How does the
environment of therapy room influence the treatment of clients/patience? Or
does it at all?
We
continuously, without being aware, are
influenced by stimuli that are acknowledged by our senses, hence, often led to directions which we had not
willingly or consciously intended. This happens often when watching movies,
where we are almost hypnotized and emotionally involved as if we are a part of
the whole scenario. We feel pain, joy, fear or anything that the movie
stimulates within us, despite knowing there are actors performing, a film crew
in the background and the staged scenes, mixed with the incredible animations
that nowadays new technology offers – and last but not least the important factor
of the appropriate music that guides
emotions while accompanying the scene. Hence we are drowned in the environment
of the movie.
This happens
to us in our day to day experience of what we call life. Environments we
experience in our lives shape us to a large extent. The same is the case for
the environment patients/clients experience while going to a medical doctor or
a psychotherapist. Hence, for those seeking psychological help the room in
which they are receiving this support could be as essential as the quality and
method of which the therapist is conducting the treatment.
In “Behandlungs-(T)Räume”,
in English Treatment-Rooms (with connotation to Dreams), more than 23 different
therapy room types and models are introduces. From Freud to Jung, from Adler to
classic room types, where each is described to suite and help to treat different types of disorders.
The client’s
disorder alone does not seem to be sufficient in choosing a room, but their status, educational level
and other factors are taken into consideration. Since it seems appropriate, let
us take Freud as an example; where the room constellation and environment is
for ‘highly cultivated’ and highly
educated patients with a high level of disorders. (Furthermore, as additional
information, there are also names given to the main parts of the room, i.e. the
couch “Anna” and Freud’s hair called “Sigi”).
Then again we
have an example of other rooms, model 2
and 3, which are considered to be
for patients with mid to lower level of
education, who even have been homeless at some point of their lives, having
social issue or being ignored by their peers and society.
Once again,
these are all illustrations of hypothesis manifested in form of rooms and
environment that may be helpful to conduct more effective treatments. One thing however is essential to understand
is that we are all human beings with a very complex psyche that can be
influences by all kinds of outside stimuli which our senses perceive dependant
of our life experiences, paradigms and level of understanding.
