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3 replies

"seating charts" in therapy

divadivaMember
So I got this idea from something that was said in the funny stories section. I'm still fairly new so I'm not entirely sure if this discussion has been brought up in the past but here goes.

I was wondering what y'alls thoughts were on where we sit during our therapy sessions. Recently I've changed the seating positions and I think it symbolizes a lot. When I first started with T last semester, I sat on the edge of the long cough while she sat across from me in the small couch chair. I felt fairly close but as we started to get closer, I wanted to be closer to her physically too. During our last session before I left home for the holidays, I changed it up. I sat in the small couch chair and T sat across from in the long couch. The distance was further away and I guess it showed that I didn't need to be as close to her since I was actually in a pretty good place then. Fast forward a month later and I'm an emotional wreck. I wish I could tell T everything but i don't. I'm withdrawn again, we had that whole email fallout over the break and I was just not ok at all! In my first couple of sessions back, I decide to still sit in the small couch chair. I felt really distant towards T anyway so that time it showed how I felt so far away from her. Then breakthrough session last week. I was so tired of being distant from T and holding out on her. How could I possibly expect her to help me when I wasn't telling her anything?! So through my tears (it was one of those awful ugly crying slash sobbing and mascara running down my cheeks type of cry) I got fed up and asked T if I could sit next to her. She let me without hesitation and it ended up being a really great session after that. Last session I asked to sit next to her again right when I walked in her office and I just feel so great and safe now that I'm sitting right next to T.

How is the "seating chart" with y'alls Ts? Is it something thats significantly important?
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elianaelianaMember
We have always sat on the small sofas, facing each other maybe 2 meters apart. There is a larger sofa ther but I would never ever use it, I find it creepy:P I never changed my position, and don't plan to, although I admit sometimes facing him like that is really hard. I've learnt to just grab the pillow if I'm feeling more vulnerable.
jendarkjendarkMember
My sessions are in a room that also serves as an office for some people. Thus there are desks, file cabinets and computers. Overall it feels rather sterile, I think. It is not a place designed for T at all unfortunately.

In one of the corners there are two chairs and a small table between them. Thus only the choice of two different chairs. T let me choose when I first came to see her. It was a difficult choice.
One chair is in the corner (and with the coffee table right in front of it and a wall at one side and a book shelf on the other there is little room to 'escape'.
The other chair is close to the door but facing the door with its back.

Generally I'd have a preference for the chair closer to the door because it allows me to get away quickly. But the fact that I cannot keep an eye on the door and see what is happening (nothing of course, it's not like someone is coming in; it's just a bit of paranoia from my side) made me choose the chair in the corner.

It makes me somewhat nervous that I cannot get away from that corner quickly and even more so that I'd practically have to walk right towards T to get out, thus a bit of a trapped feeling. Hope it will feel better eventually.

The set up of the office does not allow me (or T) to move closer or further away from each other.

I also don't sit straight but pretty much sideways on the chair so that I don't have to look at her.
joiejoieMember
Our set-up is pretty limited. My T. works in a clinic and just has an ordinary office. There are three chairs: T.'s rolly desk chair, and two ordinary chairs side by side. I always sit in the one directly across from T. We're about 4 feet apart. I'd like to be closer sometimes but I don't think it's going to happen. It would be interesting to see if it would change anything.

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