[Brightheart]

What is your T's office like? My t's office had a waiting room with a back room that we'd go in to do therapy. He had no receptionist and would come out and call me back to the room. Then he'd offer me a cup of tea. The waiting room had many drawings...seashells on the tables...several comfy couches...a faint vanilla-ish aroma...

I think part of comfort comes with familiarity. I'd always sit in the chair by the door leading out and he'd sit across from me in front of the window. I'd lay my coat on the floor next to the chair and then slump down in it, getting ready for my session with him. His coat would be hanging on the chair by his desk, his laptop on top of the desk, kids games on the floor behind him, the dim light of his lamp, the plant in the corner and peaceful quiet. I'd be looking down and see an errant curl of his hair out of the corner of my eye against the backdrop of the white shades behind him. And I knew he was there...my T...he was always there listening. I think I have every detail of that office memorized, from the kleenex box to the rug. It was our place for the hour. I miss our place, but I remember it so well. It was relaxing and safe, a good place to be with my T. I just wanted to share.

[phoenix7]

Thankyou for sharing that warm safe feeling that you have with your T

My T shares her office - the desk is not where she wants it - somtimes the light is dim - and it feels warm and cosy and safe - other times it feels like its too large and my T is too close when the lights are on and the blinds are open.

SHe has a buddha sitting on top of her filing cabinet - with a red strip of fabric hanging down from under it - I will miss that

[KUREHA]

The rooms are kind of the same where my psychologist works.
Anyway the room is pretty small, the desk and the shelves on the wall take up a lot of space.
We always sit next to the small table with the kleenex tissues and the clock - well I always stand, she writes stuff on the white board.

Although for that 1 hour I have her full attention

[ECHOES]

My T's room is not small. Her large desk against a large picture window looking out on a small grassy area with trees and birds come along.
Her chair, 2 office/upholstered chairs, and the couch where I sit.

From the wall to the right of the entry is a wall, about 12 feet long, has a series of 3' high shelves with 3 shelves. On all the shelves are toys. Stuffed animals, soft baby dolls, a few games, rubber snake, and the top is nearly entirely covered with small figures (for the sand tray, I assume).

Nest wall..No computer. Picture of her daughter on her desk. Vertical blinds pulled open, a slat or two fallen on the floor behind her desk. Under her desk a curled area rug, her satchel with papers/files, her bag (purse), often a shopping bag from a clothing store; she has an ever-updating and fabulous wardrobe that I adore. A lamp. Doll house on top at one side. Filing cabinet beside the desk by the doll house. Sand tray on top of the filing cabinet.

3rd wall: Chair, table (the small table with the drawer that has a keyhole in it and from which hangs a wooden key'ring'), lamp on that table that has an elephant base, chair, corner table with book props and a plant.

4th wall: Couch beside the corner table, doorway. Large pretty, calming painting of a garden path and garden behind me that I don't get the luxury of seeing.

In front of the couch a plastic parsons table with the kleenex.

I'm feeling "phfffft" with T and therapy right now or I might be kinder or more expressive about the room. As it happens, the room sometimes--like now-- drives me nuts because it feels cluttered to me and I can't think in clutter. So I stare out the window. I feel more out there than in there anyway.

[Mouse_]

T works from a room in her house. her chair is under the window, the couch is along a side wall oppersite the book shelves that are all along the oppersite wall which I have spent 5 plus yrs studying and directing my talking too, with the odd turn of my head toward T LOL! I have a photo of our room as my wallpaper on my phone.

[fallenangel337]

Sorry to bring up the dead, but I thought this thread was intersting.

My T's room is small, but not cramped at all. When you first walk in the door, there's a file cabinet against the wall to your left, her desk is straight in front, and there's a bookshelf to the right. On the other side there's a couch, and a potted tree on the other side of the couch. T's chair is sort of diagonal to the couch, and positioned at an angle from the wall. She's not directly in front of me, but she sorta sits sideways in her chair, so we're basically face-to-face. The distance is perfect. She's far enough away that we're both comfortable, but she's close enough that we can connect, and it doesn't feel like she's worlds away. She doesn't have a computer-like, standard T chair, but more like one you would find in a living room. On the other side of her is a little coffee table with a lamp, a clock, her planner, and whatever she's drinking that day. On the other side of the coffee table is another chair like hers, also cocked at a bit of an angle. She has a few pictures on the wall, and her degrees, of course.

My favorite part of her room is the lighting. There are no windows in her office, so the only light is coming from the two lamps that I spoke of. It's such a dimly-lit room, and that makes it SO much more comfortable to me. It's seriously just so chill...it's almost like we're in a quiet little coffee shop just talking. (It helps that she's usually drinking coffee, too :P) Everything about her office is perfect...it feels so chill...so safe...

I agree, it is an interesting thread!

My T's waiting room only has 3 chairs, a side table that is the same as one I have, only it's orange, and a funky little lamp on the table. There are potpourri sticks (I love the smell, I've resisted the temptation to steal a stick) and classical music playing. There are 2 offices off of the waiting room.

My T shares her office with a T who works with kids, so there are some hand-drawn pics on construction paper taped up on one cabinet, and a wooden dollhouse pushed against one wall on a shelf. It's a rather small office, but I like the size of it. There are 2 windows with wooden blinds, and I think 2 lamps. No desk, just a shelf against one wall with papers and the buzzer for the door that T has to press to let the next patient in. T's chair looks like a comfy swivel chair, she sits facing me. I can choose from a couch or a red leather chair (I always choose the couch and now know that I prefer to sit on the end near the windows and not the door). T has a wooden footstool and a rolling leather ottoman, I sometimes grab one of those to use, or T will push one towards me to use. I fidget a lot with T's pillows on the couch and have figured out which ones I like best. T has a bookshelf against the same wall as the windows, near her chair. She has 3 hanging shelves of books by the door - they are arranged by color. She has some art hanging on the walls, though not much.

The distance is perfect. She's far enough away that we're both comfortable, but she's close enough that we can connect, and it doesn't feel like she's worlds away.

I feel the same way!

[Brightheart]

Yeah, the room was always a huge thing for me because that was our space. It was the only concrete place I could ever be with him. It's a place I try to hold in my heart. And all of the little things about it always bring back pleasant thoughts now. The whole office had a vanilla-ish aroma that I still recall quite clearly. So anytime I smell something vanilla-ish now, I always think of T. Weird how the mind works sometimes...

[rainbow8]

Bethers, I agree that this is an interesting thread! Thanks. I'm afraid (call me paranoid, I know) that someone would recognize the description of my T's office, so I'm not going to post it. But I can say that when I close my eyes I can visualize it perfectly. Also her waiting room and the bathroom. She works out of her home, so everything is "her." There are so many items in those rooms that I identify with, almost like they are part of me. They are part of her, so they are part of me too, even though I don't get to be there too often any more.

[sittingatwatersedge]

T’s room appx 10ft x 10, but ceiling is 12, so when seated I feel like I’m at the bottom of a box – try not to think about it.

As you enter, 2 wing chairs are on the far end, not quite facing. If we sat forward our fingers might touch, don’t know. Straight across from me a very boring couch, it’s all I have to look at except T. To see the clock I must look 90 degrees left (and it seems very impolite to do so, which bugs me. Her chair is angled, so she can just glance at it).

No footstool, no coffee table. We used to meet in an unused classroom and I was glad to have a table between T and me; now there is nothing between, I would prefer it the other way

I really dislike “my” wing chair - keep having to choose whether to have my feet touch the floor, or have support for my back. Sitting straight up ion the edge of it for an hour is tiring, but sitting far enough into it to rest my back makes me feel like I am being swallowed up by that chair. It’s uncomfortable / distracting / anxiety producing, depending on the moment.
One of these days I am going to roll up Phoenix7’s blanket, and set it behind my back as a lumbar roll

Very good: Window is very near, with trees and daylight through the blinds.

Very bad: The room is not very soundproofed.
Her waiting area is very silent. The last 2 times I waited there, I recognized her voice from my seat & had to go one room farther away to wait, lest I make out words.
If someone remembers to close the additional door to her hallway this would fix the waiting room problem, but I have a feeling that people in offices next to or across from hers, or walking in her hallway, can overhear some of what is being said. Especially as I get angry sometimes, or upset, and when that happens I know I’m loud…

[deliquesce]

*snort*. poor SAWE, but your description finally let me see the humour (mortification! ) in my own T-room-situation.

have had the nagging feeling that the room is not sound-proofed at all. this was ok, because i thought patients waited down stairs at reception (im the first client, so i never wait). but apparently, no, they wait in the hallyway direclty outside the door.

so of course i had a shiteous time on thursday, and T asked me "are you ok" and i did a big sob "NO!" and kind of stormed out, ran straight into the next client (who was already standing up to go into the room) and she put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a quick encouraging smile.

i'm touched that she did that, but also kind of like WHAT THE **** ELSE DID SHE HEAR?!!

[Brightheart]

Oh no!

I always used to hear T laughing with the clients in ahead of me (I can remember wondering if I was the only one who ever went in there and bawled on the poor guy), so maybe his office wasn't too soundproof either. I never thought about that...

Once he wanted to switch me to the side without the window, but I really liked the window being behind him for some odd reason. I think his dark hair and the curls showed up better against the shades or something while I was staring at the rug. It's funny how little things such as tousled hair and window shades can somehow be comforting. I think it speaks to presence.

I've been thinking when I go back to visit him in the fall, that I'm going to ask for a hug. I think I'll ask to go back to the room to do that, though. It's okay to hug him there.

[sittingatwatersedge]

Originally Posted by deliquesce

*snort*. poor SAWE, but your description finally let me see the humour (mortification! ) in my own T-room-situation.

well at least I made you smile, that's a good medicine

about the rest of it though - I would seriously talk to yr T about it. One day she opened her door to let me out, and the next client was sitting on the floor right by the door (my first thought, there is a crack under the door of course ). It never happened again - good thing. I did tell her about the waiting room door and if she doesn't do something I will tell her again. it;s just the kind of client I am

My T's office isn't extremely sound-proof, and the waiting room is small (it's New York, everything is small). I think that's why there is classical music playing. I can sometimes hear muffled voices but never what they're saying, thank goodness! I also think this is one of the reasons I chose to move over on the couch so I now sit by the windows, as far away from the door as I can get.