Can comfort be care? 5 ways to bring joy into your clinic space

Not every clinic feels like a place to exhale. But what if it could?

In this episode, Denzil shares five delightfully intentional choices from Road to Hana Counselling and Wellness that completely reframe what care can feel like. From bold colour palettes to cherry lemonade and therapy dogs, owner Andrea invites patients into an experience that’s warm, sensory, and welcoming… before a single word of therapy is even spoken.

Here, Denzil explores how small luxuries and thoughtful details can signal safety, presence, and worth. She reflects on:

• Why delight isn’t fluff, it’s a form of care
• The power of scent, softness, and slowness in a clinical space
• What it means to design for arrival, not just efficiency
• Why team spaces deserve the same beauty and intention as patient ones
  
  

If you’ve ever wondered how to make your clinic feel more human, more generous, or more you, this episode will give you that inspiration.

Want to see what delight really looks like? Check out the latest edition of Denzil’s bi-weekly newsletter for photos of Road to Hana’s stunning clinic space.

If you have your own rituals of welcome, we’d love to hear them. Send an email over to frontdesk@jane.app. And if you’re enjoying these reflections, hit follow to stay close

Chapters

• 0:05 A Clinic That Feels Like Calm
• 0:24 Tea Parties As A Care Blueprint
• 1:55 Luxury Drinks As Permission To Heal
• 3:03 Bold Colours That Signal New Headspace
• 3:47 Hot Towels, Treats, And Soft Landings
• 4:29 Office Dogs And Joyful Chaos
• 5:00 Caring For The Caregivers
• 5:43 Delight As A Signal Of Worth

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:05

Hello, it's Denzel here. You know that feeling when you walk into a place and have a mild panic attack and ask yourself, wait, am I in the right spot? That's how I imagine it feels stepping into Road Tahana Counseling and Wellness Clinic. Let me explain. In our recent Radio Front Desk conversation, Andrea, the owner of Road Tahana, shared with me what the experience was like when you walk into her clinic. What I didn't expect was what actually inspired it. Andrea told me she's always loved hosting tea parties. You know, the ritual is setting a table, offering a drink, and creating that moment of calm and connection. Then one day it clicked for her. That's what a counseling space could feel like too. So picture this. You walk into her clinic. You might be greeted by a quirky or another friendly dog. The walls are bright and colorful. You sit down and enjoy a drink, a little snack, and a flip-through a magazine. And then you start your therapy session. Now, if you've been here for a while, you know I'm pretty passionate about infusing moments of delight into your business. To me, delight is kind of like the secret sauce of a business. And what Andrea is doing here captures this perfectly. She isn't just sprinkling small bits of delight around the edges of care. She's actually embedding them into the experience itself. The warmth, the welcome, the little luxury. It's all part of the treatment. So this week, I wanted to share five of Rhodehana's delightful touches that changed how I think about what care can feel like. And maybe they might inspire you too. First, let's talk about that complimentary specialty drinks menu. When I saw the drink menu at Andrea's clinic, my first thought was, that's expensive. And my second thought was, that's really generous. She goes all out for her clients. They've got these elaborate drinks like cinnamon apple tea, pistachio lattes, and my top choice, cherry lemonade. It's not just that the menu is long, it's that there's flavors and scents, even the names, they evoke something. A softness, a slowness, um you can take your time here kind of vibe, which in a healthcare setting is rare. Truthfully, I usually turn things like this down. There's a weird reflex I have, like, I don't want to be a bother. And my brain thinks, can I accept something like this of such high value and not pay for it? But Andrea's setup made me realize that accepting care can also be a part of healing. Small luxuries like these don't just say we care. They say you're allowed to care for yourself and you are valued. Next, let's talk about their bold colors and decor. If you walk into Rhodehana, you'll see yellow and pink walls complemented by cozy orange and blue couches. They have art and decor that's bold and playful rather than the typical soft and mellow tones you picture when you think clinic. The space is not neutral and it's definitely not quiet. And it isn't trying to be. It feels like it's trying to interrupt your day in a good way. What I loved about this is how they invite you to step out of your regular life and to literally enter a new headspace. And that, for therapy especially, can be really powerful. It's like a signal to your brain that says, okay, let's begin now. Now let's talk about the little extras, like hot towels and sweet treats. Okay, when I saw that video on their Instagram page of someone showing off the macaron and hot towel they got before their session, I was like, wait a minute, those are for fancy spas. But Andrea is doing something deeper here. It's not about indulgence just for the sake of it. It's about softening and preparing you to fully arrive for your session, allowing your mind to catch up to your body. She's creating a full body welcome. One that doesn't rush you in and out, but gently says, You're here now. Let's begin when you're ready. Okay, we have to talk about the office dogs. As someone who can't have pets right now, when I saw all the dogs on road to Hannah's Instagram, I couldn't help but smile. Andrea's clinic is pet friendly. Not just with office dogs, but clients are welcome to bring their own. And what I find so delightful about that is that it really breaks the script. The space is otherwise so curated and so intentional. And then comes in this unpredictable, joyful little creature. That little bit of chaos that actually makes the Kong. And I think there's something really special about the balance. And finally, I want to touch on their staff room. When I saw that Rhodehana's staff room was just as beautiful as their client-facing rooms, I was in awe. There's this retro fridge, a pink espresso machine, and a table that looks like it's set up for a tea party. Of course, a tea party, not just a coffee break. And you can see how Andrea didn't stop at patient experience. Her staff room is just as cared for. She's saying to her team, who she refers to as heroes, you're worth it too. This made me realize that there are so many different ways that delight can bloom. Because when you're also making people feel valued behind the scenes, it changes how they show up out front. So here's where I've landed. Delight isn't fluff. It's not a distraction, it's a signal of welcome, worth, and care. And maybe when done with intention, it can help unlock something really beautiful in the work we do. If you've added your own little luxuries to your clinic, or if you're thinking about trying something new, I'd love to hear about it. Send me an email at frontdesk at jane.app and let me know what joy looks like in your space. Until next time, you got this.