Before the pandemic, whilst working full-time in a psychiatric hospital, I only saw a few private clients in the evenings. I’d never given online therapy before and used to rent a therapy room ad hoc locally.
The pandemic changed everything. Not only did I begin to see clients online, but I eventually built enough of a client base and courage to go into private practice full-time.
It was the best thing I could’ve done for my mental health, my bank balance, my quality of life, and my clinical growth as a psychotherapist. The therapeutic space is a container for the relationship and the work, and it also impacts the therapist. I have been in many rooms before which were below adequate and had a detrimental impact on the therapy.
During the pandemic, the room I used to rent locally had to close and then eventually shut down. I began seeing clients in my home. I can be pretty impulsive, so although I considered the impact of seeing clients at home, I didn’t think about it in much depth. I wanted to save money, and I had a spare room, so I thought, why not? I guess you can’t fully know the implications until it happens.
Of course, I considered what it would mean regarding self-disclosure, my safety, and my relationship. However, I can say that it has all worked out for the best. I was able to decorate my therapy room exactly how I wanted, which I had never done before, and it was joyful. I was able to create the sort of room that I would like to be a client in and then be able to go to my living room or my kitchen whenever I wanted to. There is something so comforting about working from home—the only rules are my own.
However, of course, there is another side. It can be challenging to switch off. Running a small business never stops; it can be even more complex when it operates inside your home. I also have to consider my husband and his needs, so we had to have a candid conversation about the potential pitfalls of having clients in our home. Luckily, he is very laid-back and accommodating and supports my work entirely.
There were also my cats to consider, who initially let me know they weren’t happy with having lots of strangers in the home. However, this has lessened, and they are used to the different smells. Most of my clients love them, and it actually works really well, apart from when the cats want snacks!
Regarding my personal safety, I can honestly say I have never felt threatened. I always do a consultation beforehand. Maybe I have been lucky, or maybe most of humanity is decent and good.
Although I do see some clients online, my preference will always be face-to-face. There is something so beautifully magical about giving therapy in a room with someone and seeing how they move and settle in the space or not. Seeing what their legs are doing, their hands, the felt sense you can only have when being in the physical presence of another and being able to do creative activities with ease, offering comforting hot drinks or a tangle toy to occupy their hands. Seeing how clients respond to the artwork on my wall, my books, my plants, my flowers, and all the large trees outside the window. These things have produced such rich and varied material for us to work with. Material I would not have been able to achieve only working online.
I try to keep the room for work purposes only, with the occasional yoga class or meditation. At the end of the day, as a ritual, I close the door, and my work for the day is done. I am no longer a therapist. I am Lesley, a wife, a cat mum, a friend, a daughter, and all of the other roles I occupy. Although it might not be for everyone, I absolutely adore working from home, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
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