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Obtaining informed consent is a crucial ethical consideration when audiotaping therapy sessions. This principle ensures that clients are fully aware of how their personal information is being recorded, used, and potentially shared. Informed consent involves explaining the purpose of the audiotaping, how the recordings will be utilized (for supervision, education, etc.), and who will have access to the tapes. This transparency is essential for maintaining trust in the therapeutic relationship and protecting the client's rights and confidentiality.

For instance, clients must understand what it means to have their sessions recorded and provide explicit permission before any recording takes place. This ethical requirement upholds the values of autonomy and respect for the client, allowing them the choice to participate in the recording process or not.

While other considerations mentioned may also be relevant in specific contexts, they do not hold the same foundational importance as informed consent. For example, ensuring service quality under supervisory review is a procedural matter but does not address the client's rights. Awareness of supervisors may be part of clinical practice, but it does not replace the necessity for informed consent regarding the recording itself. Lastly, ethical guidelines do dictate proper use and sharing of recorded materials, but this aspect alone cannot justify audiotaping without prior consent from the client.