Art for Therapist Offices

When considering art for therapist offices, it’s essential to keep in mind that artwork can completely change the look and feel of a space. For example, if you have an office with neutral walls and furniture, adding a pop of color with a piece of art can make the space feel more vibrant and lively.

Since art can be so spatially transformative, it’s important to be strategic and intentional about the artwork you decide to include in your office design. You want your selections to suit your personality and your practice’s authentic therapy brand.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about wall art for therapist offices.

Best therapy wall art

First things first—how do you choose the best art for therapist offices?

Art is subjective. When it comes to choosing  wall art for therapist offices, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Instead, if you want your wall art to have an impact—on yourself, your clients, and any other therapists or colleagues you work with—avoid anything too generic and, instead, choose pieces you feel personally connected to.

By choosing pieces you connect with, you’re giving clients a small window into who you are—and if they also connect with the art, it can help them feel more connected to you, which can support the therapeutic process and relationship.

Where to buy wall art for therapist offices

Consider looking at options from online galleries that sell original paintings from artists of all backgrounds. Examples include Saatchi Art and UGallery. You can even commission your own original painting and work directly with an artist to bring your original idea to life.

For beautiful and budget- conscious options, online artist marketplace sites, such as Minted and Society6, sell art prints—some of which are already framed. There’s no reason to spend a fortune on wall art for therapist offices. 

“I commission and purchase and find art that means something to me, and is representative of what I like,” says clinical counselor Leah Riddell, LCAS, owner of group practice Origins Counseling & Wellness. “Oftentimes, the clients that find me—and, by extension, the folks who work for me in our practice—can connect with that, and it helps them feel comfortable.”

It’s also important to think about how that art will ultimately impact your clients. Art and wall colors can have a significant impact on mood, feelings, and emotions. This is why it’s important to choose a color palette and art pieces that will contribute to a safe and supportive environment when choosing therapist office essentials.

“I love to choose artwork that really reflects the place I want to be in versus the place that [clients] are in,” says Ginger Houghton, LMSW, owner of Bright Spot Counseling. “For example, I use lighter colors and more inspiring open art, as opposed to moody or dark art.”

You’ll also want to “avoid any artwork that depicts anything that could be triggering for certain clients,” adds Washington-based therapist Adam Haynes-LaMotte, PhD.

Now that you know some best practices for choosing art for therapist offices, let’s jump into the therapist office essentials.

Use your practice as inspiration

When choosing art for therapist offices, your actual practice—and the clients you serve—are great places to gather insights into what kind of art would work best in your office.

Therapists can “identify their niches and use art to create an environment to match,” says Houghton.

For example, “I see clients with anxiety and perfectionism and my clients really need to see serene, airy, and comfortable [settings],” says Houghton. “They are really seeking peace in their body and brain—and it really helps make our work easier when the environment reflects that.”

Are you a therapist for children? Choose whimsical art that feels fun and colorful. 

Do you specialize in therapy for depression? Avoid anything melancholy and choose vibrant, joyful pieces. 

The point is, think about your practice and the clients you serve—and then choose artwork that reflects that.

Use art functionally

Art can completely change the look and feel of your therapy office. But art can be more than decoration; depending on how you use it, it can also be functional.

Think of the different ways you need your office to function—and then see if there are ways to incorporate art into your space’s functionality. 

For example, soundproofing your office is important, but the materials used to do so aren’t always aesthetically pleasing. So, you can “use art to hide soundproofing panels,” says Riddell. “The large color world print we have hanging in our lobby is really a home for a ton of soundproofing panels. [In fact], all of our large pieces have soundproofing panels hiding behind them.”

As another example, if you need multiple boxes of tissues in your office—but don’t like the way the generic boxes look—you can place each box in a sculpture, vase, or other piece of decor to make them feel more intentional.

Use art to create the right telehealth video backdrop

If you see clients virtually, you might think that you don’t need to worry about art for therapist offices. But the truth is, the art you choose when seeing clients virtually is just as important—whether it’s virtual wall art for therapist offices or not 

Remember, your clients don’t just see your face when video conferencing—they also see the background behind you. 

Make sure to apply any tips you’d use for outfitting an in-person office as you would with your background—including choosing art that reflects your practice, incorporating pieces that will foster connection and put your clients at ease, and using art functionally. 

“As a telehealth therapist, I have a backdrop of many different colored hexagons that double as soundproofing for my home office,” says Haynes-LaMotte. “I want to send the message that clients’ confidentiality is important to me, as well as giving all of my clients something colorful to look at during our sessions.”

Zen therapist office decor

If you’re trying to create a cohesive, visually interesting, and all-around Zen space for your therapy practice, your office design shouldn’t stop with art—it should extend to office decor.

Use the art in your office to inspire the rest of your decor design. For example, if you have a large painting on a wall, incorporate the painting’s color palette into your office decor—like your area rug, throw pillows, or decorative items (like picture frames and planters). 

Houghton has a self-care library in her office that includes beautiful bookends and other gorgeous things.

In addition, think about the paint colors you choose for the walls of your therapy office—and make sure that they work with your art and decor choices. You can even use feng shui to choose office colors for your practice, to ensure your color schemes foster a calming atmosphere for your clients. 

How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice

SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.

If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to run a fully paperless practice—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.

Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.

READ NEXT: The Best Colors for Therapy Offices