As many of our patients know, here at the office we have two treatment rooms that are lovingly nicknamed The Quiet Room and The Noisy/Windowed Room. They are as diverse as their names suggest, and patients cite unique benefits from each.
The Quiet Room receives less light and so is darker, is outfitted in neutral greys and blues, and has a coziness that a room with only one transom window provides. Even the art is just a little quieter in this room; a misty Redwood forest scene, a contemplative ballerina, and a photo from space of the Earth, serene and all-encompassing.
By contrast, The Noisy/Windowed Room is vibrant and busy, with soaring windows facing the hustle of Cedar St. and Preuss Pets, deeper and brighter colors that resonate more in the ample light that filters in, and a bookshelf chock full of medical tomes and children’s toys that hint at the diversity of his patients.
When I am able to, I like to offer both rooms to patients and watch closely to which one they choose. I feel through this I can tell what they may subconsciously be needing that day. Are they feeling the need for the kind of healing that requires stillness, closeness, and feelings of safety? Or are they here today ready to grow, to flourish, to exult in life and all that it offers?
I notice also when room preferences change, and when they stay the same; when we are ready or needing something different, and when we still need more time where we’re at.
So, how are you feeling today? Quiet Room or Noisy Room?
Written by Jenna
