This is perfect for all therapists who work from a physical therapy office and healing room.

I love to share holistic tips for all kinds of health businesses. I remember a joke that a therapist friend told me – “Never trust a therapist who has dead plants in their office!” – This made me laugh but you would be amazed to hear how many therapy rooms I have seen on my search for a space who had this problem. And the energy of the room and the overall therapy clinic did not feel good to me. Maybe there is some truth in it! Let me share some practical ways to make sure that where we work from truly holds positive energy space for your interactions with your clients.

What is space clearing?

Space clearing is the conscious act of creating a safe space where the energy is calm and positive. All of our physical environments hold energy. Due to many factors, each space will have its own unique collected energy and this can build over time. Our own energy also has a way to interact with the energy of each space so we can feel differently, depending on who we are and our own energy field. Have you ever walked into a room and felt like the energy was off in some way? This is especially obvious in spaces where there are strong energies – High-stress levels, strong emotions, a wide variety of people passing through the space, negativity, pollution… and so much more.

If we are using a therapy room (for any of our services – psychotherapy, counselling, healing, coaching, physical therapy etc), it is essential that we clear the energy of this space regularly. Our therapy room will hold the energy of our clients and healing. We want to make sure that we clear the energy regularly to create energy flow, release, positivity, clarity and lightness for the process we go through with our clients. Believe it or. not, clients pick up on these subtle things too!

When a space feels good, we feel more at home to explore our Self fully – When our therapy room feels good to us, we feel great to work in it – It is a supportive place that holds space for us. The same goes for clients who want to invest their time, energy and money into their health and well-being. From the moment a new client walks through the door, the energy tone is already set for the sessions ahead. So, let’s make this part of our health business really count!

Throughout this post, I invite you to reflect on some questions in your business journal and explore what actions you can do today to make space-clearing part of your weekly routines as a therapist.

It starts BEFORE you enter your therapy room

One thing I love about having a therapy room to work from (Vs. having an online therapy setting) is that it is a way to disconnect our personal life and make space for our work life. We are all going through our own life experiences – As therapists, we also deal with daily things that can make us feel stressed with hectic schedules that require a lot of energy. We have good days and bad days like everyone else. So, when it comes to going to our therapy office, I feel that this is a space we should look forward to going to. Let’s explore some ways we can do this for our Self and our clients.

As a therapist, our location matters a lot when it comes to our business, the physical space and the clients we are going to work with. Depending on our niche and client base, we may choose the location to suit our business. Some areas seem logically better for us but may not energetically feel like the space we want to work from.

I will give you an example: I worked with a therapist who was an artist and a CBT therapist. He was working from a location that was in the heart of the financial district of the city. The therapy space he had was a shared spot that felt like an office job to him. Although he was able to attract many high-paying clients, he also just did not enjoy working in this location. A few months later, he branched out to a creative part of the city and this is when he really blossomed! He felt that the creative energy of the new location matched the energy he wanted to explore, instead of the corporate office job feeling that he had in the other therapy space. He soon left his first location and is now happily thriving in his new place.

The key question is – Do you enjoy your working environment and location? If you don’t feel that the location is a space where you would like to grow from, then maybe it is time to define what location means to you. And if you are looking for a new space, then this is something to keep in mind. There is no point working from a space that does not feel right for you in your business as it will affect how inspired you are to grow.

Create routines/rituals to disconnect from your home/personal life. Even before you enter your therapy room, you can start to set the energy for your client sessions ahead of time. This is a great way to temporarily switch off whatever is happening in your life so that you can show up fully to your therapy sessions.

💡 Some tips and inspiration:

► Prepare to feel and look your best for your sessions – This is through the way you dress and present your Self to your clients. This is also about bringing everything you need to equip your Self for your therapy work.

► Make your commute part of your prep routine – You could make this a time to unwind with some relaxing music, listen to inspiring podcasts, journal… do small things that will make you create energy space for your Self before you reach your location. Even if you are having a bad day, this can make a big difference in how you show up and your own energy levels.

► As you enter the building where your therapy room is, you could say an affirmation to remind you to leave your stuff at the door – This is a visualization I also love to use. As soon as I enter the building’s front door, I visualize some of my energy being left outside. I also affirm ” At this moment, I release my energy and feel open to focusing on my clients and my service.”. Try this or something similar the next time you are entering your therapy building. Make way to hold space for what your beautiful sessions have in store for you and your clients. This is also a way to create healthy boundaries in our work-life balance.

Routines to clear the space before you see your clients

As we grow in our therapy business, we might find that preparation time before/after each session can be limited. It also depends on where you work from – Some shared therapy centres allow you to have time before your booked times, whereas others expect you to use preparation time within your booked hours. If you have your own dedicated therapy office, then there is probably a lot more freedom to choose your preparation times with your bookings. You may also prefer to work with clients back-to-back, instead of having time spaces between each session. Regardless of this, preparation time does not need to take up a lot of time when it comes to clearing energy. Having simple and short routines in place is valuable.

Let’s start with the actual physical cleaning routine of your therapy space. How often do you or a cleaner come to your therapy room to clean? If you share a space or have your room in a building, does this also include cleaning services? Having a clean space is a healthy space. This is something that should be done regularly.

Let’s invite some prana, life-force energy into our therapy room. A big part of space clearing is inviting more life force energy into the therapy space and releasing old stagnant energy. Just like the cleaning routine above, these are some tips to keep the flow of the room and create regular energy routines.

💡 Some ideas for space clearing:

► Prepare weekly big energy clear-up session – Just like the physical cleaning, you can incorporate energy cleaning as part of your therapy room cleaning. Do this just after your physical clean so you have a new space to work from. This is great if you have your own dedicated therapy office. If you don’t and you share your space, then I think this is something you can do before a session.

► Sage, candles and incense – This depends on your therapy, your client’s preferences and if your therapy contract allows it. I have rented many spaces where they were not allowed due to health and safety. I am sure this is not the case everywhere. It’s worth checking. You could Sage the therapy room once a week as part of your weekly energy cleaning – I also recommend using this with the window open to let out the smoke as you smudge the room, especially in the corners where energy is often held. Keep in mind that many clients are sensitive to smoke, so if you do use them in your sessions, ask first.

► How much natural light and fresh air does your therapy room have? – A good idea is to have a space where you can open the blinds/curtains and open the window fully before your sessions. Even if you prefer dimmer lighting and a warmly heated space for your clients, it will only take a few minutes to freshen the space with light and fresh air. Sometimes clients also prefer different temperatures so having a window is great for temperature changes and to clear up the energy.

► Engage the earthly senses – Whether or not the therapy room provides this, you can always have your own small supply of things that you use for your sessions that will engage the senses for you and your clients. Some ideas: A soothing natural scent – Something that is not overpowering and too strong. Essential oil sprays are perfect for this, quick and easy to use before a session. Depending on your therapy, music may be used – again nothing too overpowering, just lightly in the background and without lyrics or distracting rhythms. Keeping your therapy space clear of clutter and spacious – This will help the energy flow and will help a client keep focused on their thoughts without being distracted/overcrowded with what is around them. The small touches that bring the space to life!

► How much noise do you hear from outside? – Speaking of senses again, it can be distracting to have noises from outside. Noise is a form of energy too so if your space is always bombarded with traffic and crowds, this may have an effect on the energy of your space. If you live and work in a busy city, it can be a challenge to find a place which does not have this as a signature background sound. Consider how much soundproofing your therapy space has and how distracting it is for you and your clients.

► Plants and crystals – This adds a grounding energy effect to the space. It brings in the earth element and helps with keeping the energy alive. If you have your own therapy space, explore different plants that are air purifiers to fill your therapy room. If you share a therapy space, you can always ask if you can keep your plant there.

► Spend time in your therapy room – This was a good piece of advice that I received when I first started my therapy journey. When we spend time in our therapy space, this also grows the energy in our business. So, even during the days when I did not have a client, I would still show up during the booked hours and use it to plan, get inspiration, do some writing, finish my therapy notes and be present with the room. This was also the perfect excuse to have some quiet time to do meditation and yoga. To enjoy the space that we do our work from… It is tempting to rush in/out when we don’t have clients, but I think nurturing the space builds a good connection and sense of belonging in our business space.

► Create your own 5-minute energy routine – Simple is best for this, especially if you are a busy therapist with many clients and rotating schedules with other therapists. Once you have the therapy room set up for your clients, spend the last 5 minutes doing a quick energy cleansing exercise. An easy way to do this is through quick 3-minute breathing exercises and 2 minutes of affirmations and grounding. You can personalize this. You can also do this between sessions if you need to re-focus your Self before the next client.

I will share a simple 5-minute routine that you can do just before your session.

A Simple 5-Minute Preparation Routine

Routines to clear the space after you see your clients

Why would you bother having an energy-cleansing routine after a session? Good question! So if you already have your therapy space cleared regularly and you already do your 5-minute prep routine before/in between each session, then it might make no sense to finish with another routine. However, this is great to release fully before you go home – To avoid taking your work home with you in a form of energy.

To end, there are many ways that you can release. You may want to finish up your therapy notes from your clients first. Rehydrate with an energizing drink (like a warming ginger tea or strong smoothie) – You can bring this with you when you are getting ready to come to your therapy space. If you need to eat something, this is a good time to eat something light too – I enjoy a snack on dates or fruit. And before I leave my therapy space, I like to spend a few moments clearing up the room and spray my aura with an essential oil spray for grounding.

To make a simple grounding essential oil spray – You will need a dark glass spray bottle (easy to buy from any aromatherapy shop). Pour distilled water into it until it is 3/4 full. Add 3-5 drops of your favourite grounding essential oil (Sandlewood, Frankincense, Myrrh, and Patchouli are popular ones). Shake and spray your Self from head to toe. Breathe in deeply as you do. Take a long deep breath in, hold for a few seconds and then exhale deeply – Do this 3 times and you are ready to go!

One of the key lessons I have learned throughout the years as a therapist is to have routines/rituals in place that create healthy boundaries. This helps us to build our own energy management and maintain our Self as we work with others.

I hope this post has inspired you to explore and enjoy different ways to keep energised and your practice space strong!