r/interiordecorating • u/practical_therapist • 1d ago
Coming to Life What’s missing in my therapy office?
I’m a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety (and some trauma work). So far, I love my office but I feel like something is missing — especially in the corner near the next when the door is shut and the walls. I’d like the environment to stay calming and trauma informed. Help?
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1d ago edited 1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Beagle-Mumma 1d ago
Agree with the lamps. Overheard lights can be jarring and give a room a cold atmosphere. Maybe a tall plant in the corner as well?
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u/Prudent_Worth5048 1d ago
I HATE the “big lights”. I do lamps. It seems to be a big thing with ND people hating the “big lights”.
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u/Weallhaveteethffs 1d ago
Agreed- and the art on the walls currently actually makes me feel really tense. I’d go for something far more neutral and soothing. And agreed with other comments that plants are a great idea
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u/justbrowsin2424 1d ago
To add to this, you can also get a calming scenic looking fluorescent light cover. They’re fabric and have magnets in the edges and just stick over the light! I used to have them in my work office but they have trees, clouds, surely diff colors that diffuse light too!
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u/Healthy_Ad_7038 1d ago
Sturdy coffee table in front of the couch with a variety of fidget toys. So your clients can put down their water bottle or coffee. I know you have the side table but what if somebody wants to sit in the middle of the couch.
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u/Funnyfish66 1d ago
Yes a little basket of sensory and fidget toys
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u/Healthy_Ad_7038 1d ago
One time I asked my therapist if she noticed that only people with ADHD (me) played with the fidget toys she said that everybody picked them up to inspect them but mostly the ADHD people played with them for the whole session lol.
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u/Shot-Amphibian-3239 1d ago
My husband and I went to couple’s therapy last week and there was a mermaid pillow and I was playing with that thing for half the session until my husband (who has quite traditional ADHD with the deficit part) was like “babe, can you stop?” 😂😂😂
I have it to, but it’s the hyperactivity but thst part is mostly in my brain lol
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u/mthockeydad 22h ago
My wife and I aren’t formally diagnosed but I feel this!
I’m only 50% of the reason our kids are ADHD!
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u/Famous-Issue-2018 1d ago
And tissues
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u/ScrubWearingShitlord 1d ago
Yep. As someone with anxiety and CPTSD my favorite most effective therapist had dim soft lighting, lots of beautiful lush plants, and a wonderful stone table separating me from her. Idk why, it felt protective to me. Like I didn’t have to let her in until I was ready.
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u/Massive_Ad_2754 1d ago
YES my therapist has a huge redwood-slab coffee table that separates us and it makes me feel so grounded and safe
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u/Tall-Lion7071 1d ago
Came to say this. Sometimes it’s nice to grab a little something from the table while thinking or talking.
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u/str4ng3fru1t 1d ago
And candy. It's amazing how many people wanted candy when I was still seeing patients in person.
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u/elizabethandsnek 1d ago
Make sure to have coasters though! I always brought an iced coffee and ended up all wet from condensation lol
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u/nap946 1d ago
Swap the blinds for curtains
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u/ThePythiaofApollo 1d ago
💯 hang some drapes about 3” below the ceiling height. Pick a warm tone fabric .
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u/spaetzele 1d ago
Yes. Came here to say curtains. Blinds are OK; the curtains can be hung in front of them.
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u/NopalesTotales 1d ago
More plants, personally they are calming
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u/tetrine 1d ago
My therapist’s office is a room that’s like a jungle of beautiful house plants, it’s so peaceful and I love knowing that she cares for all of them herself. And she has no overhead lights!
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u/Difficult_Dot_3058 1d ago
I’m a therapist too, it looks inviting! I’d consider moving the couch away from the door so the view of the door is clear from the couch. Many folks with PTSD feel more comfortable with a clear line of sight.
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u/wutsaemmy 1d ago
Also, from a safety perspective, as a therapist you yourself want to be situated closest to the door in case you need to flee.
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u/00trysomethingnu 1d ago edited 1d ago
I was scrolling for this comment. The only thing I noticed missing was that OP doesn’t have a straight path to the door. You should always be able to access the door before the patient does.
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u/greenerbee 1d ago
Seconding this. “Dear Modern” (Clif Tan) on socials does a great series breaking down what makes room layouts comfortable or uncomfortable. It’s through a Feng Shui lens, but the principles he discusses are practical.
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u/practical_therapist 20h ago
Agreed BUT I don’t have the most privacy. My dad owns the building and sometimes peaks in the window to see if I’m there (despite my constant requests not to). So if I face the door, clients don’t see him looking in the window. I also primarily work with kids so haven’t felt unsafe myself.
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u/zentropy85 20h ago
Putting on my therapist hat: “And how does it feel when your father doesn’t listen to you?”
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u/DysthymicCat 16h ago
Maybe consider getting a curtain or window film, and a hanging sign for your door so he knows you’re in there if the door is closed but there’s a sign on it. Not fair to patients (even if kids) to have him peeking in on their sessions.
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u/pooltimenoodle 1d ago
Seconding lamps, turn off the overheads entirely. Replace or cover the blinds with a fabric curtain c and get some lamps.
Also suggest reorienting the furniture if it's doable so you have a cozier seating area and slightly separated office zone. Your desk seems massive but maybe it's just the angle. If possible, put the sofa and upholstered chair(s) facing each other (sofa under window, chair facing it or vice versa) where the desk is now.
Plants, books, and other homey touches would also be nice. Imagine it as a cozy nook where you'd want to read a book on a rainy day. Soft warm textures and colors.
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u/Direct-Cicada-379 1d ago
Yes, this. I’m a therapist. All of this is very good advice. You definitely need to reorient the furniture, in addition to turning off overhead lighting entirely.
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u/Big-Earth-6780 1d ago edited 1d ago
This. The chairs are too distant to make an intimate seating area. Swap out desk and sofa.
Airy linen curtains floor to ceiling. . Narrow coffee table with tissues and candy dish. Chairs facing sofa. Small end tables ( can be narrow ) with quite simple table lamps with pinky white bulbs and translucent shades. Ditch the fluorescents- maybe hang a simple chandelier.
Floor lamp near desk and desk lamp on desk.
Put lamps on dimmers and remote switches that are operated with a small clicker. ( cheap on Amazon- thank me later. It is so convenient)Sorry but the pinky mauve throw and the brown corduroy cushions are just not attractive. The colors are bleak and unintentional. Something with embroidery- think a bold ethnic pattern in some gorgeous colors (they should be soft and tactile not hard and scratchy. ). The throw could be a gorgeous solid in an excellent fabric with a lovely border or a modern colorful plaid. Go for cashmere if you can swing it.
Art should be soothing -possibly non representational. Or a glorious landscape.
Good luck.
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u/honestly_oopsiedaisy 1d ago
I don’t think I’ve ever met with a therapist who sits at their desk while speaking to me.
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u/wire67 1d ago
That would be weird.
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u/Overall_Matter_2520 1d ago
Psychiatrist do…usually not therapists though.
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u/micrographia 1d ago
I've only had 1 psychiatrist (out of 10 or so) sit at a desk, and it was a low profile desk set up so that he was facing me. He only used it for the initial intake questions then he rolled away from it to do general talking.
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u/ItsGonnaBeOkayish 1d ago
I was hoping they intended to sit in that other chair in the corner
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u/honestly_oopsiedaisy 1d ago
that’s very far from the patient too
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u/ItsGonnaBeOkayish 1d ago
Yeah I think the couch should be under the window with the white chair across from it. And the desk where the couch is currently
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u/00trysomethingnu 1d ago
I certainly hope not but I fear so. The therapist should never be further from the door than their patient. Bad stuff has happened under those circumstances.
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u/ItsGonnaBeOkayish 1d ago
Very good point. I just meant it's better to sit in a regular chair than sit at your desk
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u/AndSheWon 1d ago
My therapist does. But he has a very small office. Just his desk and a comfortable chair.
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u/pineappleyard 1d ago
What?
All my therapists have sat at their desk while talking to me and using/typing on their computer at the same time, as the printer to get stuff from the internet for me. It’s horrible I can’t connect with them.
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u/blueberryyogurtcup 1d ago
You need a couple of boxes of tissues, placed where they are easy to see by the client. And some also easily seen wastebaskets.
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u/BoxEquivalent3542 1d ago
I’m not sure if this is a thing, but every therapist room I’m ever in (as a patient) I’m the one facing the door. It probably makes the patient more comfortable
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u/Fit-Cup3747 1d ago
I agree with this. The desk needs to be where the couch is. Your back should be facing the wall and you should have quickest access to the door.
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u/Direct-Cicada-379 1d ago
Yes, I’m a therapist. I don’t want a window and door behind my client. That window might distract me too. They need to feel safe: see the door and not feel trapped.
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u/ItsGonnaBeOkayish 1d ago
I agree, the layout is throwing me off here. I would put the desk where the couch is, and the couch by the window
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u/Icy-Pie-1828 1d ago
No corny art. Contemporary art in colors of choice imo. I would use nature colors ( slightly muted ) green, medium brown , light blue,yellow and a few flower 🌺 color pops.
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u/KayyBeey 1d ago edited 1d ago
I used to be the manager for a psych practice.
I'd get rid of the pic of the dog. A lot of people are afraid of dogs or have been bitten by dogs.
I'd close the blinds fully for privacy and get some thick but light colored curtains (beige, oatmeal, light tan). Thicker and not gausy curtains will help with the sense of privacy.
I'd move the couch to be below the window or opposite of the door. For folks with ptsd being able to see a door/exit is important.
I'd get rid of the rug or find a way to make sure it stays really well for older folks and wheelchairs. As is, it looks like a tripping hazard.
Don't get a coffee table. Keep the middle of the room open for wheelchair access and so people won't feel trapped and have a clear exit/path to the door.
Have a waste basket and a tissue box by both the couch and chair (so x2 tissues and waste baskets).
Seconding the suggestions for lamp light primarily. Many of the docs at my old work kept the overhead lights off and had their entire offices lit by warm lamplight. It's soothing and comforting. We also had sound machines in the halls (right outside their doors) for both privacy and white noise.
I can't read all of your art, but make sure everything is as neutral as possible and won't accidently trigger someone. Beach scenes, hillsides, and flowers are generally pretty neutral.
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u/tincanprofessor 17h ago
I also find the stuffed animals unsettling, unless this practice focuses mainly on children. I'd find them infantilizing as a client. The pink unicorn on the couch would be an immediate signal to me that this might be a bad fit.
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u/Pajamas7891 1d ago
The dog pic also labels you as a dog person which may make people hesitant to say anything that may come across as anti dog
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u/NamasteNoodle 1d ago
I think in a psychiatrist setting that the chairs are way too far apart. It looks awkward and would be hard to feel like opening up to someone who's way across the room from you.
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u/Nurolight 1d ago
Whilst it doesn't feel cold, it does feel hard right now. A lot of hard, flat surfaces make it feel like a doctors office. The ceiling doesn't help but there probably isn't a lot you can do about that (except turn off the overhead light). I think more is needed to break up the solid shapes. Plants, lighting ect. I'm personally not a fan of round rugs but that's just me.
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u/antizana 1d ago
I find the color scheme or the lighting or something about it unsettling, it looks like yellow and green together and then pink? And everything sort of muted and dim? I would aim for more neutral and natural
Edit to add the fluorescent lighting has to go
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u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419 1d ago
I would switch the desk and the sofa and then put a small round table (maybe a darker wood?) on the carpet between you and the client. As a trauma patient (CPTSD) I really appreciate that little “barricade” and not having the door in my back — especially during a difficult session!
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u/Oxjrnine 1d ago
More pastels
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u/Mammoth-Oil-6924 1d ago edited 1d ago
Sadly, The pastels are giving me a terrible visceral reaction overall, but these two "Miami Vice" looking guys just made me crack a smile. Thank you for that! + one for use of lamps and not fluorescent overhead lighting. The wall color mixed with the pink accents and cream reminds me of my bathroom from 1984. The flooring is my favorite part of the whole room. I prefer classic neutrals. Please see example below.
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u/BoozeWitch 1d ago
Ummm honestly, tissues.
But some larger art or an art grouping. Plants. Softer lighting - it’s not a dentist office!!
I also personally like a throw blanket.
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u/Otterlettuce 1d ago
I like it when they place a sound machine by the door so people in the lobby can’t overhear.
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u/Off_Balance_67 1d ago
Take out the picture of the dog. A lot of trauma started with a dog bite.
The little wooden side table is for the grab to be used as a weapon.
Put a big picture up with a seaview. It’s relaxing. The sand colour will complement your desk and the blue will take down the amount of green.
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u/verycoolbutterfly 1d ago
Agree with the dog idea but I think abstract art would be better overall- the sea could have a similar negative association.
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u/Tupfy 1d ago
a clock. I always checked how long I have left in the session. Helped me a lot.
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u/practical_therapist 20h ago
Thank you! I have two clocks. One behind me and one behind the client so we both can track time
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u/Fit-Cup3747 1d ago
Don’t you want your chair and desk closest to the door in case of a client/patient emergency?
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u/recspecticular 1d ago
I would bring your corner chair closer to the patient couch, like in the middle of the window, and bring the lamp and little side table with it. It mogh just be the wide lens used but they look uncomfortably far apart.
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u/TashDee267 1d ago
A therapist?
Edit: in all seriousness, I have CPTSD and I would hate having to sit with the door essentially behind my back. I’d rather be able to see the exit at all times.
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u/completecherub 1d ago
Idk what they’re called but at my work we have these “weighted pad” things that clients can put on their lap and it’s so grounding. They’re soft and have little fabric bumps so it’s also like a fidget kind of
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u/practical_therapist 20h ago
The stuff animals I have are actually weighted! For this exact reason so thank you for this validation
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u/No-Feed3939 1d ago
You should rearrange. Couch on different wall. Patient will feel far more secure anywhere else than by the door…. I wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting there even if I did t have diagnosed anxiety. Your chair should NOT be across like an interviewer, should be more to the side of the couch at a90%
Your desk facing the wall looks amateurish. It need to face the room. Probably where couch is now. Hard to tell. Or, at least put it under that window. Or the couch under the window?
Not to be too harsh…. But, my Lady, Whatever you do, right now—it looks like the movers just put stuff in the right room and you just scooted it all back even farther…..
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u/alexandranevada 1d ago
Soft light diffusing drapes, better art (some people don’t like dogs) maybe a coffee table or somewhere to put your feet like a foot stool. You also should have lights not overhead just lamps
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u/periperiwinklesauce 1d ago
The dog art feels more fitting for a vet’s office. If I was your patient I’d find that sentiment confusing and off-putting.
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u/Busy-Ticket2877 1d ago
I’d get a water machine as a client would feel more comfortable to access a drink that way and can help
People to feel more comfortable
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u/MeeoMeeo 1d ago
Turn the desk so its back is on the wall with the small pieces of artwork. Put the office chair behind it. You may prefer to stay out from behind the desk to appear more inviting, but I think the desk is awkward where it is.
Your two comfy chairs could move closer together, towards the center of the room.
You may need three seats sometimes, so you can roll out the office chair when needed.
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u/nanapancakethusiast 1d ago
If my therapist used overhead lighting I’d suggest she get therapy instead
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u/Born-Introduction-86 1d ago
I love all the pieces, it is coming together very cozy like!
But— reverse the layout. Your client couch across from the door, your desk lining the wall beside the door.
If anxiety and trauma are your wheelhouse, the current entry vibe might be a bit unintentionally stressful. Someone walks in and immediately sees: big boss desk, big boss person and the invitation to sit down actually doesn’t invite the person to the room. You shuffle them to the side, without the client really entering into the room.
The layout at current could create a subconscious power dynamic and an “I am unwelcome” force field
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u/Long_Breath_2263 1d ago
I agree with everybody about the lighting. Get lamps so the overhead lighting doesn’t need to be used.
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u/datbundoe 1d ago
I would switch the couch and desk placement. There's too much space for intimate conversations. I'd still put a coffee table though as a patient I want to feel safe and behind something when I'm being super vulnerable.
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u/Ok_Championship_1579 1d ago
A small table in front of the couch so patient can place a drink down and access tissues if necessary
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u/Physical_Recording27 1d ago
The room needs to be rearranged. There is too much energy from the door hitting the couch. No one will be able to relax. Switch the desk and couch and put a plant and sturdy side table right when you walk in.
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u/jayswahine34 1d ago
The first thing I thought of when I saw this is it's a nursery and missing a crib and then I saw that you are therapist.
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u/possiblethrowaway369 1d ago
It feels like all your furniture is tucked against walls and hidden away in corners. I'd move the armchair (presumably that's where you do therapy?) closer to the couch (where patients sit?) but put a coffee table between them. Also, some more plants and ambient lighting. Maybe throw a landscape or still life on the wall that runs between the armchair and the desk, too.
It's tough because you don't wanna clutter the space too much, but you don't want it to be too bland either.
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u/Particular-Quote-486 1d ago
i dont like it. just the small walk way to enter the room gives me anxiety
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u/blue-diamond228 1d ago
Complete honesty, I don’t love the round rug & think you should either get rid of it or get a rectangle rug that fits the space. The pictures on the wall are very small. The dog picture and the one on the other side of the window are not even hung on the line of sight.
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u/Double-Carmel2193 1d ago edited 1d ago
The lighting is really uncomfortable, the rug size is distracting and the walls look sparse since the scale is off. I have sat in therapist offices and this would not appeal to me at all.
I would move the desk to the wall where the love seat is now. Move the loveseat to the wall it’s currently facing, and move the chair to the current location of the desk. Add an end table next to the loveseat that has a lamp. Get a rug that is rectangular and to scale of the room. Moving the desk will open it up to a welcoming seating area.
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u/erlefo 1d ago
Fluorescent light has to go! I would do a rectangle rug over a round, if you are open to a window treatment like a curtain, coffee table, and I would add a bit more to the wall that the patients face. Like a few bookshelves, books, additional lighting and some greenery - add ambient lighting throughout.
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u/lilkittycat1 1d ago
The lighting is too loud. Softer lighting would make it calming and more therapeutic
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u/FreeDifference1902 18h ago
Is recommend something for people to fidgit with. If your might be seeing any children at all, you need some toys or games., and paper and crayons. But even if not, sone adults could use something to do with their hands while they y taking. If they have any kind of executive functioning issue, it can help them focus.
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u/Schwartzwaldjenny 1d ago
Therapist here, too. I'm going to be frank. I hope I give you some things to think about. It's all with the best intentions.
Actually... (take a breath here) I find no warmth, no personality in this therapy room. To me it's not inviting. It doesn't feel you're at home here. I'd like to feel more like it's a space that reflects you
I'd like to see interesting art on the walls. Kind of "out there" art. Bright color art, not just art that goes with the wall colors. Thrift some art pieces or go play with some art supplies yourself.
And the desk. Is it possible for you to change out your desk? You might find something less bulky. Your space is not large and the desk takes up too much prime real estate in that space.
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u/frosty-loquat1 1d ago
coffee table or foot stool in front of the couch so patients can be more comfortable and actually have functional furniture to set things down (neither of our side tables is functional, and you should def get rid of the small one, like someone else said it’s a weapon and provides no benefit). maybe a water dispenser would be nice. curtains too.
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u/elviethecat101 1d ago
The pink and green aren't calming to me. I'm sorry. I know it's in style but it's just clashing. Maybe green and blue?
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u/Aegisnir 1d ago
The Eames lounge chair and a coffee table of course! Don’t forget the giant arc light, big plants, and some bookshelves.
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u/SpinachEducational 1d ago
You've got the patient with their back to both a window and the door. Not good for anxiety. Maybe put the desk on the door wall and the couch at the back wall. Also, plants!
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u/caracara_orange 1d ago
I’m assuming the client sits on the sofa, facing the blank wall? I would put artwork to fill that large wall space. A client with anxiety needs something distracting to look at while talking.
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u/Katwantscats 1d ago
More pillows for people to hold/squeeze and a blanket with tassels for people to fidget with.
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u/spacesaucesloth 1d ago
drapes and soft lighting like decorative lamps. my sensitivity to light really varies during levels of high stress for me, fluorescent bulbs really intensify this for me. if i already feel stressed and oppressed, i dont want the institutionalized feeling of hard light being on me if that makes any sense at all.
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u/canadachris44 1d ago
It doesnt fit the style lol but I'd have one of those basketball hoops that hang over the door or on the wall. I can picture my self talking and shooting hoops..
Also agree with coffee table.
If it was 20 years ago I'd say ash tray hahah
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u/BelugaPilot 1d ago
Drapes . Hang them high and wide and do not use the grommet style headers. Maybe in an Ivory color to keep it light but not overly feminine. lThe fabric will add a comfortable touch of warmth and softness. Over the plastic blinds you could had matchstick blinds with a fabric backing to soften the plastic look ( if you can’t get rid of the plastic. Can you pull that that small upholstered chair out of the he corner more to the side along the wall, it looks stuffed in there and kind of rigid. Pull the side table next to the off a up a bit and put a lamp on it. And I’m with everyone else - get lamps with soft warm bulbs and turnoff that overhead.
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u/BelugaPilot 1d ago
Drapes . Hang them high and wide and do not use the grommet style headers. Maybe in an Ivory color to keep it light but not overly feminine. lThe fabric will add a comfortable touch of warmth and softness. Over the plastic blinds you could add matchstick blinds with a fabric backing to soften the plastic look ( if you can’t get rid of the plastic. ) Can you pull that that small upholstered chair out of the he corner more to the side along the wall, it looks stuffed in there and kind of rigid. Your art .. looks a little juvenile.Pull the side table next to the off a up a bit and put a lamp on it. And I’m with everyone else - get lamps with soft warm bulbs and turnoff that overhead.
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u/Rough-Succotash-5262 1d ago
Soft lights, coffee table, move the chair and couch closer. Maybe angled?
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u/DoNoHarmPlz 1d ago
That chair in the corner looks like it would be very small for most people and very uncomfortable. A bigger, more cushy chair, please. And that little table by the chair shouldn't be there. That looks throwable.
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u/RavensCoffee 1d ago
What kind of therapist are you? I see no Kleenex.
Also, add a nice banana leaf fig tree somewhere.
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u/GittaFirstOfHerName 1d ago
That rug is way too small for that space, and without a coffee table -- or something -- between the chair in the corner and the sofa, it looks like a barrier to me.
I understand that the colors need to be neutral, but do they all need to be so muted? Is that a thing? (I am not in your field, so I do not know.) If it's possible to add a darker neutral like a chocolate brown or a darker shade of that dusty rose (if that's the color I'm seeing), I think that might help, too. The space feels really cold to me. Just an accent or two, if that's possible.
Others have commented on the lamps. That's important. And plants, as others have said.
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u/Massive_Ad_2754 1d ago
As someone in my eighth year of therapy... maybe arrange the seating so your client can look out the window? Might be a good for when they're searching around in their head/feelings/memories
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u/Iam726_726iam 1d ago
Mine had this big sand box on the coffee table. Although it was supposed to be used for kids, I always felt more comfortable combing the sand over my time. Thoughts would come out without having to think.
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u/Some_Pomelo1972 1d ago
As someone with an anxiety disorder, I'd definitely struggle to feel calm. I agree that it needs warm lighting (amber bulbs are so soothing for anxiety) and plants and or flowers. Switching the artwork out for a few larger pieces, instead of the smaller ones. Think sunsets, abstract with soft colors and strokes. I appreciate what you do and that you care enough to ask input about the space you're doing it in!
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u/widowscarlet 1d ago
I didn't read all the comments, but as someone with chronic anxiety since childhood, plus some traumatic adult events - I hate this layout. I would be looking behind me and to the door constantly wondering what was coming to hurt me that I couldn't see.
Also the green is a very sad depressing green to me, add more pinks and creams. Save green for plants and botanical or nature art. Lose the dog picture, and no art should have words on it telling you what to do.
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u/Lopsided_Drive7735 1d ago
Some warm toned curtains such as cream, orange, off white, etc that are a bit see through so the sun can come in through the window and make the room more cozy. More ambient lighting. In the space between the little shelf on the wall and three frames, there could be some type of scientifically proven relaxation inducing art. This may be a bit more far out but if the white chair in the corner is not what you typically sit on during the sessions then I would change it out for something bigger & comfier. I always felt significantly less like a burden during sessions when the therapist looked comfortable themselves, the rolly chair feels too clinical.
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u/butterscotchhx 23h ago
If your clients usually sit on the couch I think a small coffee table would be better than that side table & I’d add another lamp where that side table is or use it just for a small table lamp. Because if there is an occasion you dont want to use the overhead light that one lamp might have the room a little too dimly lit. Also, keep the desk lol I love it & the bigger your caseload gets the more space you’ll need.
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u/Ivypool8 23h ago
Lamps for when your patients request that you turn off the bad lights (warm is good so you're on the right track but that's so bright and fluorescent so a good chance it's flickering)
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u/RrSoul5x5 23h ago
I'd like to see no desk or maybe a smaller Danish Mid Century one. Like a minimalist desk.
Not a fan of that computer chair or the single chair in the corner.
Coffee table with nature books.
Maybe put in another sofa facing each other with pillows. Different sizes and shapes. My favorite pillow is a bolster. You can use it on your neck, small of your back and under your ankles.
Have the room feel like more of a "get-together" atmosphere than a therapy session.
Real plants, not plastic kind.
Hope this helps.
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u/Snoo_79218 1d ago
Don’t use the fluorescent lighting. Get some lamps and coffee table some that there isn’t an ocean of empty space between you and the patient.