When we think of therapy, it’s hard not to imagine a therapist’s office. Armchairs, set on an angle to each other, box of tissues on a coffee table between. Maybe a sofa. Very likely a calming print on the wall, possibly of an impressionist painting or forest scene.
If you work in the public sector, you may need to swap out the cosier features for more utilitarian ones. The armchairs might be washable vinyl, or have less fabric and more plastic. The print might be more generic, sun faded or replaced by public health posters tacked to the wall.
Either way, the idea of the counselling room is embedded in our minds – a safe space for vulnerable conversations.
And yet… Youth workers often find young people are more likely to open up when they are being driven somewhere, eco therapists work on trauma in nature. Some people feel actively anxious in closed spaces, others are just more comfortable in motion. And sometimes profound connection can emerge in the space created by a shared, practical activity.
The counselling room is there for good reason, offering containment, confidentiality and predictability to many clients. It’s valuable to have spaces that are just for the purpose of therapeutic work, where a door can be closed when the conversation ends. A dedicated space also allows therapists and organisations to develop consistent procedures to offer services and respond to risk.
But it’s always worth asking if this our only option. We don’t want to mistake convenience with necessity, convention with quality. There may be times when we need to think outside of the box, with its armchairs, coffee table and print on the wall.
Helen Mentha 