Our practice rooms, should be fit for purpose. We spend time in conversation and time where we are encouraging our clients into a relaxing trance, having a good environment to do this in is very important. We need to try to eliminate anything that will cause a distraction to our sessions, although sometimes things will be outside of our control, for example if a fire alarm activates or if we have a power cut or other emergencies.
But the things we can control, we must make sure we do so with our client’s comfort and wellbeing in mind. Noisy environments, are best avoided, constant chatter and voices from outside of the therapy room can be off putting to the client and therapist, passing traffic strangely can sound reassuring and isn’t quite such an issue. Cramped rooms can feel like we are invading a client’s personal space and rooms that are too large feel, cold and clinical, we need cosy, but enough room to feel relaxed and to be able to sit comfortably at an appropriate distance to the client. Too hot or too cold, heating must be set at a nice ambient temperature, we really don’t want clients shivering or feeling too hot.
Clients need to feel that our sessions are private, we need a practice room that gives this feeling, free talk is always encouraged and if a client thinks they may be over heard, this will be a difficult thing to achieve. I also believe that the entrance needs to be discreet, no big bold signs stating the nature of the business inside, clients may feel that passers by will know why they are entering the building and this may put them immediately off guard.
Common sense is the key, we should question, whether we as therapists would be comfortable to receive therapy in the room we are proposing our clients will use, if not, we change it, if so, we use it.
