TOILETS
The number and location of toilets in facilities needed for use in the private practice of the dynamic psychotherapy of children are manifold. They are the products of the opinions of the deciding practitioner and his recall of the needs and inclinations of parents and patients.
I have found that two toilets are best to have. One should be connected to the office. One should be connected to the waiting room area. This preference is derived from sixty plus years of practice experience and an equivalent number of years listening to the experiences of colleagues. There is no general agreement on this issue. I therefore have decided to include here case histories illustrating related needs and approaches, to use as guides..
Dr. Bill …show more content…
. Dr. J.C. was a young adult-psychoanalytic teacher assigned to teach residents, of which I was one.. He had recently bought a brownstone house. He had renovated the ground floor. He proudly showed us the two bathrooms he had added. One was attached to his consultation room. Said he, “It’s a relief not to have to share the patient’s bathroom.” He spoke of avoiding embarrassment. Comment – In sixty plus years, I have had to respond to an emunctory crisis twice. Each time, I explained the ensuing interruption, and used the waiting room bathroom. I could not detect any impact on the ongoing treatment. For evacuative embarrassment, some additional analysis might be indicated. Ms. J. L. was a high school student who came directly from school. When I entered the waiting room o greet her. She announced that the waiting room bathroom could not be used. The ceiling had fallen down. I looked. She was right. I directed her to the second bathroom that was off my consulting room. Recommendation - In an old building, check the status of the bathroom ceiling, before you sign the …show more content…
DR. R.L. had recently graduated from adult and child Psychoanalytic training. He moved into a prewar apartment above a restaurant in Manhattan. One room was used as a consulting room. The small vestibule near the entrance door was used as a waiting room. There was no bathroom in the apartment for patient use. When asked about this by his colleagues, he replied, “They can use the bathroom in the restaurant.”, Comment –Minimally, professional considerations require that we consider the comfort of our patients. There are also safety features, which are discussed in the office floor-plan section. Privacy and the toileting are linked concepts. A door that can be locked closed is a natural feature of a bathroom opening to a public space. In my experience only a lock with a pushbutton facing in and a keyhole equipped knob facing out is adequate for the needs of the child therapist’s office. The pushbutton can lock in responds to the light touch of a small child. The keyhole outer knob can be used by an adult swiftly to open a door that has been locked and stayed locked either as a child’s malign power gesture, or as an expression of
The number and location of toilets in facilities needed for use in the private practice of the dynamic psychotherapy of children are manifold. They are the products of the opinions of the deciding practitioner and his recall of the needs and inclinations of parents and patients.
I have found that two toilets are best to have. One should be connected to the office. One should be connected to the waiting room area. This preference is derived from sixty plus years of practice experience and an equivalent number of years listening to the experiences of colleagues. There is no general agreement on this issue. I therefore have decided to include here case histories illustrating related needs and approaches, to use as guides..
Dr. Bill …show more content…
. Dr. J.C. was a young adult-psychoanalytic teacher assigned to teach residents, of which I was one.. He had recently bought a brownstone house. He had renovated the ground floor. He proudly showed us the two bathrooms he had added. One was attached to his consultation room. Said he, “It’s a relief not to have to share the patient’s bathroom.” He spoke of avoiding embarrassment. Comment – In sixty plus years, I have had to respond to an emunctory crisis twice. Each time, I explained the ensuing interruption, and used the waiting room bathroom. I could not detect any impact on the ongoing treatment. For evacuative embarrassment, some additional analysis might be indicated. Ms. J. L. was a high school student who came directly from school. When I entered the waiting room o greet her. She announced that the waiting room bathroom could not be used. The ceiling had fallen down. I looked. She was right. I directed her to the second bathroom that was off my consulting room. Recommendation - In an old building, check the status of the bathroom ceiling, before you sign the …show more content…
DR. R.L. had recently graduated from adult and child Psychoanalytic training. He moved into a prewar apartment above a restaurant in Manhattan. One room was used as a consulting room. The small vestibule near the entrance door was used as a waiting room. There was no bathroom in the apartment for patient use. When asked about this by his colleagues, he replied, “They can use the bathroom in the restaurant.”, Comment –Minimally, professional considerations require that we consider the comfort of our patients. There are also safety features, which are discussed in the office floor-plan section. Privacy and the toileting are linked concepts. A door that can be locked closed is a natural feature of a bathroom opening to a public space. In my experience only a lock with a pushbutton facing in and a keyhole equipped knob facing out is adequate for the needs of the child therapist’s office. The pushbutton can lock in responds to the light touch of a small child. The keyhole outer knob can be used by an adult swiftly to open a door that has been locked and stayed locked either as a child’s malign power gesture, or as an expression of