How to decorate a psychology consultation?

First impressions influence our way of relating to others but also to spaces. If we meet for the first time in a place and it gives us a bad feeling because of the way it is made or what we see in it, we may never go there again.

The colors, the furniture, the decorative objects, the intensity of the light and other aspects that we can find in a psychology consultation, in case if they have not taken enough care, they can make our patients not want to visit us again by not feeling safe because of what they have viewed.

This is why so important know how to decorate a psychology consultation, an issue that we are going to delve into in the following paragraphs. Read on to discover what aspects cannot fail in your professional consultation.

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The keys to knowing how to decorate a psychotherapy consultation

One of the most fundamental notions of which psychologists are well aware is that appearances play a trick, especially the former.

The human brain creates in a few seconds an image of the context and the people that can determine its relationship with them from the moment one, that's why mundane things like the way our date dresses, the color of apples in the supermarket or what seemingly clean that may look like a bar gives us a feeling of security or of wanting to get away from them.

First impressions are inevitable, since they are unconscious and adaptive processes. Although we rationally know that something does not have to be how it appears, the image it transmits to us is seen as having enough weight to reject or accept it. Whether something gives us the feeling of being nice and safe or otherwise hostile and dangerous depends a lot on our first impression.

First impressions can play a very important role when it comes to staying or leaving a place and, therefore, it is so important to take care of the appearance of places such as psychology consultations, since its design and decoration influences how the patient feels and how willing they are to open up with it psychotherapist. We cannot organize our consultation in a totally anarchic way or decorate it based on our personal taste, since perhaps suppose that all the treatments that we undoubtedly know and know how to use are weakened because the patient is not comfortable.

For this reason, throughout the following paragraphs we are going to see what aspects must be taken into consideration when decorating and organize a psychological consultation, which will enhance the effectiveness of our therapies and facilitate the process therapeutic.

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1. illumination

It is no secret that light influences people's perception and mood, both its intensity and tone. We must not ignore the lighting factor when decorating our practice, and we must know that sensations such as relaxation, calm, sadness, calm and melancholy are related to a decrease in daylight hours.

The film industry seems to have long mastered the importance of lighting in conveying emotions. For example, to represent a melancholic situation in a closed space, low light is used, while Intense light motivates and activates us, and can be used to represent emotions such as joy or even anxiety.

The whiter light transmits seriousness, cleanliness and favors concentration, although it gives a colder air to the room. On the other hand, yellow light is perceived as warm, being ideal for spaces where it is intended dialogue or induce relaxation, proper functions to perform during the application of a psychotherapy.

The use of white light or yellow light in our consultation will depend on what we want to do in it. For example, if the objective is to pass certain tests to patients, your goal is to have a room that is sufficiently illuminated with white light to facilitate concentration. On the other hand, if what you want is to provoke relaxation and make the patient feel free to share their internal world with us, it is advisable to use yellow light and dim lighting.

You can play with the amount of light depending on the size and number of windows, if there are curtains and depending on their color and type. You can also increase or reduce artificial light by distributing lamps around the room and using smart bulbs with which we can change the tone and intensity of the lighting.

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2. Soundproofing

Psychology consultations are intended to be safe spaces, something that excessive noise can easily put on the ground. No patient is going to feel safe in a room where shouting and horns are heard from the street, since he is going to see it as a highly stressful and tense sound stimulation, he will not be able to talk comfortably with the therapist and will not be able to release his inner world at ease.

High noise levels, both continuous and intermittent, cause irritability, concentration difficulties and fatigue. That is why it is crucial to ensure that annoying noises do not penetrate the office, taking care of the soundproofing, putting special windows if necessary.

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3. Air conditioning

Temperature must be taken into consideration, especially depending on the time of year and where the practice is based. You must have a good heating and air conditioning system, preventing how very cold or very hot the place where we are and understanding that temperature influences how comfortable the patient feels in the query.

High temperatures can make the patient feel sleepy or irritated, while very low temperatures can limit their movements, be less likely to speak and, if you are feeling very cold, you may stutter. You should try to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room so that the patient does not spend the consultation time compulsively fanning himself or rubbing his hands.

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4. Ventilation

Ventilation is often a neglected aspect when setting up a consultation, although after several sessions it is quite likely that its importance will be perceived, especially if the patients who have been seen do not take care of their hygiene too much (it happens a lot with people with depression advanced). Each individual has their own notion of hygiene and, added to this, if we work with children or during a very warm time, it is a matter of minutes before we begin to see how the environment is charged.

A good window is usually enough, but it never hurts to use an air freshener to counteract the odors of patients and our own.

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5. The importance of colors

Colors They influence our perception of the environment, transmit information about the environment, cause us sensations and even alter our mood. Eva Haller is an expert psychologist in Color Psychology and thanks to her work we know how important it is to take care of the chromatic aspect in physical spaces. Colors can suggest all kinds of sensations, let's see what their main meanings are:

5.1. Blue

The color blueis perceived as harmonious, happy and friendly. It can convey professionalism, induces calm, and helps you focus and stay stable. It is a cold color but, despite this, it is related to positive feelings.

5.2. Red

The Red color it is related to passion, love, heat but also danger. It can alter our nervous system, so it is not recommended in spaces where you want to encourage rest. It can increase blood pressure and speed up metabolism.

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5.3. Yellow

The yellowis associated with optimism, intellect, joy and jealousy. It activates the nervous system like the color yellow does, so this color is not a good option for spaces intended for relaxation either.

5.4. Green

Green is related to nature, vitality, hope and health, but also to anger. It induces a feeling of security and increases the perception of confidence. It is considered to be one of the most balanced colors and the one that most positively influences concentration.

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5.5. Black

The blackis related to melancholy, darkness and death. It is not necessary to explain too thoroughly why it is not an appropriate color for a psychological consultation, unless what you want is to make the patient come out worse than he has entered.

5.6. White and cream

The White it is related to purity, cleanliness, peace, innocence, spirituality... It is usually a safe and valid bet most of the time, although the cream option is preferred, a softer color, with more personality and that, if the walls get dirty, it is not noticeable so much. The cream color conveys a feeling of spaciousness and of being in a cozy space.

5.7. Orange

The Orange It is a warm color, felt as fun and exotic, although, like red and yellow, it also triggers the nervous system, although to a lesser extent than those two colors. Orange seems to decrease irritability and stimulates the mind.

5.8. Lilac and pink

Lilac is associated with femininity, power and spirituality. It has calming effects on people, making it a good color to work on relaxation. It is also believed to stimulate creativity and reduce impatience.

Pink is also associated with the feminine, in addition to love and tenderness. Despite this, its tonality can activate too much, so if you choose it as a color for the consultation, you should opt for more pastel colors.

5.9. Brown

The Brown it is seen as a natural and cozy color, associated with safety and stability. It is considered a neutral color that conveys balance and comfort. It combines very well with other colors, so if you paint the office walls brown, you can have decorative objects of other colors without loading the office too much.

5.10. Gray

Gray is a color that conveys sadness, boredom and melancholy, although it can be said that it also can be seen as a sophisticated color thanks to its neutrality. This color is ideal in case it is combined with other more cheerful colors, never alone.

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Furniture, design and distribution in space

Having seen all the meanings and interpretations that can be made of the colors, we can conclude that the most advisable shades to make our psychological consultation a harmonious place where the patient feels at peace and serene are the colors green, blue and brown, as well as neutral colors if we add them together with a little more intense color. This also applies to child psychology consultations, although a little more vitality can be added by resorting to decorative objects. However... Why choose furniture and how to distribute it?

Furniture is very important in the design of the practice. Thanks to the work of the neuroscientist Moshe Bar and Maital Neta, we know how they influence the mood curvilinear and rounded furniture as opposed to those that have more straight and pointed.

These researchers found that rooms with soft, rounded, curved furniture were perceived as more pleasant and relaxing, making visitors stay longer and even motivate themselves to socialize with others persons. Instead, pointed objects are perceived as hostile, as if one is in a place from which one should flee.

Regarding the amount of furniture and its distribution, the most appropriate thing is to have only the furniture that is considered practical and essential, favoring a wide, clean and balanced image of the query. If, on the other hand, the room is loaded with furniture, the patient may feel uncomfortable, in addition to being easily distracted. Added to this, the ideal distribution is L-shaped, since it has been seen that this facilitates dialogue and communication.

There is controversy over whether it is better to use a couch, chairs, sofa or armchairs. The reason for such a debate is that it is argued that one of these objects is decisive for the recovery of the person, with supporters of each of these options and who do not agree. In practice, as each patient is different, we cannot pretend that everyone feels comfortable using the same type of seat, because it will not be the case.

There are those who prefer chairs, other sofas, other couches... and the practice should have all of them, as far as possible and practical. The use of each of these pieces of furniture will depend on the approach and techniques applied by the psychologist, but the key is that the patient feels comfortable and that he chooses the piece of furniture that he prefers. We cannot expect you to be focused for the 45 minutes that the session lasts if you are sitting on a piece of furniture that causes back pain. or makes you feel tense.

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1. Titled walls

One of the also controversial points when decorating a consultation is the subject of the titles. What is better: to put them or not? The truth is that it seems that hanging them is a point in favor, an ally for the therapist since patients psychologists with titles posted on the walls are perceived as more knowledgeable, experienced and ability. Titles also make us see ourselves as kinder, more hospitable, and more interested in patients..

It seems that the more certificates hang on the walls of the office, the more appreciation patients perceive psychologists, since it gave them the feeling that the therapists emitted an image of energy and dynamism. The titles They are understood as proof of the many knowledge that the professional possesses, in addition to being an assertive way for the professional to open up, to make known who he is and what he does without any qualms or shame, in the positive sense of the expression.

2. Personal items

Many psychologists are afraid of placing personal objects in their office, especially those as intimate as photographs of the family, the dog or some important event in their life. Fortunately, these types of objects have a very positive impact on the patient, who upon seeing them humanizes the figure of the therapist, stop seeing him as a cold professional and perceive him as a person of flesh and blood who wants to help him overcome his problems.

3. Shelves with books

A great ally for our practice is to have a book shelf, a piece of furniture that makes our patients understand that we are constantly reading and training. Added to this, in case of having an unforeseen event and not knowing how to act in a specific case or simply because an appointment has been canceled, it is always good to have a specialized book at hand.

4. Other decorative objects

Finally, we can talk about some decorative objects that help to give that personal and characteristic touch to our practice, something that makes it different from other psychologists and that makes patients feel that they are in a safe and calming environment. For example, plants give life and improve the climate, rugs add familiarity, and paintings add personality, even distinction, to the space.

Depending on how we place them and what type of objects we have chosen, these will make our query a place that remains in the memory of our patients as an interesting, relaxing and therapeutic.