[Salmon77]

My T is considering switching to meeting some clients in his home (and others online) and has been asking me how I would feel about it. I don't really know, it makes me nervous, but I don't like change.

I know some people here see their Ts in home offices. What are the pros and cons? Do you like it? Is it weird?

[LonesomeTonight]

I don't see my T at a home office in person, but he does "meet" virtually from his house sometimes since the pandemic (other times, he meets from his regular office). That felt weird at first, particularly when he would be in a different room than usual (and one looked like a bedroom). But I got used to it. It did let me "meet" his cat and dog, so that was something. And once he showed me some comic books of his son's.

However, I think I'd feel really weird meeting him in person at his home, especially if there was any chance his wife or son would be there (even if I didn't see them and I knew the session was private, I'd feel awkward about it).

None of my past T's or p-docs have been at their home either, aside from one I saw a few times when I was 12. Her office had a separate entrance, so it didn't feel like I was really in her house. I think that's part of what would make the difference for me, if I had to walk through any of their house to get to the office. Or if I had to use the bathroom, if that was in the main part of the house vs. a separate one off the office part.

My therapist works from a room in her house. It is in the middle of her house so I see a lot of her home as we walk to the therapy room. It's not an annex or a garden room or a separate office. It is right there in her home. I have met her cats, her partner, seen her unmade bed, clocked the empty whisky bottles, smelt cigarette smoke, met the neighbours and her mail delivery person, noticed political/protest items.

Before working remotely due to Covid, I was aware of not being relaxed in her space but accepted it as an unfortunate part of accessing therapy with her. Since working remotely and subsequently returning to her house for a couple of sessions, I find it borderline intolerable to be in her space again. I could see her in person in her house, but I choose remote sessions because I am safe in my space.

[nottrustin]

For a couple of years I saw long term T in her home office. For me it was more relaxing because it was less clinical. She sbared her other office with another therapist so it was very bland. There were a lot less people for me to run into. It was a lot more private so felt safer. When I arrived, I knew if she was with another wo I could stay in my car until they left. Once when I had injured my arm she walked into her house and got me an ice pack. She made over a large enclosed porch as her office and waiting room. So I never HAD to go into her house. She mostly lived alone on occasion her partner who lived out of state would visit here . She made sure to have noise machines, he would stay away from the porch. He usually was outsie in the back yard. If he needed to go in and out of the house he used thr backdoor and stayed in the back yard.

For con's: when she moved we had to move back to her other office, she loved close to me when I would go over people I knew (not friends) saw me. They always assumed we were friends and we never said otherwise, on occasions it felt like I was sitting at a friends house talking

Overall they I preferred going to her home office.

[Lostislost]

I saw a therapist that worked from home for while. The pros were I think he was cheaper because he didn't have to rent an office.

The cons were... Not knowing if his wife could hear us. She offered to make me tea once. Also I hated having to sit on his awful white leather sofa.

[Salmon77]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

It sounds like this home office is a room with a separate entrance and I wouldn't see much of the rest of the house. I definitely hope no whiskey bottles or unmade beds, that would really put me off... I have mid-morning appointments usually so his family should be at work or school. There is a dog but I like dogs and they can't tell anyone your secrets so that's okay.

I guess my big worry is it might feel too much like just visiting a friend? But that is probably a matter of staying on task.

[ArtleyWilkins]

I had a pdoc once who had a home office. Actually, it was basically in a mother-in-law's house next to his house. It sat on a cliff that overlooked the Gulf of Mexico. Had this HUGE glass window to look out of. (Yeah, he was apparently stinking rich. LOL!)

I've never seen a therapist in a home office. I think it would be okay if it was either a separate entrance or right inside the main entrance so you don't have to wander through the house to get to the office space.

[Lonelyinmyheart]

I see my T at home and I did a previous T as well. My first two T's were in an office. Personally I prefer seeing a T at their home. It feels more private and less busy. No one has to know my business. Plus I can cry more. I hated crying in an office due to everyone walking past. Ugh.

[ArtieTheSequal]

I see my long-term t in her home office, have been since mid-2015 when she moved back to town. Before that she was living out of state for a bit and we did phone sessions and before that, I saw her in a professional office building. Well, we did Zoom sessions for awhile during the worst of the pandemic last year.

Anyway I like the home office better, it feels more relaxed or something I guess. It's attached to her house but has a separate entrance so I've never seen the inside of the actual house. I think I would feel weird about it if I had to walk through it or see it to get to her office.

I liked her previous office-building office, though. It had a private door that opened out to the parking lot so I never had to go back through the waiting room when I left. That was nice.

[Omers]

I have never worked with a T that worked out of a home office. My current T used to live and work in the house his current office is in but he no longer lives there. There have been a few awkward moments when certain realizations about this actually hit me… like I am pretty sure the room we meet in used to be his bedroom. I also know personal things about that time in his life that are a little weird.
I have also been to the home of two of my T’s while I was working with them. The first was a member of my church and I had to go briefly for something related to church. I was scared but all in all it was OK. The other I went to pick up a bed she was getting rid of shortly after I moved into an apartment after being homeless. Slightly weird but again no big deal.

[SprinkL3]

In my over 20 years experience, I've dealt with both in-person in-home offices as well as regular in-person offices.

During this pandemic, I've been with my current T the longest. Initially, we spoke by phone. Then we went to VVC (through the VA's system), but she was working from home. I got to meet her doggie. That was nice for a while, but then she left the Vet Center and went into private practice. During that transition, we saw her old office - where we used to see her in person for a brief time before the pandemic hit, so that made us cry. But then we got a little used to that before she started renting out a space at her new office. So now we got used to her new office. We were able to adjust, as she was still the same T with similar decorations with each change. But we do miss her doggie now.

I think she's more private, so she may not see clients at her home. She does see clients in person, so we got jealous of that, even though we're terrified of seeing her in person, so it's kind of our own fault. She said she's open to seeing us in person whenever we're ready, and that we could schedule an additional 15 minutes to see her in person until we're ready to see her for the full hour. I'm not even ready for that yet. But she's really understanding.

I'd see her in her home, but I have no idea where she lives, and I have a feeling that she only did that during the pandemic when she was working for the Vet Center, prior to her going into private practice. Also, she understands that I was triggered in the past by a therapist in a different state who had me spend the night sometimes at her home, insisted that I needed more therapy, and bartered services from me so that I could clean her basement (which had rat droppings - yuck). I told her that I am terrified of meeting therapists in their homes, but I'm willing to if that's all that's available. Thankfully, this pandemic has allowed for more normative video sessions, which really helps me when I'm having mobility issues. In the past, I would only get to phone session or have to cancel.

The pros: You get a more personable feel of your T and can connect on a better level. You might also get charged cheaper copayments than if they were in an office. If they have a pet and you are okay with it, you might get that benefit, too. You also have a level of privacy, for the most part, that doesn't come with the office.

The cons: If the therapist has a roommate, or if the therapist is triggering because of that environment (such as reminding you of some past abuse or trauma), or if you are allergic to something or a pet in their home, or if it changes your relationship with your T to the point that therapy is no longer beneficial, etc.

You'll have to honestly write down your own pros and cons, because they will vary from person to person, based on the description above.

Talk it through with your T before you make a decision. Maybe your T will allow you to do a trial run before you make a decision.