The Chair or The Couch
In-person psychotherapy can take place in a couple of different settings: either by sitting face-to-face in chairs or by using a couch, where you have the opportunity to lie back, relax, and delve into your feelings.
While the use of the couch may seem like an antiquated model often depicted in movies, it remains a valuable tool for exploring emotions on a deeper level. Many practitioners, including myself, find that this approach can facilitate a more profound understanding of one's feelings. This page will outline the various applications of both the chair and the couch in therapeutic settings.
Understanding Therapy Positions:
Face-to-Face Seating and the Use of the Couch In therapy, how we sit or position ourselves in the room is intentional, but it is never about forcing a technique. Your comfort, safety, and sense of choice always come first. Different positions support different kinds of therapeutic work, and it is common to use one or both at different times.
Face-to-Face Therapy (Sitting Together)
Face-to-face sessions support safety, grounding, and connection. Sitting together can help you feel seen and accompanied, especially during times of stress, crisis recovery, trauma, anxiety, or early in treatment when building trust is most important.
The Couch (Optional)
The couch is an optional tool that may be introduced later, if and when it feels helpful. Some people find that lying down makes it easier to focus inward and speak freely without worrying about someone else’s reactions. Others prefer not to use the couch. Both experiences are valid, and the couch is never required.​​​​​​​​​
Trauma-Informed Care and Choice
Your sense of control and bodily autonomy matters. You choose how your body is positioned in the room, changes happen slowly and collaboratively, and nothing is done without your agreement.
There is no “right” way to do therapy.
A Simple Way to Think About It
• Face-to-face supports safety, grounding, and connection
• The couch can support inward focus and deeper exploration
• Both are tools—not rules—and can change over time
If you ever have questions or concerns about how sessions are set up, that conversation is always welcome.
