A psychologist's office is both an important part and one of the tools of a specialist's work. In fact, the office should be comfortable, inviting, pacifying, because they work with “subtle matter” there. First, he represents the psychologist himself, his attitude towards work and clients. Secondly, a well-designed office is already a "powerful tool" in the hands of a psychologist, facilitating his work. How to use it one hundred percent?
It is necessary
- Furniture: chairs, soft armchairs, desk, coffee table, shelving, children's furniture, computer table.
- Paints / wallpaper for walls, ceilings, flooring.
- Luminaires, fluorescent lamps, curtains, dark curtains, partitions.
- Audio and video equipment.
- Potted plants.
Instructions
Step 1
Consider in advance the division of the psychologist's office into work areas in order to choose the right color and light design, furniture, and tools. Remember that the office is divided into zones: a psychologist's work area, a consultation and relaxation area, a written study area, and a mobile study area. Plan the zones based on the contingent you work with - children, adults, couples, groups, or all at once.
Step 2
You should start with the color scheme of the psychologist's office. Choose muted, neutral, warm pastel colors. Ideal combinations of green, blue, warm beige and yellow - they facilitate adaptation in the office, set up for interaction. Walls, for example, can be beige, pale yellow, peach, pale pink. For the ceiling, blue is considered the best - the color of the sky. The color of the floor / floor covering should be more intense and darker shades. Choose different shades of natural wood, dark green grass, earthy colors. For play areas, on the contrary, you can choose bright colors of primary colors, intense lighting that stimulate mental activity. At unnecessary moments, the illumination of this area can be removed, thereby muffling the brightness of the colors.
Step 3
The color of the curtains, curtains, should be in harmony with the color scheme of the office. Even if the windows have blinds, choose curtains. They will soften the excessive officialdom and give the cabinet more comfortable coziness. It is good if the curtains are slightly richer than the color of the walls or overlap with the colors of upholstered furniture. Under the curtains, hide dark (thick) folding curtains that fall easily.
Step 4
Thinking in advance about the location of the working areas in the office, select the lighting. It is better that the psychologist's office has good natural light, the possibility of almost complete blackout, as well as good artificial lighting. In artificial lighting, it is better to use both incandescent and fluorescent lamps. The latter are for general lighting, and incandescent lamps are for spot lighting of the desired areas.
Step 5
Find the furniture you need. In addition to the work table and the psychologist's chair, the office should have three guest chairs, two soft, comfortable chairs (small-sized), a coffee table, book shelves, cabinets for documentation, tools, toys, equipment cabinets, and colored interchangeable partitions. Of course, correlate the necessary set with your practice. If you are only providing one-to-one therapy and not working with the family, reduce the number of guest chairs. If you work exclusively with children, choose furniture of the appropriate size, special children's tables and highchairs. If group work is planned, the number of chairs available should correspond to the size of the groups recruited.
Step 6
Now start arranging furniture. Arrange furniture so that you are comfortable working at your own table, and visitors feel confident being in any of your zones. Avoid placing any chairs (including your own) with their backs to the door. The door behind a seated person causes tension, nervousness and interferes with concentration on work. Use movable partitions, vertical curtains, and racks to separate different areas. Place upholstered furniture, a coffee table in the consulting and relaxation area so that you and your client sit not opposite each other, but at an angle. The psychologist should also be able to change the position of the furniture in space and, if necessary, sit down with the client.
Step 7
Place visual information for customers outside of work areas, preferably in the waiting area, if available. Educational materials in work areas will be unnecessary and distracting.
Step 8
Arrange all the equipment in the right places - you will need musical equipment both in the relaxation zone and in the zone of outdoor activities. Computer equipment is used by the psychologist himself in his work, as well as for individual computer diagnostics of clients. Install additional equipment such as projectors in the outdoor activity area.
Step 9
In order to create an environmentally friendly atmosphere, closer to the natural environment, plant greenery in the office. Use decorative-leaved as well as non-aggressive flowering plants.
