How to design a room for therapy sessions

American author and speaker Gretchen Rubin had once said ‘Outer order contributes to inner calm’. Mental health and interior design professionals concur. They say that your environment like colour scheme, lighting, furniture and layout of a room can impact how you feel inside.

These factors also assume importance while designing rooms for therapy and counselling. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Colour theory

Tasneem Nakhoda, founder of Tattva Counselling, Bengaluru, says that wall colours must be chosen wisely. Colours can impact one’s mood greatly, explains Tasneem, a psychotherapist who specialises in behavioural therapy.

“Typically pastel colours have a soothing effect on the mind,” she says. Dark colours like red, navy blue and black should be avoided in such rooms as they could trigger negative emotions. Neutral colours such as light ivory, pastel beige and off white help in the easy flow of thoughts.

Similarly, the colour scheme of the carpet in the room should be mild, recommends Bengaluru-based architectural designer Karen Rondeau.

Soundproofing

A quiet room is ideal to facilitate uninterrupted conversations between the counsellor and the client, says Tasneem.

Since external factors like noise from a nearby construction site or traffic jam cannot be controlled, her advice is to soundproof the room. “Using acoustic material for windows, doors, flooring and ceiling can cut down noise from the surrounding,” says Jyothsna T, assistant design manager at Assetz Property group, Bengaluru.

Layout

The room layout should allow for a minimum distance of five feet between the therapist and the client, says Reni Anthony, who has been counselling for six years in Bengaluru. For group sessions, it should be big enough to accommodate eight to 12 clients in a session. “A preferred setting for group sessions should include carpeted floors, mattresses, pillows and bolsters to make the clients comfortable. It should also have room for props for therapeutic exercises,” she says.

Lighting

The room should be well lit. “Yellow light is preferred over white light. It creates a warm atmosphere and helps the client he/she is in a safe space,” Reni adds. Go for indirect lighting such as table lamps and ceiling lights. Avoid focused or drop lights, Jyothsna adds.

Furniture

The sofas or chairs used in such spaces should ideally have upholstery made from cotton and hemp or a combination of it as these would be warm and softer compared to polyester upholstery. “The seating must be comfortable and sturdy,” says Jyothsna.

Use minimal furniture in the room. A simple side table can be added next to the counsellor’s seat for him/her to keep a notebook or tissue paper box.

Decor 

Indoor plants such as strelitzia, pothos, zz plant, philodendron, and snake plants, and cut flowers can add life to such spaces. But avoid cactus and other thorny plants.

Books for different age groups and abstract artefacts can be kept on a shelf to break the ice and start a conversation. Motivational quotes such as words of affirmation can be hung around the room. “Having a coved ceiling design can help the thoughts flow,” Jyothsna notes.

Cross ventilation

The room should be well-ventilated. Smelly rooms can make a patient feel stuffy and uncomfortable to open up, says Reni.

If you are installing a fan, use a quiet one. Maintaining a temperature of 24-25° celsius is ideal, advises Karen.