It seems whenever I see cartoons about therapy, the T is always sitting in a chair behind a couch where the client is lying down. This certainly solves the eye contact problem, but does anyone do that anymore?

I'm curious how other T's set up their offices. Where do you sit, and where do they sit? How far away is the T physically?

I'll start. Because my T does a lot of family counseling, he has a large office with an L-shaped leather sectional, plus another chair. His desk is against the wall, facing the window. He sits in a high-backed swivel chair, facing me - most of the time. I can sit anywhere on the couch, and I sit directly in front of him against the edge of the couch. His chair is about 6-8 feet away. Lots of room, plenty of distance between us ... just the way I like it.

[nannypat]

My T's office is not that big. It is a front portion of his home that has been nicely set up so that you walk in the fron door to a foyer section that has french doors into his living area, a door into a bathroom for his patients use( I think that was thoughtful on his part) and then french doors into his office. His desk is also up against the wall with a desk chair. He has two other chairs,to me they look like jumbo baseball gloves, I don't really know how to explain them, but they are comfy and they swivel(thank god cuz I have to move) He sits in one, me the other facing each other maybe 3-4 feet apart. It works for the most part. It is very quiet with no distractions. That is good for me because when things are hard I lose focus very easily.

[SoupDragon]

My T has no desk. When I first started going to see T, we sat on folding directors chairs facing one another - then when I felt more comfortable there we moved to sit on an L shaped arrangement of cushions on the floor. So T is not directly in front of me, but to the side.

This is good because I can choose to look at T, but can also just look straight ahead and avoid eye contact (my preferred stance )

[stopdog]

My just past one had a desk in the corner but she sat in a chair and there was a regular large couch across from the chair with a coffee table separating the two. I hated the couch and thought there should be chair for clients too. It seemed like a power thing. The coffee table was comforting to have as a separation.
The current one has a desk, rolling desk chair, regular chair and small sofa. I usually sit in the chair which is right next to the door and she sits in the rolling desk chair facing me. But she does roll as far away from me as the room allows for the sake of my comfort.
Neither had a lying down sort of couch.

I did try one earlier this year who had the whole black leather no arm lie down on couch with a chair behind it. It creeped me out.

[mcl6136]

Originally Posted by stopdog

My just past one had a desk in the corner but she sat in a chair and there was a regular large couch across from the chair with a coffee table separating the two. I hated the couch and thought there should be chair for clients too. It seemed like a power thing. The coffee table was comforting to have as a separation.
The current one has a desk, rolling desk chair, regular chair and small sofa. I usually sit in the chair which is right next to the door and she sits in the rolling desk chair facing me. But she does roll as far away from me as the room allows for the sake of my comfort.
Neither had a lying down sort of couch.

I did try one earlier this year who had the whole black leather no arm lie down on couch with a chair behind it. It creeped me out.

that would creep me too!

[wintergirl]

This is interesting! My T's office is much like Bunny's (he's in a practice with several other Ts and Pdocs) - there are two tan microfiber sofas and a clear glass coffee table. My T has a desk against a wall, and he sits in a black, wheeled, highback office chair. He sits about six feet away, and the coffee table does not separate us. There are high windows along two walls.

I saw another T in his practice, and that guy's office was like a walk-in closet. It was super small and cramped, with one window that had green shades, making it seem even more dark.

[OneRedRose]

My T's office changes, its not actually an office...well she has an office that is a shared office by sounds of it when she calls, but because I have T in a hospital, the rooms varie, but they all have a similar layout, they all have a couple of cushioned chairs, and a circular table in the center, big doors with a little circular window, you can sit where you like, I always enter first, but I always sit opposite door as I like to make sure no one is watching through door (we have had a situation before when someone accidently walked in too)

[mcl6136]

My Ts office has a long couch without arms but it's flat and there's another chair that is a swivel type across from the couch, so I have a choice there.

My T sits in another swivel type against the far wall.....The couch does NOT face the T's chair, so if you choose the couch, you're looking right out the window, which I don't like. I also don't like the swivel chair.

Seating isn't my top concern right now, but I really don't like this set up. I even have a fantasy abuot bringing a folding chair!

T has two couches across from each other in a little office. But we akways sit next to each other on the couch. T is about half an inch away. We usually hold hands while we talk.

My T just moved into a new office that is very nice. He has a desk near the door, but I've never seen him actually sit behind it. I sit on a leather loveseat against the far wall. Since my T does family therapy, there are several other chairs sitting near the loveseat -- kind of a conversation area. T sits in his desk chair (but not at his desk) I guess about 4 feet in front of me. His chair rolls and he rolls it close if he knows I'm struggling to stay present. Other than that, there are a couple bookcases and lots of nick-nacks and gifts from clients over the years. That's about it.

[suzzie]

at mine there are two chairs side by side. with a table between. i sit on the edge of the chair closes the door. i like to be able to see it. no couch. but id never sit on it anyway. and there is a desk too.

[Bella01]

Since I go to see my T at the unversity hospital it's bascially a exam room. No window since it's on the first floor. He has a recliner in this room but I never have sat there.

He sits about two to three feet away from me. I don't mind this because he can keep me on track this way otherwise I will drift off the subject. And when I'm not listening he gets in my face.

I really like this T because he has a strong personally.

[stopdog]

I just realized I have no idea if there are pictures on the wall or knick knacks or anything like that. I guess i don't usually look around.

[SoupDragon]

Originally Posted by stopdog

I just realized I have no idea if there are pictures on the wall or knick knacks or anything loke that. I guess i don't usually look around.

I know my T's carpet really well.

[gashly]

The therapists I've seen usually have a chair a few feet away from a couch, or a couple of comfortable chairs where you can sit in view of each other, but at a comfortable distance and choose your angle. They usually give you an option of where to sit, but will usually have their own preference for the chair.

The whole chair behind the couch probably pokes fun at the old Freudian method of therapy, which was lying on the couch not being able to view the therapist. I think it's done in cartoons because people recognize easily that the scene occurs in the therapist's office.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by gashly

The whole chair behind the couch probably pokes fun at the old Freudian method of therapy, which was lying on the couch not being able to view the therapist. I think it's done in cartoons because people recognize easily that the scene occurs in the therapist's office.

The one I went to once that had the chair behind the black armless couch was serious about it. It was the only furniture in the room.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by TheBunnyWithin

It seems whenever I see cartoons about therapy, the T is always sitting in a chair behind a couch where the client is lying down. This certainly solves the eye contact problem, but does anyone do that anymore?

I'm curious how other T's set up their offices. Where do you sit, and where do they sit? How far away is the T physically?

I'll start. Because my T does a lot of family counseling, he has a large office with an L-shaped leather sectional, plus another chair. His desk is against the wall, facing the window. He sits in a high-backed swivel chair, facing me - most of the time. I can sit anywhere on the couch, and I sit directly in front of him against the edge of the couch. His chair is about 6-8 feet away. Lots of room, plenty of distance between us ... just the way I like it.

lately my therapists office is where ever I can meet up with her. right now Im covering for someone at work so I always seem to be on the go. my therapist and I catch up with each other where ever. like the other day when I was waiting for a client in the ER I had to call my therapist and say - I dont think Im going to be out of here in time for our session feel like coffee on the run? (the hospital coffee shop) I let the nurses know I was waiting on a victim and to page me when the police and victim got there. Then I met my therapist down the hall in the coffee shop.

her actual office looks more like a home living room - couch, rocking chair book cases full of books, desk, plants, pictures, coffee maker for coffee and hot water, pillows, a tv DVD/VCR unit, a few blankets, toys, Art table and supplies, sand try / water tray and one wall is a cork board / dry ease board combo. (and she thinks she needs more items as she sets up her newly formed private business office lol)

[dismantle.repair]

Mine sits about 5-6 feet away from me, between us being this really old, DUSTY rug I sometimes stare at with such fervour I often wonder if it would spontaneously combust.
There are 2 chairs... and then behind is a desk and 2 other chairs for when she wants to work with the computer. :\
Other than that, some random paintings, a filing cabinet and what I assume to be is an office... My T somehow manages to keep my eyes on her for the most part. I dunno how, because I'd have a tendency to look far far away.

[skycastle]

Two chairs, a couch... I always sit on the couch so I can see the clock and the door. The chair looks more comfortable but it seems too vulnerable and unsafe to me.

Thanks to all you guys who responded. I was really curious, and it's fun to see the differences. My T has a lot of floor-to-ceiling bookcases, full of books, pictures and weird/funny stuff, like a singing trout and a voodoo doll. He says he uses those things during sessions sometimes. I can't wait to ask him what he uses the skulls for (2 of them - not real, but creepily realistic).

Good thread, interesting responses, I'm always curious about what others therapy sessions look like

My T works from home. The room we use is quite small, with a window, a bookcase, two small side tables (that I recognise to be from IKEA, hehe), and two identical chairs that face each other - a few feet apart. The chairs are quite large, and comfortable, but they're the kind of chair you have to sit in 'properly'. If someone was to look in the window (if there weren't blinds up), they'd see two pairs of legs, like in WG's 'Therapy Tales' cartoons.

[ChristineEsq]

My former T's office: Two armless chairs facing each other and positioned relatively close together. A shoiji screen separated off her personal desk, but there was a matching table just right of the door on which she kept her appointment book.

Only the red/violet walls seemed unusual to me.

[confused and dazed]

My T's office (private practice) has a comy leather chair near the door (mine ), his desk (no desk chair) to the right of it, a big leather couch across from the chair and my T sits on a leather chair across from me (4 or so feet away) a big window above the couch. The deocorations are boreing lol.

[nicoleb2]

My T has her desk against one wall, with a window on the opposite wall. Then there are two white chairs probably 3-4 feet or so away from each other, facing each other. Behind the chair I always sit in, there is a file cabinet and a floor to ceiling bookcase with books, cards, and other miscellaneous stuff on it.
On the wall above T's chair, there are 4 framed pictures. The carpet is sort of a greyish with multi-colored speckles in it.

I spend most of my time staring out the window (through the blinds, they are pulled down, but not closed)
I usually don't make eye contact until t specifically asks me to.

I know my T's carpet really well.

I had to laugh at this... t got new carpeting and I was so mad. A few sessions later I complained that he could have cut me out a square or at least take a picture. So, he did and now I have an 8x10 picture of t's old rug...