Resources

By Clara Team

Consent for online therapy and session recording

Online therapy adds practical choices about the communication channel, each person's environment, and what happens during interruptions. If a session record is also created, that purpose needs its own clear explanation.

Agreeing to a video call does not automatically authorise audio, video, or transcription.

Information specific to online care

Explain which channel will be used, how identity is checked, what happens if the connection fails, how each person can protect privacy, and what alternative exists if online care becomes unsuitable. Agree how to respond to an urgent situation when people are in different locations.

If a session record is created

Describe:

  1. what is created, such as audio, a transcript, or derived notes;
  2. its purpose;
  3. who can access it;
  4. where it is processed and stored;
  5. the retention period;
  6. how permission for future recording can be withdrawn;
  7. the available alternative.

The choice should be free and specific. Do not present recording as necessary if the service can reasonably continue without it.

Avoid clinical details in calendar invitations, email subjects, or visible links. The guide to GDPR for therapists covers minimisation, access, and retention.

Clara can share the form, record who responded, and keep the signature, document, and status inside the clinical record. Explore consent management in Clara.

Official sources

Information reviewed on September 5, 2026.

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