[pct-l] office decor

[Janet Grossman]

From: Amanda L Silvestri <aslive at sbcglobal.net>
However, when working in a mental health center it might be best to decorate your office walls with neutral, non-anxiety-provoking art.  If the therapist wants to puts items on the wall to provoke a response and this is done in the course of therapy, fine.  I question that the in-take office is the best place for the free expression of ones interests.  After all what we might see as beautiful and inspiring, another less stable person might find triggering, you just never know. It was not the identified patent that had the reaction, true, but Systems Theory tells us that the "Identified patent" is not necessary the person with the greatest problem.  Everyday can bring surprises.

I have PCT photos up in my office too, but I don't have them up where I see clients.  Perhaps this is something to discuss in supervision.  I hope it all works out.

Shepherd

Shepherd, I'm sure you didn't mean your post to be as judgmental as it came out sounding to me and others who read it at my request. I appreciate your concern that my choice of office decor may be triggering for clients, and in honor of your suggestion that it be a topic in supervision, I did indeed discuss it with my supervisor today. Her response: "You're a PERSON first," and that it's fine to have my PCT map and photos on my office wall. She then said, "The spider plant in my office might be triggering for someone who was abused in a room that happened to contain a spider plant, but if anybody's ever had a problem with it they never said so." Most of the people I see make comments about the beautiful outdoor photos on all my walls, and I do find that in a windowless office, they're much better than any alternative artwork I can think of. So, thanks for your concern, but all seems to be working out just fine in my neck of the desert.
Janet