Success Stories
Making Changes to Your Space Is Easy and the Results Are Significant
Ms. Harvey consulting practice requires a fair amount of travel. She has a home office in a large house which is home to herself and her family. Managing her travel schedule, work projects, and household was challenging and her work area showed her stress.
I worked with her on her space. This was her experience: “Periodically, I’ve done major overhauls of my office and my home, which have been very taxing to do, and then I revert back to the way things were. With you I didn’t feel that kind of effort; each change gave me the impetus to make the next. I feel differently about the process, for I understand it, I’m not getting a bad report card for order, I’m seeing my life anew.” M. Harvey, Forestry organizational consultant, Washington, DC
The Powerful Influence a Space Has on Those in It
Carol wondered how her patients felt about her office, since neither she nor her patients ever talked about it.
After we went through the Morris Approach to space, Carol said with surprise:
“The elephant in the room is the room.” Carol T., Psychotherapist, Scarsdale, NY
Dr. E.K. of New York City said of his experience: “Quite interesting. A bit unnerving to be answering personal questions in my own office, but I appreciated the increased awareness to how elements of spatial arrangements do affect how I feel, and what unconscious meaning some of them held for me. I don’t think I would have arrived at these realizations on my own, at least not nearly as quickly.” E.K., MD, New York, New York
Director’s Space Helps Her Move Forward
 Helen English, the director of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, had a lovely office, but it had problems but what they were was not apparent to her. She knew something was wrong. She worked very long hours, and the staff was worried about their future.
We worked on her office and it led to several breakthroughs. Ms. English said,
“Your questions led to me realize that I felt like I wasn’t moving forward. And I wasn’t moving forward because things were not prioritized. I work long hours, but I never got that sense of productivity; I felt like I never finished. Everything in the office is chattering all the time: file me, look at me, read me. They are sending me a little teeny tiny messages all the time and it contributes to making me feel like I am just spinning around.
“After working with you, I now have space and blocks of time in which to do things, which is more calming, direct and focused. With the changes I’ve made to my space, colleagues have commented several times that I must be getting a lot of things done. It sends a signal to them that I have time to talk to them, and time to think things through.
“I re-examined what I’ve been holding on to and what they are saying to me. I’ve gotten rid of things and I’m moving forward…and it feels great! And, we’ve gotten a new client and the staff morale is up.” Helen English, Sustainable Building Industry Council, Washington, DC
Every Picture Tells a Story
Dr. S. was trained to believe his office space was neutral and revealed nothing about him to his patients.
He is view shifted after working with me. He said, “Before doing this thing, it – it was not as conscious to me how representative my space is of me. And so it’s in the immediacy of being asked the question that you suddenly realize, “Whoa, wait a minute. That [my space] says a lot about me.” Psychiatrist, New York, NY
Selecting Office Space
 Gerry Russo, LCSW, was going to move from one midtown Manhattan office to another and wanted advice on which office to select and on how to set up the office once she selected it.
We reviewed many aspects of the various offices she had to choose from. While the one I recommended cost quite a bit more, she took it. She writes, “The thing I was most taken by was the fact that the art I had on the walls could have such a powerful impact; that I needed to know what message I wanted to convey with the art that was up.
“I made the changes first because I trust Katherine; second, the changes weren't so difficult to make that it would be any kind of real imposition or stress, either financially, emotionally or physically.
“The change of office is the one thing I can definitely comment on. I was in the space Katherine recommended for two years and it was bright and open and people consistently commented on the warmth and comfort they felt in the room. I was able to sublet it easily, so it cost me less money than the cheaper office would have.
“I have since given up the space, and am sharing an office with a colleague (actually in the space I was originally going to rent, but Katherine told me not to), and the difference is palpable. There isn't as much light, the space feels cramped and dark, partly because of the space itself and partly because of the way it is furnished and the colors used. All my old clients have moved with me and are invested in their therapy, but it has been difficult keeping new clients. I don't know that it is necessarily because of the space, but that has never been as big a problem as it seems to be now.” Gerry Russo, LCSW, New York, New York
Business Moves in Right Direction, Plus Other Benefits
Mr. Fisher had new office space. He had heard about the work I do and wanted to see how I could help him.
We tuned in to the messages the contents of the room were sending to him, and he immediately recognized the subtle negative messages which were holding him back. He notes, “After your consultation I find my office is more livable, more functional. I have things in my office that I’m drawn to rather than things I’m trying to ignore. I feel more peaceful but that doesn’t capture what I want to say. I’m more present, less distracted. Things are moving in the direction I want them to move in business wise. It’s been a useful provocation. We’ve also cleaned up other rooms.” D. Fisher, CEO, Mission Control, Washington, DC
You Did What Others Could Not Do
Dr. Lenn had two beautiful offices which she used for different purposes. She was particularly interested in Feng Shui, for she had read much about it. She had even had two prior Feng Shui consultations, which did not work. She believed my approach, which combines depth psychology and Feng Shui, would be effective.
We focused on how both she and her patients experienced the different spaces and made changes to both of them as a result. Dr. Lenn said, “I’ve had two Feng Shui consultations with Chinese practitioners and nothing they did worked. I have made major changes as a result of your consultation and I feel so energized as a result. One month after you did the consult with me, I did more business than I ever have in my practice [of 20+ years].” Psychologist, Potomac, MD
Listening to Clients
Marriott wanted to use the space in one of their brands differently. “We’ve had many consultants come in and work with us. None of them has listened to us the way you did. You wanted to hear what we had to say. I really appreciated that.
“I think that Katherine has done a great job of breaking down the elements of the event into sections focused on: appropriate wording by position with clear designation of the tasks to be assigned to staff members.” Director, Project Management, Marriott Corporation
Anxiety Level Drops with Space Change
Walt Kuenstler is a speech-writer and executive coach to a demanding high-profile West Coast client. Walt needed to be able to switch what he was working on rapidly and stay focused. His office was making this hard to do. In fact, it was making him anxious and less productive.
We made changes to the space and Walt’s feeling about his work changed. He said, “Working with you lowered my anxiety level around work. I worried about all the stuff that had to be done, rather than doing the work that had to be done. There’s an overall comfort and calmness to my office. I look forward to getting in to my office. The office embraces me now. It has added to my productivity. It has added to the quality of the work I do. I work long distance with clients and with my newly done office clients pick up on a sense of calmness and confidence in me.
“I’ve become very conscious of flow since working with you. I feel a sense of containment.” Walt Kuenstler, Philadelphia, PA
Join those who have experienced the benefits of consulting with Katherine Grace Morris, PhD, FSII.
Contact her today.
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