I believe that my office\/space is a vital tool for the therapeutic process.\u00a0 This can be pretty obvious: for my work with children, I rely on toys and art supplies\u2014obvious tools of my trade.\u00a0 However, there is more to my set-up than having certain resources.\u00a0 I work to keep my space child-friendly and accessible, as I find the best work happens when clients have a broad selection of activities and toys.\u00a0 Therefore, open-storage is a must.<\/p>\n
Aside from the resources kept in your office, there are other things you can do to make the space more conducive to therapy.\u00a0 The rest of this post will talk about stabilization.\u00a0 Stabilization, when something is stable and secure, is vital in therapy! When stabilization is seen in an office, clients (and therapists!) feel calmer, and more able to tackle interventions.<\/p>\n
Light<\/strong><\/p>\n Light is so important!\u00a0 The quality of light in your space is something to not overlook.\u00a0 Do you have overhead fluorescent lighting?\u00a0 Floor lamps can be turned on instead, alleviating the harshness.\u00a0 Ambient lighting, such as twinkle\/Christmas lights and accent lamps are both decorative and functional. Not only are floor lamps and ambient lighting helpful in making a room cozier, they have biological importance.\u00a0 For the most part, when clients come to us, they are in distress and may have hyper- or hypo-aroused nervous systems.\u00a0 Gentle lighting decreases stimulation, which is helpful for the hyper-aroused, and feels safer than harsh overhead lighting, which benefits both hyper- and hypo-aroused people.\u00a0 As my office is an interior one, I decided to make a faux-stained glass window with some LED lights behind it.\u00a0 The lights give a nice warm glow through the coloured panes and the window itself kind of tricks my brain into thinking there is an actual window in the office, making a connection to outdoors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nature\u2019s Place Inside<\/strong><\/p>\n Human beings, over the course of our existence, have spent the majority of their time living with nature versus being indoors.\u00a0 It is relatively recent in our history to spend so much time away from nature.\u00a0 I truly believe this disconnection from nature is detrimental.\u00a0 However, we have to live and function within this world: one that is, for the most part, taking place indoor.\u00a0 So what can we do?\u00a0 We can bring the outside in!<\/p>\n Plants <\/strong><\/p>\n While faux-greenery can be attractive, there is something about real plants that cannot be reproduced in plastic.\u00a0 One of these benefits is cleaner air!\u00a0 There are so many options for houseplants\u2014 from exotic flowering ones, to hardy (and easy to care for) bamboo\u2014that there is a plant perfect for any space.\u00a0 Short on space?\u00a0 You could try a hanging terrarium or two.\u00a0 Maybe some air plants, which need to be soaked regularly but can spend long periods of time out of water and soil, would be good for you.\u00a0 Still not convinced that plants will work for you.\u00a0 Maybe high-quality faux plants would work better: you do not have to worry about watering them and the soil spilling.\u00a0 Plus, if the eye thinks it sees a real plant, the brain may believe it and the calming-influence of nature can still be obtained.<\/p>\n Miscellaneous Bits and Bobs of Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n In my office I have bits of nature all around.\u00a0 Stones and seashells are fun to hold, great in the sand tray, and beautiful additions to my space.\u00a0 I even have a stick chewed by a beaver lying about (which makes a great talking stick).\u00a0 A feather you found or flowers you picked can have a place in your office as well.<\/p>\n Bringing the outside into your office is a way to offer stabilization and security to clients (as well as yourself).\u00a0 The next installment of this topic will look at how we can use noise to further stabilization in the therapy room.<\/p>\n Stay tuned for the second part of this topic, where I discuss the benefits of bringing the outdoors inside!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I believe that my office\/space is a vital tool for the therapeutic process.\u00a0 This can be pretty obvious: for my work with children, I rely on toys and art supplies\u2014obvious tools of my trade.\u00a0 However, there is more to my set-up than having certain resources.\u00a0 I work to keep my space child-friendly and accessible, as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001026,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-counsellingandpsychotherapyincanada"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n