Does it bother you if T changes the Therapy Room?

After a 3 week break (Ts vacation), I went back to T this week It was great to see her.
But as soon as she opened the door, I noticed that she had rearranged a few items, put a new rug down and also a new mat. I said "Hi..oh you've changed things" and she wanted to talk about why it bothered me. But I don't know why it bothered me so much, but it really did.

I had so much to talk about, that I didn't have time to talk to her about it (I am going to discuss it next week).

Has anyone else had the same kind of reaction to a change in the therapy room? Why do you think you reacted that way?

Yes, she hasn't changed much, but even small changes make me a little on edge.

I sort of like it. To me it shows a shift in T's thinking which can open up new ways of addressing the same old things.

Never bothered me with a previous Therapist, when over the 4 years that I saw here we met in several different rooms in 2 different offices.

She said that for her its about respecting herself and the important work that she does in that room. She also said that the room has to 'hold' a lot of important stuff and sees a lot of difficult stuff, so she likes to look after it and take care of it.

I doubt I would notice unless the therapist was closer to me or blocking the door or something like that. But the therapist being closer or blocking the door would bother me a great deal.

I totally agree, I would not like that!

There have been a few times that someone asked my T if they could use her office to run a grp, and we had to have our session somewhere else-it definitely threw me off!

At first, I am not comfortable with changes to the room, but I usually get used to them.

Change is evil.

My last therapist did a lot of group therapy, so the room was always slightly differently arranged. To me it was unsettling being in a room that looked as though there were people missing, but the changing things around didn't bother me. Another T before that operated out of two locations, and in one location changed offices 3 times over the course of the few years I saw her. I was more comfortable with her style of therapy though, and didn't much notice the room we were in, except when first arriving. I guess everybody's different.

Yes. Old T a long time ago once had to use a colleague's office for my session b/c the computer repair guy was in his office... omg it was awful. And he didn't get that it was more awful than usual. Everything felt bigger and colder and more far away.

Hmm... interesting, I just realize I have NO idea whose office that actually was. How weird!

I survived new furniture a couple of years ago. She has her hair up for the summer and there's a new plant this week. Neither of which I like - probably because of the change. I talked about the plant but not her hair...

I suppose it would depend upon the change. T has been talking about getting a new couch for several months now. I feel prepared for that change.

He also removed something from his office that I REALLY REALLY did not like. I was thrilled with that change. He recently changed the lighting from overhead lighting to two lamps, and I like that quite a bit. I think I will like it even more in the winter when it is dark.

There is this certain item in T's office, if it is not where it usually is, I make T put it back..... T always does, kinda makes me think it's done on purpose to see if I say anything... I always say something lol.

I spend more time looking around the room than I do at the therapist herself, so I'd notice a disturbance in the physical environment far sooner than I'd notice something like a hairstyle change. But if she dyed her hair or something I think I'd spend the entire session zeroed in on her head. Maybe she should do that.

She took something off her walls a few months ago and it threw me off, I think I asked her two or three times why the room felt threadbare.

It helps me adjust when she asks for my input on how she should style a wall or something and we take some time riffing interior design ideas. And it makes me feel useful/important when she implements my suggestions. "You can't kick me out because I am crucial to the integrity of your furnishings. Without me the entire structure of your feng shui would collapse." The three frames on that wall, the ones that tie your room together, the ones that keep your feng shui unruffled, would agree with me.

:}

I think some people are more visual or aware of surroundings more in general than I am. I very likely would not notice if something was taken off my wall at home, let alone at the therapist's.
I notice whether I can see the clock on the table or not. If not - I take off my watch and put it on my knee. I never, ever touch any of the therapist's stuff. I dislike it when I have to move a pillow on the couch. I do wish the one had chairs instead of her awful awful sofa.

I think that furniture changes have more of an effect on me than room changes, for the last few weeks that I saw my most recent Therapist the couch was in the process of being fixed so I instead sat in a chair, but it also meant that I was seated closer to her for the last few sessions which I thought made the sessions a little more intimate.

My T is moving to another location. I mean, the entire practice is moving, not just him. It'll be a completely different room. I'm not ready for it. I've expressed a lot of important feelings in that room, and knowing it will be gone soon kinda tears me up.

Maybe you could take pictures of the room to "preserve" your experiences and take them over to the new room?

I sat down in "my" chair a week or two back and immediately was "has this been moved?". I pushed it back 5 inches or so and things felt "right" again. (the imprints in the carpet indicated where it usually stands).

T told me they had to move the chair a little the week before. A client brought flowers that they placed on the little table between them and which blocked their line of vision.
I felt like a bit of a freak then, because apparently no one else had noticed and the chair was off only by a few inches. Lol.

I sometimes wish my T had a couch instead of a chair, as I imagine I would happily curl up on the couch and that it might help me feel more relaxed.

I've had a few sessions in a completely different, very "clinical" room with one of my therapists. Those times definitely threw me off.

But my other T just changed rooms, this one with a window and he decorated it more. The only thing that I'm still getting used to is the lack of room compared to the old room.

No i dont like change i like to feel comfortable and safe it all must stay the same. It would bother me.

I noticed right away when she brought in a new bookshelf, but it complements the office. I did not like when she took away some of the toys tho, it made the room feel less...warm. Mostly tho I like room whatever way as long as its THAT room, I hate her office in another city. I go there rarely but its uncomfortable bc its not my "home" office.

Only thing that changed while I still saw her in person, she moved the raven that was on top of a bookshelf across from where I sat. One time I mentioned it felt like it was staring at me.. The next appt she'd moved it where I wouldn't see it. I wanted to hug her for that!

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