We are increasingly encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle and be mindful of the environmental impact of our activities. In deciding to make changes to their lives, many people question their own place in consumer culture, the way they are living and their relationships. What role might sustainable psychotherapy play in changing the ecological impact of mental health therapy and counselling appointments?
Sustainability and Personal Therapy
We are always hearing how the environment is in crisis. But when we are in our own crises, looking after the planet might not even come to mind.
Many of the the people who consult me seek to make profound changes and create better relationships with others. They want to live a more integrated life or let go of some behaviour or obsession with success.
For some this means talking about a drinking problem or concerns about an addiction to porn or sex . Others want to change their relationship with food or drugs. For others it is dealing with a past trauma that affects relationships. Many question the purpose of life or seek new meaning in their work or a different expression of their sexuality.
In these conversations, I am often discussing the way people relate to each other or what is around them. How do I make better connections? How can I be less controlling of others? What will give me more control in my own life?
Considering the impact of our actions might cause us to ask questions. How we might improve our relationship with the world and live more sustainably?
Online Therapy: Sustainable Psychotherapy as Environmentally Friendly Counselling over the Internet
The implications of counselling and psychotherapy on the environment and energy use might not seem so obvious. But let’s look at what we use and consume in a typical therapy appointment. Firstly, if you need to travel to see the counsellor, there is the fuel and maintenance of the vehicle. Couples sessions could double this usage, particularly if they are coming from different workplaces or directions. And let’s not forget that it’s not just clients who commute to a therapy practice, it’s also the therapist.
Then there is the energy we require to light, heat or cool the premises where the sessions take place. And the equipment required by the therapist – printer, copier, coffee machine, refrigerator, telephone etc – which all require manufacturing and energy. Even the paper used for writing session notes has to be produced and, eventually, disposed of somehow.
One way in which psychology and therapy services have responded to these questions about sustainability has been the shift to Internet counselling. At Forward Therapy, I work over webcam, phone and email. This is not only a way of increasing the effectiveness of therapy. It is also more private and environmentally friendly. If you consider how many therapy practices exist and how many people commute to and from them every day, it gives an impression of the impact of psychological therapies on the planet. Sustainable psychotherapy is a way to reduce the ecological impact of counselling sessions.
Sustainable Psychotherapy: Webcam Sessions as a Green Solution to Isolation
But it goes further than that. Consider the effort many people take in preparing for a therapy appointment. Ironing clothes, showering, make up… just because they need to leave home and travel through public space. I am not suggesting that the people who meet with me online have stopped showering or that all my clients wear their pyjamas to our appointments… although some do! But we don’t require the same energy usage to prepare for a webcam appointment as for an office consultation.
Some of the people who consult me would actually have to fly out of small, isolated towns to attend a therapy session if it was not for webcam and the Internet. That’s not only because they do not have the same access to counselling services that people in big cities enjoy, they also benefit from a greater level of privacy online and do not have to meet with a therapist who might also be their neighbour.
Professionals living in remote mining towns such as Karratha or Moranbah in Australia as well as English speaking expats working in Beijing, Tianjin, Abu Dhabi or Bangkok, tell me that online counselling is a ‘no-brainer’. And for those working long hours who don’t want to lose travel time, it can often be the best solution.
Contact me for more information about sustainable psychotherapy
Private Therapy, Globalisation and Counselling Relationships
To find a private therapist is to be in a privileged position. Most people in the world, particularly those living in countries where there are bigger differences between the rich and the poor, do not have the opportunity to have regular psychotherapy or counselling. But online therapy is a practical way to acknowledge that we are part of the web of life. Our relationship to energy, technology and the natural environment is important and so is the way we connect with others.
Perhaps these connections between ecology and sustainable psychotherapy do not seem so visible until we scrutinise them. Globalisation is putting massive environmental pressure on our planet but technology and the Internet is making it possible for people in distant places to get help while minimising their own ecological impact. It is not for everyone and there will be times and occasions when people feel that that travelling to see a counsellor or therapist is in itself part of the therapy. However meeting with a therapist or counsellor online can also be an effective way of responding to the disconnected, alienating experiences of contemporary life and making profound changes.
Contact me now and ask me any questions you have. If you are interested in an appointment over webcam or phone, I would be happy to send you further details of how the appointments work, my fees and availability for your location. Please let me know your nearest large town and country so I can provide the fees in the appropriate currency and availability for your timezone.
How green is your therapy?
I look forward to hearing from you in your journey to sustainable psychotherapy.
