Seating Arrangement during Session

How is the seating arrangement in your T's office? Do you sit in a chair or couch? How far away does your T sit from you? Do you sit "normal" or do something different like curl you feet up? If you curl your feet, do you take off your shoes? Does anyone here ever sit on the floor? Please also mention if your T is male or female.

Is there a correlation between the type of therapy orientation a T practices and how they sit in relation to their client?

My T has a chair, and I sit on a loveseat. We're facing each other...I'd guess 10 feet away. But if I get emotional, or look like I might, she'll come sit beside me on the loveseat and rub my leg, my back, or play with my hair. I have done some dissociating and I think that's her way of "keeping me there" before it happens. When I'm on the loveseat by myself I always take my shoes off, and take up as little space as possible, as my T would say. So I have my feet under me, yes. I have only sat on the floor when I've brought my dog.

My t and I sit about 3 ft from each other. She has moved and sat next to me when she's showing me something or feels I need to be closer to her. She always asks if it's okay first. I like her sitting next to me, but also panic a bit because of the closeness. Her and I have sat on the ground together just once, and she said I looked much more comfortable on the ground. She also said it was interesting for her too, because she usually sits a certain way in her role as a t and sitting on the floor meant she had to adopt a different posture.

My T has two chairs and a couch that kinda form a "U" shape both of the chairs swivel. She always sits in the same chair with her right leg under her and the other crossed over her knee with a pillow in her lap that she uses to keep her notebook on and I sit indian style as closed up as possible in the corner of the couch with my shoes off diagonal from her. I've thought about sitting directly across from her but have never done so. We are about 3 feet apart in our normal seating arrangement. I usually hold one of the pillows in my lap while we talk. The only time she's sat different is when I'm in distress she'll keep both feet on the ground and lean towards me.

My T has a big couch-chair that she sits in, and a regular couch that I sit on. She sometimes curls her feet up under her, and sometimes has them on a stool. I wad myself up in the corner of the couch with my feet curled up next to me. Or sometimes I sit cross-legged. My T always comments when I get really curled up. Sometimes she'll mention that other clients will use the pillows or blanket on the couch to hide/curl up with. One time she said that like twice, and then asked if she could put the pillows around me. I said no, but grabbed them myself (they were already on the other end of the couch).

With T1 I take my shoes off and sit cross-legged on the sofa. Which side of the sofa I sit on depends on my mood. I find that position helps me to be open, relaxed and explore my inner needs more effectively.
I have only seen T2 a couple of times but I sit on the right side of the couch (I think most clients sit on the left because he put the water there and last session commented that he forgot I sat on the other side.) I don't take my shoes off and I sit in a more adult and guarded way, which reflects the way I feel about him at the moment.
I only sat on the floor once when I was explaining some art to T1 and I knelt next to his chair. I enjoyed being physically closer to him.

Opposite soft armchairs 5 or 6 feet apart. She's got a range of therapeutic tools but mostly psychodynamic orientation. Leaning back from each other, with feet on the floor. I wish there was an ottoman. I talk more easily with feet elevated.

There's a loveseat against the wall for clients and my T sits in her couch-chair angled towards the couch. I sit on the side of the couch that is closest to her. We sit 2-3ft. apart.

We have both sat on the floor before because I brought my puppy and was letting her run around on the floor. We were sitting about 4ft. apart.

Neither of us have taken off our shoes.

I sit with my feet on the floor, cross one of my legs, sitting on one foot, or both legs crossed. I would never lay down. My T will sit in these positions too it just depends on how she's feeling, what she's wearing, and if she's leaning forward towards me. I never lean forward.

She has also sat next to me on the couch: her facing me and I faced forward. And we have also practiced deep breathing standing up: either facing each other about a foot apart or side by side a few inches apart.

My T is a client centered therapist. We're both females.

I sit on a loveseat. T is in a chair facing me, about 8 feetish away I guess. I do not take off my shoes or put my feet on the furniture. I don't sit on the floor (hell, I'd probably never get up; getting too old anymore).

My T is male. That was a specific decision for me in choosing a T. I've had problems with the female T's I've tried -- treated me to fragile, pitied me, etc. Not at all what I want froma therapist.

I've found how a T sets up the seating arrangement is first directed by the size and shape of the office. I haven't found it has much to do with type of therapy.

I sit on the end of the couch closest to her. Usually with legs crossed no pillows around. I toss them to the other side. She sits across from my side about 3 ft away in a wing back chair. She's never come over to my side.

wow im so surprised at how many people sit on couches. my t has 2 chairs not very comfortable across from each other with a coffee table along the wall between them with a lamp ,plant, clock facing her and a box of tissue. I wish she had a couch.

The woman sits in a chair and there is only an awful couch across from it about 4-5 feet for clients. I would prefer more distance from her. I hate the woman's couch and long for a chair. Sometimes I have taken my own folding chair in. Otherwise I sit in the middle with one leg crossed over the other -ankle to knee. There have been times when the couch pillows were askew and I have had to sit more on the end to avoid them.

There are two chairs (not sure what kind--didn't pay attention) and a small couch by the door that more or less faces the chairs. First appointment, she said to pick wherever I wanted to sit, so I took the nearest spot, which was the sofa. I'm not sure how far away she is. It always seems different in memory--sometimes close, sometimes far away--but I'd say it's about 5-6 feet.

I like that the room is really large (there's more behind the sitting area that's her office space) and has two walls of windows that make it very light, but also private because it's in a highrise.

I agree with lolagrace that placement has more to do with the constraints of the room than the type of therapy (or effectiveness).

I, too, sit on a couch across from my T. It's a comfortable distance and I use a pillow to support my lower back because the couch is not the most comfortable.

I would say he could use lamps instead of overhead lights, but I guess that's not his way. I would like a little more mood enhancement.

This is an interesting question and I enjoy reading the responses here. I see two therapists, one personal for me the other is our couples counselor.
With my T, I sit on a couch and she sits in a chair a couple feet away but always right next too her desk.
Her body language is relaxed. Occasionally she has leaned forward into my space to emphasize something bit mostly she's glued to her chair and sometimes even leaning back. The other day she had a blanket over her to keep herself warm.
I sit on the coach with my legs crossed, usually kind of guarded, unless she has me place the on the floor to do breathing exercises.
Only once she leaned over to give me some drawing tools-and stayed there while I drew. I enjoyed that closeness but that's as close as she's ever come to my side.

Our couples counselor has a love seat we take up. She has two chairs opposite, and she'll switch out which one she takes. I think she does this so neither one of us get less attention.

This is an interesting question and I enjoy reading the responses here. I see two therapists, one personal for me the other is our couples counselor.
With my T, I sit on a couch and she sits in a chair a couple feet away but always right next too her desk.
Her body language is relaxed. Occasionally she has leaned forward into my space to emphasize something bit mostly she's glued to her chair and sometimes even leaning back. The other day she had a blanket over her to keep herself warm.
I sit on the coach with my legs crossed, usually kind of guarded, unless she has me place the on the floor to do breathing exercises.
Only once she leaned over to give me some drawing tools-and stayed there while I drew. I enjoyed that closeness but that's as close as she's ever come to my side.

Our couples counselor has a love seat we take up. She she has two chairs opposite, and from session too session she'll switch which one asker takes. I think she does this so neither one of us get less attention.

Ex t swapped offices often because it was a community center with shared therapy spaces (there were 4 rooms we bounced between depending on the assigned office). They were tiny (kinda reminded me of closets) so there was never more than 3 feet between us. If the chairs were placed directly in front of each other, I would angle mine slightly off to the side. There was no real opportunity to "get comfortable" in those chairs. There was no real option but to sit upright.
Ex ex t's office had the choice of a couch or a chair. She would sit in her desk chair at an angle to either seating option. I always chose the couch because the chair would have had my back to the door (something that makes me very uncomfortable). I also prefer hiding in the seating option as best I can, so her couch was perfect: cushy, filed with pillows, and I would sink into it. It was nice because we covered very vulnerable stuff. I think all the offices in that center are set up less confrontational, more comfortable, and easier to hide in. They deal with child abuse and sexual assault, so I'm guessing they try to make it inviting and as not intimidating as possible.

I would agree that most chair setups are first dictated by space restraints and only secondarily by therapeutic impact (at least in community mental health settings. Private practice may have more flexibility in choosing office spaces).

He and I sit together on the love seat.

I'd ask to switch. I'd think that since you are paying, you should get the seating preference.

When I still saw her in person, t sat in her rocking chair and I sat on the end of the sofa right across from her with a little round wicker table in between. I don't recall the distance - not much more than the size of the little round table though. It was a comfortable distance, just right I thought, not too close, not too far. Sometimes I took my shoes off, mostly not. I never sat on the floor, but wanted to on more than one occasion. Now that we do only phone sessions, we sit about 1,300 miles apart. When we are talking on the phone, it doesn't feel like she is that far away at all.

I still miss those in-person sessions, though, because I miss her actual presence, seeing her and being seen. Something like that.

No - I do not want the therapist doing a favor at me. I would rather bring my own or endure the couch. I am simply miffed there is not another chair. Plus her chair would put her by the door which would be worse than even her couch.

Yeah.. I get the door part. But if not for that, I don't think shed be doing a favor. My way of looking at it would be that you are taking what you are paying for. But still... I guess if *she* thought of it as a favor.. that would be a problem. I like that you bring your own chair. That makes quite a statement.

CBT T and I sit in what was once a small dr.'s office. Two metal chairs with padded seats and backs--both chairs are a bit squeaky too. We sit facing each other but pretty close--we can't both outstretch our legs so I tend to tuck mine user the chair while T sprawls a bit.

not the most comfortable office

We sit on armchairs facing each other. I'm just sorry that in this location there is no couch (all the previous locations where my therapist worked had a couch). We used to sit right next to each other on the couch occasionally, when we did certain activities together like reading or drawing. Now if we want to sit next to each other, he brings another small armchair next to me and sits but it's not the same.

It's in a hospital outpatient clinic, so there's no fixed room for therapy.

It's basically two crappy hard plastic chairs while she has a more comfortable roller chair by the desk with the computer.

The first clinic has no window.

The second one is smaller and on the ground floor with a large window opposite the door with a garden