The effect of the therapy room environment on expectations regarding psychotherapy

Clients' expectations of psychotherapy are important because they can actually affect the process and outcome of therapy. Not only therapists' behavior but also the characteristics of their therapy room could potentially influence clients' expectations. This study aimed to investigate the effects of therapy room interior designs on the formation of expectations of psychotherapy. Three photographs of typical therapy rooms were prepared, representing variations in seating arrangement and furniture: A) home-style furniture and egalitarian seating arrangement, B) classic Freudian-couch arrangement, and C) office-type furniture and desk-between seating arrangement. Participants consisted of those who have a prior experience of psychotherapy as a client (n=81) and those who have no experience (n=81). They were shown three rooms in a counterbalanced sequence and asked to complete the Milwaukee Psychotherapy Expectations Questionnaire each time. They were also asked open-ended questions: what element of the rooms attracted their attention, and what they liked/disliked about the rooms. The result indicated that psychotherapy-related expectations differed based on the room characteristics. The participants' expectations were the highest in Room A and the lowest in the Room C, regardless of their therapy experience. Thematic analysis of the responses to the open-ended questions revealed three themes regarding seating arrangement, Sincerity, Power Dynamics, and Feeling of Security, and two themes concerning furnishing, Simplicity, and Homeyness. The room that looks like a manager's office, which is common in Turkey, was received most negatively by both groups. Given the results, paying careful attention to the choice of furniture and seating arrangement when designing therapy rooms was recommended. Keywords: therapy room, psychotherapy expectations, interior design, seating arrangement, furniture type