Stillwell Journal

What makes a good therapy office? A privacy and soundproofing checklist.

By Diana, founder of Stillwell · October 31, 2026

Clients won't tell you if they can hear the session next door. They just stop coming back. For a therapy office, privacy isn't a nice extra; it's the product. Here's what to check before you rent any room, whether it's a lease, a sublet or an hourly office.

1. Can you hear voices through the wall?

Do the simplest test first: have a friend talk at a normal speaking voice in the room while you stand in the hallway and in the next room. If you can follow the words, clients can too.

Builders rate walls by STC (Sound Transmission Class). A standard office wall is often in the mid-30s, where normal speech is still understandable. For confidential conversations, look for walls around STC 45 to 50 or higher, built full height to the structural ceiling, not just to a drop ceiling.

2. Check the weak spots: doors, ceilings and vents

• Doors: hollow doors with gaps underneath leak sound. Solid-core doors with seals and a bottom sweep make a big difference.
• Ceilings: if the wall stops at a drop ceiling, sound travels over it into the next room.
• Vents and ducts: shared ductwork can carry voices between rooms.
• Outlets: back-to-back outlets punch holes in a wall.

3. Is there white noise at every door?

Sound masking won't fix a thin wall, but a white noise machine outside each door (and in the waiting area) covers what little does get through. It should be standard, not something you bring yourself.

4. Where do clients wait?

A waiting area shared with a busy coworking space or another business means clients may run into people they know. Look for a private waiting area used only by clinicians and their clients, with seating away from the session room doors.

5. How do clients get in?

A front desk that asks clients who they're seeing isn't ideal. Keyless or code entry lets clients arrive quietly, and lets you see clients early or late without a staff member present.

6. What about HIPAA?

HIPAA asks providers to use reasonable safeguards to protect client information, including limiting conversations that others can overhear. It doesn't set a specific soundproofing standard, so the practical test is simple: could someone outside the room follow what's being said? Also check where you'll store paper records and whether the Wi-Fi network is shared with strangers. This isn't legal advice, so check with your licensing board or a compliance professional if you're unsure.

7. Comfort still matters

• Two comfortable chairs or a sofa at a conversational distance
• Soft, adjustable lighting, ideally with a window
• Good air: an air purifier and steady temperature
• Tissues, a clock the client can't see, and somewhere to put a bag

A checklist to bring to any tour

Question	What you want to hear
Can I hear speech from the next room?	No, not even the words
Do the walls go to the structural ceiling?	Yes, with insulation
Are the doors solid-core with seals?	Yes
Is there white noise at each door?	Yes, always on during sessions
Who uses the waiting area?	Only clinicians and their clients
How do clients get in?	Code or keyless entry, no front desk check-in
Will I get the same day and time each week?	Yes, guaranteed

We're building Stillwell's Park Slope rooms around this exact list: soundproofed rooms, white noise at every door, a private waiting area and keyless entry. See how Stillwell compares to a lease, an hourly office or a sublet.

Quick answers

What soundproofing does a therapy office need?

Aim for walls rated around STC 45 to 50 or higher, built to the structural ceiling, with solid-core sealed doors and white noise outside each door. The test: someone outside the room should not be able to follow the words.

Does HIPAA require a soundproof therapy office?

HIPAA requires reasonable safeguards against others overhearing client information, but it does not set a specific soundproofing standard. Soundproofing, white noise and a private waiting area are common ways to meet that expectation.

Is white noise enough for therapy office privacy?

No. White noise covers small leaks but won't make a thin wall private. It works best together with well-built walls and sealed doors.