the therapist’s couch

I’ve never had therapy in anything other than an armchair.

You?

If you have, I demand a description of the couch in minute detail. I’m not sure whether to feel cheated or not.

Published by

blahpolar

battlescarred, bright, bewildered, bent, blue & bipolar

76 thoughts on “the therapist’s couch”

      1. When I lived in the Philippines, my dad and I went seeking for some furniture, and we went straight to individual houses/conglomerates where they made it, in the countryside. Their skill was amazing, we got some beautiful chairs, tables and … (ugh what’s the name, horizontal cabinets with drawers, long) of carved wood, but also a whole set of armchairs and sofa made of rattan. My dad took them with him as he moved, and when I finally had a place of my own that set ended up with me. It lasted years and years, you can almost glimpse it in the picture of Zoom and Mech you saw on Facebook.

        The shorter answer: I love rattan, it’s different from other materials and I hadn’t often seen it in England (they use something similar for outdoor furniture, but ours was an indoor set). So while I talked automatically to the therapist, I was actually focusing on the lovely feel of rattan. It contributed to a cosier than usual sense of split personality.

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  2. I have the option of either of two weirdly shaped chairs or the couch. I always choose the couch. Dark blue, kind of a corduroy thing going on but the ditches aren’t as deep as corduroy. Plushy back and two nice colorful decorative pillows. As I think back, I only ever had one therapist that didn’t have a couch and I didn’t like her much.

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  3. I have a choice between a chair or a couch. I’m busy I’m really not comfortable lying down, never was. I sit on the couch, not laying down ~ often sitting at the edge with my legs stretched in front of me. Even standing up occasionally because I just can’t sit still, I’m too – kind of hyper and intense. She always gives the option. The couch is actually kind of like a love seat without arms, and both it n the chair are comfy. Made up of pleather type of material. I feel more comfortable sitting if I lay down I feel like I’m being lazy (never lie downin front of people). that’s about it.

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  5. When I visited a psychiatrist or a psychologist in private offices (private or public funding) it was an armchair. Now that I go to the hospital it’s an office type chair with armrests and wheels. Don’t think I’ve seen a therapist in an officel large enough to accommodate a couch.

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  6. It’s always been chairs for me, comfy and cozy. My psych nurse had a big love seat that was squishy and a gold color with red and gold squishy pillows and i would sit down and depending on how I felt I would sink into the couch and be relaxed or sit on the edge of when I was really bad is sink into the couch and grab a pillow and use it as my shield. I kinda hate that couch now

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            1. Shrink two is public sector – either we borrow shrink one’s smart second office (at pvt shrinky clinic), or it’s a fucked up plastic chair at ward 13 lol.

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                    1. Shrink one has unashamedly and flamboyantly bad taste. There’s a vile painting of an interior in a gilt frame in her primary office, and the tissues are in a wooden box made to look like an antique book. Oddly she has really crappy chairs there. I must try and remember to ask why when I see her again.

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                    2. Ew. I just threw up in my mouth a little at the description. And why would you have it “look” comfortable only to go “HA! Fooled you, sucker!”?? Please do let me know what her response is.

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                    3. No it’s weird, she’s got the kind of metal and upholstery chairs they use at conferences, so they don’t look anything really. And I’ve never even thought about them before lol. I will definitely let you know what’s what.

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                    5. She gets away with it, because she’s got the most amazing laugh on earth. Also, she charges me half her rate :D I like her, she’s quite nuts herself.

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  7. I’ve only ever had arm chairs. Comfy enough I guess. Think I need to get my arse in one again soon. My teeth are tingling….

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      1. Yup. Such fun. Was gonna txt you yesterday, but it would’ve been like 3am there. *sigh*

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          1. Hmmm. Well, I didn’t want to irritate you either, because what’s going on in my head is irritating. Hahahaha! And it’s not that song either… I love that song!

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              1. LOL!!!! I’m so happy to see you’re back! I love your wit!

                I just need to obliterate these thoughts, and I’ll be ‘right

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  8. My therapist has some generic lightly padded office chairs, but when I went to an appointment with her supervisor once there was a lovely squishy black leather couch. The downside was that it was the only place to sit, and she had a full wall of windows so even with the blinds down the light was glaring in my eyes as the sun set.

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  9. I have laid (lain? layed? layered?) on a therapist’s couch, but it wasn’t a classic therapy couch. It was just a generic couch. It made me feel lazy, emotionally. Like I was chatting with my best friend. Bullshitting. I find I need to be face-to-face in order to get my money’s worth, get to cryin’ and all other kinds of emoting.

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  10. lol I’ve been seeing the therapist since May and I couldn’t tell you what that couch looks like. There are two large pillows, though, that aren’t brightly colored.

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  11. My therapist’s office offers an array of motion-enhanced armchairs *and* a gigantic futon half-eclipsed by a flourishing family of pillows (or is it a pack? herd? a throw of pillows?), which is super cozy, though I’ve used it all of once, when I went to therapy even though I was in the “so tired that even dying seems like it would be too much effort” phase of mono.

    That’s as close as I’ve ever come to experiencing the Classic Therapy Couch. If I tried to talk to someone who was buhind me, I’d probably just get distracted by shiny things.

    I usually sit in the green corduroy cushy chair that both rocks and spins and sometimes makes a little chirping noise (but apparently only for me).

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      1. Surprisingly, it’s not huge. Maybe 3m x 4m square at the biggest? It’s in a converted Victorian house. She saves space by cramming her desk up against the shortest wall (it has a closet) — during a session, she turns her office chair to face into the room. The futon occupies one long wall; the door, a bookshelf, and the two smaller chairs (one a wooden rocker, one a glider-rocker) occupy the other; a little table, another bookshelf (tucked behind the glider-rocker, which lives in a corner), and “my” chair occupy the other short wall. It sounds like it should be horribly cramped, but it manages not to be. There are two gigantic windows, which helps (especially since they’re situated such that the sun never blinds you).

        I also love corduroy! It is the coziest fabric!

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  12. This is a bit off topic, but I had biofeedback training in a recliner once. The Dr. was creepy. I told him I didn’t think I needed to return any more because I’d mastered the technique (which was true). He got all pissy. I never went back. I don’t blame the recliner; it was just an innocent bystander.

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  13. I laid on my first psychiatrist’s couch. I was depressed and confused and broken. I just got out of bed to go and see him so the natural thing was for me was to lay back down. Fuck I drove there. So much work. Anyway. There was a blanket too but I didn’t want to be forward and use it even though I just want to curl up under it and just sleep. A long sleep.
    He was Jewish. Why that matter I don’t know. He had long nails too. That was icky.
    That couch was my friend.

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  15. My old therapist had a nice suede, gray love seat and my old psychiatrist had a brown leather couch. With my new therapist I’m in a waiting room chair. Very uncomfortable. My new psychiatrist is via Skype in a nice comfy office chair.

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  16. There is a couch (leather no less so I know where my money’s going) in both my psychiatrist’s and psychologist’s offices. I however sit in the armchair because I feel sitting on the couch is some sort of psychoanalytical trick.

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  18. No couch, but I gotta tell ya, the telepsychiatry thing where you sit in an armchair in front of a camera and monitor…is disconcerting.

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      1. It was all my place offered for three years. Last year when they had an actual doctor on site, I leapt at the chance to get in with him. Three years, four different tele-shrinks, and I was worse than ever.
        Not that I am miraculously cured now but at least he’s prone to letting me talk 20 minutes if need be whereas the tele docs…Usher, usher, mooove along, next in line in the drive thru.

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          1. I’ve said before that I’ve spent more time in a drive thru waiting on fast food than talking to the doctor. People think it’s a joke. Sadly, it’s not. More care is put in to getting my burger right than making sure my brain isn’t going to short circuit and go on a spork stabbing spree.

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