The Possibility of Using Electroacoustic Solutions for Enhancing Acoustic Privacy in Psychotherapy Premises

Abstract

In the context of the growing demand for psychological assistance in Ukraine, especially in the post-war period, the quality of the acoustic environment in therapeutic offices is becoming a critical factor for treatment success. Ensuring complete confidentiality and low background noise levels (low Noise Criterion, NC) is a therapeutic requirement. Traditional passive sound insulation methods are often difficult to implement, particularly in existing buildings where doors and windows act as "weak links" with insufficient R'w indices. This paper presents an analysis of existing and prospective electroacoustic concepts to address this problem. To ensure the reliability of hybrid system control and reduce operational risks when integrating Artificial Intelligence algorithms, the paper proposes a controller model based on the Finite State Machine (FSM) method. A deep analysis of engineering, safety, and ethical risks is conducted, including physical actuator limitations, hardware limiters, and data privacy requirements (on-device processing) when integrating AI. The article presents a detailed experimental validation protocol. The authors conclude that a hybrid system — combining traditional architectural and electroacoustic methods — is optimal, and present a roadmap for prototype development.