Now that the client has finally made it into your office, we start to assess what does the client experience to make them feel "safe." When you take a look around your office, I assume you see one of two things. Number one, an office that you've decorated and established with your blood sweat and tears. Your heart and soul is in your room. You hang your degrees and registrations with pride. The pictures on the walls are ones that you have connected with and feel a sense of calm. Or, two, you have a professional office that has been decorated by someone other than yourself, and it isn't the way you'd do it, but it's a room, it's professional, and you can see clients in it. What are a few things you can do to help the client feel comfortable in this room, as soon as possible?
Give them a moment to look around. While you understand why the room is the way it is, your clients don't. Try to start the session where you provide them a moment to look around and get acquainted with the room. Where are the tissues? How do I make a quick exit? Why are there 10000 pillows on the couch? Are my knees going to touch the therapist? These are all questions the client might like to ascertain answers to before they start to feel "safe." By providing the space for the client to familiarise to the room, you're giving them a bit more control over their first session experience.
Where are the distractions? When you're setting up your room, think, is this useful? By that we mean, sure decorative pillows are a nice touch, but do you need them? The throw you've placed on the arm of the chair, it does match your colour scheme, but is it necessary? On the other hand, if you're super minimalist and have almost nothing in the room, then does it feel welcoming? Useful things to have in your office:
A little bin near the tissues.
A clock so that both the client and the clinician can see the time
Handouts for the clients to take with them because we know they are going to forget the majority of what you said in the first session.
Decorating We've created a Pinterest account to help you come up with some ideas about how to decorate your room. If you're ready to change it up, there is research to explain the best way to do this. Ensure to keep in mind; you should be able to escape your room if necessary. Remember, nothing should be between you and the door. This is especially important if you are in the office alone with a new client (we don't ever recommend this!), if you work with 'at risk' clients, or your office doesn't have a distress alarm.
Do you know there are organisations out there that specialise in helping professionals in the healthcare field style and design their spaces? We're not saying you need to hire a designer, but let us plant the seed. They will help with room configuration layouts, building location / site optimisation, interior materials, to name a few. They say it's all to assist with client outcomes and satisfaction, staff productivity and environmental impact. Maybe we should add this to our Private practice wastage ebook? There are so many avenues to assist us in working with clients to build a better client journey. What tools do you use?
Do you want more tips and tricks for private practice? Visit our closed facebook group, here.