Green Careers - Behavioral Therapy

By Jessica Bosari of Therapy Schools

As concerns about global warming increase, so does public interest in careers that can help reduce carbon emissions. Remote work is one of the top methods of reducing emissions, cutting an average of 10,000 miles per year and 67 billion gallons of gasoline. Experts estimate that remote workers could cut 70-130 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year.

Long-term Concerns

When it comes to behavioral therapy careers, some specialties may benefit from telework more than others do. Certain aspects of mental health bring up obstacles to effective mental health treatment. For example, some believe that not enough time has elapsed to show if patients benefit from online therapy as well as they do from in-person sessions. Other concerns include problems that may arise from miscommunication when body language and tone of voice are not present, such as in chat and email. Some also worry that online records create the danger of a breach of confidentiality should security be compromised.

Areas that Clearly Benefit

Until more time has been spent studying the virtual mental health service environment, those questions will remain. However, some benefits have already been clearly defined by researchers in different types of mental health treatment such as cognitive therapy, attention deficit disorder, anxiety and depression.

Cognitive Therapy

One area where the Web clearly shows a benefit is cognitive behavioral therapy. Treatment relies on tested, structural approaches that change behavior and thought patterns based on clear and easy-to-understand principles. Patients can access this information online, put it into practice at home, and then discuss their progress with the therapist via email, chat sessions, video conferencing or telephone.

Attention Deficit Disorder

Studies are underway to determine if telemental health is more effective than in-office treatment for kids ages 6 to 12 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It makes sense that video conferencing would be an effective tool, because it makes appointments much easier to keep. Those with attention deficit are constantly battling time and staying focused on tasks. It is much easier for them to keep an appointment just a few steps away in the living room, than a 30-minute drive to the doctor's office.

Emotional Disorders

Disorders like depression, anxiety and biopolarism can be successfully treatment with video conferencing, sometimes called telepsychiatry. For those living far from the doctor's office, this treatment method can easy many of the difficulties families face in taking time off school or work to seek treatment. By using special camera equipment, therapists can observe patients as if they were in the same room, making distance treatment an excellent option. In pediatric mental health, there just are not enough doctors to go around. Telepsychiatry makes services available to patients no matter how many doctors are local to them.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The Department of Veterans Affairs sees telemental health as an excellent way to reach soldiers who would otherwise have difficult accessing mental health services. Those with PTSD commonly isolate themselves, which helps to reduce the stimulation that can lead to interpersonal conflicts and hyper arousal. Living in sparsely populated areas reduces the chance of conflict with other individuals. Telemental health technology makes it easier to reach these patients within their "safe zones" without adding the expense of travel.

A Greener Future for Behavioral Therapy Jobs

These behavioral health practice areas will benefit from Web technologies, making mental health care easier for patients to access. The reduction in travel will have an enormous impact on reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses. Best of all, behavioral therapy careers pay well. Behavioral therapy salaries are on the rise as the demand for quality providers increases.

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