?
Was it useful? <<<have utilized a mp3 player/recorder for this purpose. purchased w/ idea of using in therapy for hard to remember things. in specific for therapist to leave messages on to help between sessions or during long holiday breaks.
therapist has been great about using it as an additional tool in our therapy. downside of this mp3 player's 512MB size is that it's hard to really know when to start taping since not enough memory to catch full session.
wish could afford 1GB or more mp3 player/recorder but happy to have ability to make oral notes and catch important things that are darn near impossible to write down while flowing through dissociative states. knowwhatwemean?
the quality of the recordings is much better if you buy just a digital recorder made for the purpose. the multi function of a player/recorder made our purchase justifiable (it was really cheap at electronic box store). would have splurged for nice digi recorder w/ big ol 2GB memory and space for upgradable memory if money grew on trees! perhaps someday as school slips back in to life....
Posted by arora on September 8, 2007, at 3:55:01
In reply to Regarding taping sessions..., posted by muffled on September 7, 2007, at 21:58:35
I know what you mean about not being able to remember what was said during sessions... when I got home I was often a complete blank and couldn't recall anything.
If you were to explain all this to your T, (and I think what you said in your post puts it really clearly how it is for you) would she let you tape a session, just to see if this would work for you?
Maybe she is worried you might listen to the tape later and worry about how you might have said things differently- perhaps it might make it more difficult to be spontaneous and natural during a session if you were aware it was being taped? (I feel very self-conscious if I know I am being recorded talking!)
arora
Posted by Wittgenstein on September 8, 2007, at 5:50:45
In reply to Re: Regarding taping sessions..., posted by arora on September 8, 2007, at 3:55:01
Muffled,
I think Arora's suggestion of giving your T your post is a good one. You put it so clearly - there are obvious advantages to taping the sessions in your case. I didn't think it was so unusual to record sessions - I'm sure it's standard practice for some therapists/clients.
See how she responds to the points you made in your post. I hope she will be open to this as it clearly could help you.
Take care,
Witti
Posted by Dinah on September 8, 2007, at 9:36:23
In reply to Regarding taping sessions..., posted by muffled on September 7, 2007, at 21:58:35
I think that's a good reason to want to tape, although since I hate to be taped myself I can understand your therapist's discomfort.
I sometimes think I'd like to tape my sessions if I'm control of the only copy of the tape. But then I remember how I can't watch my wedding video without crawling under the covers.
Posted by red house on September 9, 2007, at 11:38:55
In reply to Regarding taping sessions..., posted by muffled on September 7, 2007, at 21:58:35
i tape sessions with my T and find it very helpful. i began doing it in secret, without asking permission. eventually i worked up the nerve to tell T what i was doing and then asked permission, which was freely given.
i have a digital recorder that i use just for therapy; it cost about $80 -- not cheap, but since i pay more than that for a session, it seemed justified. sometimes i find it really helpful not just to hold onto what happened in the session, but also to realize that i was reacting to something that really hadn't been there, but was just in my head. (i.e., T had not really used a mean tone, etc., or, in fact, T had expressed quite a lot of emotion that i missed in the heat of being overwhelmed.)
i wish i had just asked in the beginning if it was something i could do (tape the sesssions) because i built up a lot of shame over doing it in secret and the desire to have the recording to hold onto. this may be something that would vary by T, but i think, in the end, if it's agreed to, that it's so very helpful that it's worth the risk of asking for it.
redhouse
Posted by muffled on September 10, 2007, at 11:15:25
In reply to Regarding taping sessions..., posted by muffled on September 7, 2007, at 21:58:35
Thanks guys.
I seem for the most part to remember sessions now.
I dissociate alot less.
I was just wondering if it would have helped.
There's proly times it would still I suppose.
But I kinda chicken to ask.
I think I'd feel kinda awkward somehow...
Awkward that T was feeling awkward, and awkward myself too.
Thanks for replies, this is good to hear.
Muffled.
This is the end of the thread.
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