Do we have to sit still in therapy?

Traditionally therapy takes place in the same room with two identical chairs facing each other with some distance between them. The client and therapist face each other directly and speak about the difficulties the client is going through. The therapist and client stand up only to enter and leave the room. Therefore, for some, creating an egalitarian and intentional space for self discovery and relating. This format of being in the therapy room can be helpful in creating a predictable and clear boundaries, thus fostering a sense of safety. For others it can feel formal, rigid and uncomfortably intense or even inaccessible.

That is why in my practice I aim to co-create the space that the client and I will share. I’ve found that different seating arrangements, movement and eye contact and bodily proximity vastly changes the ways in which I and my client relate to one another and what parts of themselves come out during the sessions. Below are some of the ways in which we can explore this.

Possible Arrangements and Opportunities for Movement in the Room

The therapy room I work from has an arm chair for the therapist and a sofa for the client, therefore, you have the space to sit or lie down in whatever position feels comfortable, without arm rests limiting and pressing into your body.

I usually have my arm chair slightly angled outwards so as not to be facing the client directly. It does not prevent me from staying present and see you well but it softens the intensity of my presence and position. The distance between our chair and sofa can be negotiated and changed at any point in our session, and the room is big enough to accommodate the 2m distancing. Alternatively in some sessions it might feel appropriate and more comfortable to sit besides each other on the sofa. The close proximity and the lack of eye contact can give you ease to open up more and feel connected in a new way.

There is the option to not sit on the chairs at all. There is a soft rug on the floor and pillows available for us to sit on. Being on the floor also opens up possibilities for you to experiment with your body, stretching your body out, taking up more space, moving. It is also a way of rediscovering the room, it might bring up a sense of grounding or it might bring up childhood memories which can be a rich opportunity for exploration in therapy.

In your sessions you are always welcome to move, stand up, leave the room (eg. to go to the bathroom), stim. I might check in with you so that I can understand your needs better, but I will never judge. Alternatively movement can be an intentional therapeutic tool in our sessions to embody and release your emotions through dance, stretching, stomping or hitting a pillow.

Considerations for Online Therapy

There are opportunities for experimenting with online therapy too. We can find camera angles and distances from the camera that can facilitate a different way of relating. For example showing just your face and neck can make it easier to focus on your expressions, tone and gaze. Whilst, sitting further away to show your head, torso and hands gives opportunity for gesticulation and posture and wider body language to show up in the ‘room’.

When doing sessions from your own home there is perhaps more comfort in the furniture, room layout and available accessibility needs that my therapy practice could not offer. This might require some more preparation on your part to ensure that the space you are in is confidential, comfortable, with access to necessary therapeutic materials (eg. tissues, water, paper, pens) but this way the space will be yours.