Soothing Decor Ideas for a Child’s Therapy Office

Therapists are able to provide a safe space for their patients but as comfortable as a patient may be with their counselor, they need to be able to talk in a comfortable environment. For child patients, it’s even more important. While the decor of a therapist’s office may not seem paramount, it’s truly important to create an ideal place where a child feels like they can speak their mind freely and address any items that may be impacting their developing mental health.

More Than the Couch

The decor of a child therapist‘s office is all about placing furniture that allows for minimal clutter but makes for a healthy environment where a child can sit, lay down, or even play around. Depending on the type of behavior therapy that a child or adolescent patient is receiving, you’ll want to consider how chairs and couches are positioned. There are ways to alter furniture for child counseling for conversations, regardless of if the patient wants to be directly conversational or if a child wants to focus on another activity while dealing with a mental health provider. Try to avoid any furniture that is uncomfortable, like backless stools or metal chairs. Opt for furniture that comes with a softer texture, encouraging staying for a while to be able to talk to your counselor.

Comfort Anywhere

It’s important for a child therapy office to be able to accommodate younger kids who may want to be able to play on the floor or go about the room. For younger children, a therapist may conduct a session while on the rug to talk at the child’s level. It’s important to look into companies like Plum Carpet that provide softer carpeting to be able to address any issues with comfort for both of you. After all, there’s nothing more painful than having to sit or lay on the tile after a while. Mental health professionals understand making room for young kids, but also being able to make for a comfortable couch or layout for older kids to feel like they’re being treated maturely for a mental health condition.

Keeping Things Bright

Going over the top on the decorations can be distracting for younger children, so a good child therapist knows that artwork and plants may be needed to stimulate the conversation. It’s important for decor to not go over the top. Accent walls can provide a lively pop of color, and drawings can actually make for the start of a conversation in a therapy session. It’s important to get some insight into behavioral problems, but those can get easily swayed by having too much on the walls or too much on the table to lead to an unnecessary tangent. Depending on the child’s behavior, you may want to have coloring books or other features around to encourage artistic creativity that could delve into the root causes of a mental health concern.

Animal Life

Some types of talk therapy may require some assistance from a furry friend. If you utilize therapy dogs or other pets as part of treatment for a medical disorder, or if the child present relies on therapy animals, you want decor that accommodates having animals around. You’ll want to refrain from having plants on the floor that could be poisonous to animals. You’ll also want to limit the pet to an area without carpeting, as it is easier to clean up tile or hardwood after an accident. At the end of the day, it’s important for children to feel that they are being heard by their child therapist, who can better help them understand their feelings.