Nice idea, TN.

Office that is close to me:
There is a tan-colored couch (three-seat) and a matching chair of standard office-looking material. In between these, in a corner, is a bookshelf. He has a very office-y looking desk like I had as an admin on the other side of the room and the black rolling office chair that he never uses with me at all anymore, but used to always. On top of the desk is a kind of shelving unit, matching, on which he has some cards and plants and my monkey and some little balls I brought in case we play catch. He has a glass table in the middle of the room on top of a rug that gives it a little bit less of an office feel. We usually move the table and we're both obsessed with keeping it symmetrical. He has a wooden filing cabinet on the wall that is between the desk and the couch, matches the desk. On it is a plant that used to be on the table and a lamp that we leave on when Little Yaku demands the office-y overhead lights off, because lights trigger a memory. Sometimes he has to move the lamp to the corner between the couch filing cabinet. We usually sit on the couch together now or on the floor in front of it. So long as the room is fairly dim, I don't notice how office-y it is, plus I am regularly buried in my arms or during parts work, I am kind of inside my headspace or memories and don't really know what's going on outside.

His far away office WAS: a desk covered with books, dark colored furniture, a couple of couches, a table in the middle, a chair on one side of the table. A large shelf, a couple of large stuffed animals. Very cluttered, but it felt homey to me. Soft, yet dark, colors. It felt safe, because it felt like there were lots of hiding spaces.

His far away office that he moved into recently: It is very long and sparsely furnished. A side table near the entryway with a lamp, a photo (of his wife?) and Morse the horse on it. A filing cabinet against the other wall as you walk in and a picture of geese in flight in front of a setting sun and trees? Another picture sitting on the floor of hawks? It needs to be hung. Again, since this one is HIS office, it has a rug and a coffee table (wooden) in between a couch (loveseat) and two chairs, which match each other and not the couch. We always sit either on the couch together or in front of it. There is the world's most annoying clock on the wall behind us, which he always removes for me, because it makes the loudest ticking I have ever heard. This one doesn't feel as business office-y, but the sparse furnishings make me feel less protected. I have only been in this office for a few weeks, so I have a hard time really putting myself in there mentally right now like I can with the office that I've been going to for a year.

Oh, and he has noise machines in both in case he wants to drown out any noise from people in the lobby.

My T's office is in her house. It a small but really cosy room. It has an armchair and sofa (which I lie on) The wall facing me has a book case (floor to ceiling) and then a open coal fire which I love on a cold day. Next to the fire is T's armchair and then a huge plant that is crawling along the ceiling. There another plant on the wall at the end of the sofa

She has a desk with a lamp and some note paper with her name on. On the desk is my little stone heart that I gave her and a couple of butterfly paperweights.

On the windowsill there is a Buddha, and a circle of little pebbles. The only picture I can remember is seeing is another Buddha on the wall at the end of the sofa.

I don't think anything has changed in the 5 years I've going there

Lucina

Nice question.

The office my T is not her office. I think they go around doing musical rooms. Ha.

But I always go in the same room. The first thing I notice is a distinct smell. It's pleasant. I'm not sure if it's a perfume she wears or the smell of the room but it's a nice smell. I smelt a similar smell twice and it brought me right back to her place.

I like the room. It has sand glasses on a shelf above where she sits and the sun streams into the window which gives it some nice warmth. I sit in a chair which is soft and comfy. Ha. Next to the chair is like a bed thing. Well...where patients can lye down. I want to lye down on it but I'm embarrassed to do so. Floor colour is dark dirt green and by the door is a desk and a big plant.

I really like the room.

We had to do a session in another room once and it was very empty and too bare and modern. It made the session a bit more mechanical. Or felt mechanical. Bare. I dunno.

My Ts office is so cozy and homey, even though it's an office!

The waiting room has a green loveseat, 3 wicker chairs, and a little white table and two chairs for kids. There are about 6 plants, including a sizable tree - all real, that T takes care of. There's a coffee table with neatly stacked magazines that are always current. T shares the waiting area with 2 other Ts.

Ts office is all naturally lit or lamplight (T never uses the overhead light!) and has two ceiling to floor windows. There are two overstuffed armchairs with a wicker and glass table in between them, with a plant on the table. There is a loveseat opposite the chairs, with a floor lamp in the corner. A well worn, soft rug is in between the chairs and the loveseat. On the other end of the room (though the room isn't very large) is Ts desk, facing the wall, and a book shelf with two file drawers at the bottom.

T always sits in the same chair in the corner, and I usually sit in the chair opposite. It is by far my favorite place to be, so calm, so peaceful, and I always feel well cared for when I'm there.

Let's just say T and I are a bit nomadic! Actually what it's taught me is that for me, it's less about the surroundings or the room, although some I prefer to others , but more the stability and constancy of my T that is important.

Interesting topic - Lucina I love the sound of your T's room BTW

starfishy

Starfishy,

I am intrigued. Tell us more! LOL!

Liese

quote:

ps he has leather chairs and a leather couch. I feel so warm there, it doesn't matter. Probably wouldn't matter if he had stone furniture.

xoxo that above was pretty amazing to read. I guess in the end what matters is how connected to T you are and how that makes you feel which creates a warmth and comfort that has little to do with furniture.

I aspire to feel this way too one day.

Thanks for sharing
TN

quote:

Actually what it's taught me is that for me, it's less about the surroundings or the room, although some I prefer to others , but more the stability and constancy of my T that is important.

Starfishy... I think this is what my T is trying to teach me. He told me that my safety is not in the furniture but in him. He keeps me safe not the chair and he is not changing... he is the same person he always was. He told me that I learned to value things more than people because the people failed me and did not protect me.

Yaku... thanks for sharing. I can "see" your T's offices by your vivid descriptions. I like how playful your T is with you and that you sit on the floor together a lot. I know that was hard for you at first, being so close to him. But I do think it helped you trust him more and moved your parts work along.

Lucina, your T's office sounds so wonderful... love the fire and also the Buddha with the small stones. It sounds so peaceful and relaxing.

FNM... I like the sound of your T's room with the soft chair... what are sand glasses?

R2G... overstuffed chairs, white wicker, lots of plants and books, tall windows and low lights... it sounds perfect and pretty. I could be at home there.

Thanks everyone for sharing... I love reading all the descriptions.

TN

My T has a minimalist sort of office. I can't figure out whether it is her office, or her that is so inviting. Pretty sure it is the latter.

It is in the back of her home. So after parking, you open the gate and walk the stone path through to the back of the house. There is no waiting room... But you knock on the door, and there she is.

A few months ago, she took the frosting type stuff off of the windows on the door and it brightened the room significantly. It wasn't dull before, but now there's a small series of windows that you can allow yourself to look through and wander mentally into when necessary.

There's a nice area rug, and an amazing painting on the wall... and a couple of wall mounted lamps that throw off a muted light. Sometimes we joke about how the room has no overhead lights, and how turning all the lamps on is inconvenient.

There are two chairs, comfortable but not like 'office' or living room chairs... they have pillows, and her chair has a throw blanket folded over the top of it. There is a small table between the two chairs, with another lamp on it, and is generally where we both rest our notebooks.

There are two desks that face each other. One is clearly hers... And I'm unsure of the purpose of the other. Though we have borrowed the chair from it for an 'empty chair' discussion. In the corner, there are a couple of stairs that lead up to the rest of her house. Next to her desk, there is a chalkboard that her daughter draws messages on...

The walls are painted a medium blue, and the entire space is calm, welcoming and inviting... Again, maybe that's more my T than the space she occupies.

T's 'office' is actually in a posh appartment so is more like a front room in a home than an office. Neutral decor - walls are a lovely lilac. She has 3 seats, 2 like small 2 person sofa's and then a big 3/4 person sofa (she does couples work occasionally) - she has a little art collection, one is a picture she drew of her later grandmother's hands (the story made me cry when she told me !) and the other little prints all have the theme of gathering - then she has other quirky little objects like these 2 rabbits which I like to look at, she has a couple of tables with beatuifully simple lamps on them which are always on and cast a lovely warm gentle glow. She has a side wall just covered in books, with the most amazing range of books on anything from professional interest to fashion and photogrpahy (years ago and T is still young she was a fashion journo before changing to therapist) - In the spring summer she has beuatiful fresh flowers always on display - in the winter she has lovely, gently perfumed candles lit. Her little table near her matches the other ones and has post it notes and pencils on (as I can write but not speak sometimes, she passes these to me very quickly without as she says interuppting my time). Also nearby is another tiny table on which she has her Buddha and another couple of things I like to look at like her beautiful matrouska doll and a little chinese cup - I was very touched to see on the table last week her Christmas present from me She also has an old fashioned fireplace - she told me she doesn't like to move things around this room because it is important the surroundings stay consistent because changes in her environment can cause clients to be unsettled, and I usually notice if she has changed anything - like I could not spot a rabbit the other day and as I use these a focus object, she immediately got up, found the rabbit put it back where it usually is and said sorry to me . All in all very homely, comfy and nicely cosy one day I might end asleep in there its so relaxing

Ooh, cool thread. These are fun to read.

My T's office seems loosely inspired by a Victorian library. There are two floral patterned wing chairs on opposite sides of a coffee table, with a rose colored settee on a third side. This seating cluster is in one corner of the room, in the corner diagonally across is T's large oak desk and a couple filing cabinets. There are several bookcases filled with brightly colored books, potted plants, and some knick knacks scattered about. The walls are a deep chocolate brown and the carpet is dark beige. There are several lamps and clocks that tick pleasantly. The room is soothing and subdued. I like it there on the whole.

But, TN, I think I can relate to what you are going through a bit, if I may say so. T moved her office a couple months ago, and although she kept the same furniture and decor, the change of locations was sad for me and it set me back a bit. I have a sort of transient, coming and going anxiety about driving, and after the move it really kicked up. I was afraid to drive to the new location and H actually took me to my first few sessions there, cuz I was so nervous we both thought I couldn't drive safely. I'm driving there on my own now, though, as of a couple sessions ago. It's not too bad. It's true that the route to get there is a bit complicated, but I think what really kicked up my panic was my inner child protesting the change of location. T's old office was nestled in a wooded cul de sac, the room was bigger, the windows were larger, and the view was much prettier and more relaxing. I still feel sad whenever I drive past the turn I used to take to go there.

Well, ours not to reason why, I guess. Hope you handle the change okay. I've mostly adjusted now, I think, although I'll always remember the old room with fond regret. I know it's amazing that we can come to care so much about this stuff. . .

My T's office is pretty stark and boring. He does have some nice plants but hasn't even invested in painting it a nice color. It's just white.

Aside from the plants, the only thing worth mentioning is the fake oriental throw rug on top of the wall-to-wall industrial carpeting. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered a uterus and fallopian tubes in the pattern, which broke up a very serious moment in the middle of the session. I noticed during my next session, T had rotated the rug so that the uterus was facing away from me. I asked him, what's this, where's waldo?

Liese

My T is in a community mental health NHS building which you have to be buzzed into. It is very basic. I meet him in a variety of rooms depending on which is free that day. they are very bare, with a metal legged desk in one corner and two low chairs. the carpet is 'industrial' and the heating is dodgy, often too hot or too cold.
There is nothing nice in it. No framed pictures, cushions, rugs, ornaments. Nothing.

thank goodness he is a nice T otherwise it would be impossible. He doesn't like the rooms either but I gave up moaning about the room and just feel glad I am getting good therapy.

Remember it is free and the NHS does not have money for mental health issues. I may have said this before, but here in the UK there is loads of money for cancer treatment nad people give loads to those charities but mental health keeps closing down centres and losing jobs and just shrinking - I find it awful.

Exposed brick.

Cozy old building.

Shiny stuff.

Fancy furniture.

Plush rug.

Masculine.

Gets great light.