Does it bother you if T changes the Therapy Room?

HealingTimes · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:40 PM

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?

HazelGirl · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:41 PM

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

growlycat · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:42 PM

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.

RTerroni · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:43 PM

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.

HealingTimes · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by growlycat

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.

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.

stopdog · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:46 PM

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.

HealingTimes · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stopdog

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!

clairelisbeth · Aug 22, 2014 at 02:50 PM

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!

coolibrarian · Aug 22, 2014 at 03:14 PM

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

Leah123 · Aug 22, 2014 at 03:45 PM

Change is evil.

vonmoxie · Aug 22, 2014 at 03:56 PM

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.

guilloche · Aug 22, 2014 at 05:55 PM

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!

BonnieJean · Aug 22, 2014 at 07:27 PM

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...

pbutton · Aug 22, 2014 at 07:55 PM

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.

confused and dazed · Aug 22, 2014 at 07:59 PM

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.

roimata · Aug 22, 2014 at 11:23 PM

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.

:}

stopdog · Aug 22, 2014 at 11:28 PM

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.

RTerroni · Aug 22, 2014 at 11:52 PM

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.

Aug 23, 2014 at 02:15 AM

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.

kraken1851 · Aug 23, 2014 at 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winenot3

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.

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Does it bother you if T changes the Therapy Room?

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HazelGirl Elder Member Since Jan 2014 Location: USA Posts: 5,248 10 91 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 02:41 PM #2 Yes, she hasn't changed much, but even small changes make me a little on edge. __________________ HazelGirl PTSD, Depression, ADHD, Anxiety Propranolol 10mg as needed for anxiety, Wellbutrin XL 150mg
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growlycat Therapy Ninja Member Since Jan 2007 Location: How did I get here? Posts: 10,308 17 16.1k hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 02:42 PM #3 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.
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RTerroni Elder Member Since Sep 2013 Location: USA Posts: 5,751 10 2,136 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 02:43 PM #4 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. __________________ COVID-19 Survivor- 4/26/2022
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clairelisbeth Member Member Since Aug 2013 Location: NJ Posts: 400 10 3 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 02:50 PM #8 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!
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coolibrarian Poohbah Member Since Feb 2014 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,302 10 1,041 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 03:14 PM #9 At first, I am not comfortable with changes to the room, but I usually get used to them. __________________ In a world where you can be anything, be kind. ;
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Leah123 Grand Magnate Member Since Jun 2013 Location: Washington Posts: 3,593 11 1,759 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 03:45 PM #10 Change is evil.
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guilloche Magnate Member Since Jun 2014 Location: US Posts: 2,734 10 2,704 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 05:55 PM #12 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!
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BonnieJean Poohbah Member Since Aug 2011 Location: in the windmills of my mind Posts: 1,334 12 3,264 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 07:27 PM #13 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... __________________ -BJ
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confused and dazed Member Member Since Jan 2011 Location: Here and There Posts: 207 13 170 hugs given	Aug 22, 2014 at 07:59 PM #15 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.
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Anonymous37892 Guest Posts: n/a	Aug 23, 2014 at 02:15 AM #19 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.
	Reply With Quote