T’s office

What, if anything, do you associate with T’s office, what stands out in your memory?
R. T - sunlight, hardwoods and the smell of lemongrass and wood polish, homey.
The waiting room reminds me of “home” (the home I stayed in when I would go back to visit family for the holidays not “my” home per se) and the couch (that no one else seems to use) is super comfy!

I remember all his books in the bookshelf. There was one "Thoughts and Feelings" that I always said made me feel icky, we would laugh. I hate sharing feelings so it became a joke for us

I also remember all the stuff I gave him that he kept displayed. The exact layout of the office is still etched in my mind even though it's been completely changed now and someone else has it

Oh and he had this ugly carpet I used to tease him about, one of our last sessions I was like "I'm really not gonna miss this ugly carpet" and he was like 'I can sent it him with you if you like" LOL

I mostly just miss him and all the laughs we had in the room

My T hid his book shelf! It is downstairs in a room off of the waiting room. You walk by it on your way to his office but don’t notice... haven’t called him out on being unfair. I LOVE reading the book bindings instead of eye contact!

I HATE talking feelings too and R. T doesn’t play fair on that one either... I have to pick a feeling card before I can go over to the chair and sit down. He introduced me to this ritual the second session and scared the crap out of me! Took him two or three tries to get me unstuck and breathing again and then I still hadn’t picked a card. Now I always pick scared, sometimes with a side of sad... but never happy or mad...

That's a really interesting question because when I think about it, I can't come up with anything. Maybe because she recently changed offices. In her old office, there was this painting that I used to stare at of a flower. One of her bookshelves was also opposite me, and I would try to make out the titles. In the new office, I don't have a view of the bookshelves and I don't know what she did with the painting. I usually just look at this I-don't-even-know-what-to-call-it. She uses it as a stand/table. It's round and woven, and I think the top comes off and she can put stuff inside. I also sometimes look at the thing attached to the bottom of her door that is for muffling sound. It's dark blue. She had this candle she was using for a while - I think maybe it's all gone now - that smelled like blueberry muffins. It was only lit one time when I was there, but I recognized the smell at other times.

All I can remember about the woman's office is how horrible her couch was to sit upon and there were no chairs for clients - just the awful couch. I don't recall the office as being a place I remember fondly. I did not consider it safe or homey.

His office is a disaster, which makes me feel good because so is my house.

Ha, makes me feel icky too just thinking about such a book. Makes something in me recoil.

My T is in the process of changing offices and redecorating with all new furniture. I wasn't thrilled with the current room - this is our 5th relocation since I started working with her. 3 of them were with old clinic. There, one room was home and I miss the filing cabinet and able to look out the window. Another room was doable and I was able to adjust it to have an enclosed secure space. I miss that a lot. The other room was really bad. The move to private practice has more negativity based on all I lost and what little I feel like I gained. The room itself is not horrible and we've done a lot here. However, I rarely felt like I had a space of safety. On Thursday, I saw the new space with the majority of the furniture in it. I hate the new furniture and the lay out. I completely feel unsafe by the arrangement and am dreading the move. For now, she still has a lot of openness because of being between spaces, not everything moved up. I'm still allowed to use the current space. However, she's made it clear that I'm pretty much the only one still using the current space. Once she finally says it's time, I'm planning on not using her existing arrangement if I can let myself do what my heart wants to do. Then again, I know I'm setting myself up for eventual pains when I am redirected to her arrangement.

I really don't know what I'm going to do.

Calm, warm and peaceful.

I don't look around that often. First thing that comes to mind is my T smelling like coffee (that smell is the most comforting thing ever now to me). Then there's this plant that looks like it's there because he was told that plants make the room look nicer, but he had to choose the plant that is easiest to handle so he doesn't kill it. It still looks kind of dead though. And there's two posters of art. Not sure what that's about, the whole rest of the office has real framed pictures, only his office has weird looking posters that don't fit at all...

The first thing that comes to my mind is that it's neat and orderly. We've actually discussed this once when talking about how I like things in certain places and how it makes me feel at ease. His office is always nice and clean and everything in its place.

Oh and a bunch of windows that I usually like until the sun starts setting and then it blinds me.

I suggest you ask your T if you can take photos of the current office. You can also ask if you can take a photo of your T in the current space. My T has had 3 offices in the time I have been seeing her. The first one was small and I barely remember it. The second is the one I associate the most with, because we spent the most time in it. Now we are in the third one. It's smaller than her second one, and she shares it with another therapist. And that therapist brought in her own bookcase, the style of which I don't like. In this office, T and I sit closer to each other. And T has most of the art tthat was also in her second office, so I can look at it when I don't want to look at her.
I really suggest you ask if you can take photos of the current with your T in it. These photos have also helped me when T is away.

Plants, wooden African animals, small sand tray, stones, books, Zen, calming, trees outside

With former T it was this soft tan microfiber couch. I loved that thing. Just sort of sank into it. With current T, it's how many pictures are on the wall. There are pictures everywhere. I don't even think I've really looked at all of them.

Current T's office is pleasant enough, and the sofa is very comfortable (the chairs are not). And she needs a lamp or two. But what's probably most distinctive to me is that she has a few items, art mostly, from my former T's office. They shared space over the years, and he passed along some things when he retired. Seeing them is a very tangible connection to him and to that time in my life (@30 yrs ago) and to my feelings during that time. It's a generally positive experience and has added another nuance to this therapy.

I immediately felt calm and comfortable the first time I entered my therapist's office. I realised, based on the objects and items with which she decorated it, that we were birds of a feather and were going to get along. I am quite artsy fartsy and rather earth-based spirituality wise. Her office is full of an eclectic assortment of things I recognised. These include things like singing bowls, crystals, an eagle feather, a smudge pot, an indigenous medicine wheel and a lot and lot of beautiful art on the walls. So very very comforting and significant to me.

On the other hand the building and the rest of the clinic are the opposite. I feel very frazzled as soon as I enter. It is loud with a disorganised atmosphere. The walls are also an irritatingly red - not a warm cinnamon or other natural colour but bang in your face fire engine red. This is surprising considering it is a place where people with mental health and emotional issues gather. Red is a power colour which raises people's emotions making them more and more anxious the longer they are around it. Blue, incidentally is the opposite being a comforting and relaxing colour. In fact, such colours are often used purposely; like police buildings where they will put a suspect in a certain coloured room depending on whether or not they wish to provoke them. Colours are also used to illicit psychological reactions for other reasons too - like in fast food restaurants to make a patron feel gradually uncomfortable enough that they vacate their seat quickly. Anyway..... the result of the way the clinic office and waiting room is decorated is that I immediately get wound up, anxious, and uncomfortable the instant I enter the building. The awful feeling only gets worse with each passing moment. Alongside the anxiety is an increase in irritability. I begin getting annoyed at the behaviours of other persons in the waiting room. For instance, this last session there were two unsupervised children. What a nightmare.

a lot of plants and a lot of toys