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Welcome to “Dr. Green’s Emotional Rescue,” our advice column designed to help environmentalists navigate the emotional and mental-health challenges of working toward a greener, healthier planet.
We’ve received many great questions from readers over the past few weeks (submit yours below). Here’s one that offers a chance to lay out some of the basics for environmentalists or anyone else seeking therapy:

Dear Dr. Green,
I’ve tried communicating my environmental anxieties to my therapist, but it feels like we’re speaking different languages. Are there some “therapy code words” I can use to get my points across? (Or do I need a new therapist???)
Thank you for your question.
This is a difficult question for me to answer because I’m not familiar with the relationship you have with your therapist when you’re “in session.” Nor should I inquire, due to the oath I made to The Ethics Code (Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct), which is the equivalent of The Hippocratic Oath that medical doctors take.
In general I can tell you how the therapist-client relationship or therapeutic alliance works. This may be helpful for all our readers who may be seeking psychotherapy, feeling unsatisfied with a current therapist, or simply curious about how therapy works.
Basically, therapists tend to focus on collaboration, empathy, positive regard, and acceptance. These are essential to building trust and safety between therapists and clients, and research shows they are effective. Collaboration is very important; the client and therapist must meet each other halfway. A central element of the therapeutic process is an openness to explore thoughts and feelings. Clients must be honest about how they feel, and therapists are responsible for finding ways to use their own experience in the service of their clients. Therapists should be nonjudgmental, actively present, and listening. There are no “therapy code words” that can get your points across.
There can always be challenges communicating about environmental issues to people who aren’t familiar with them, if that’s the case. But concentrating on collaborative communication should help you express your anxieties.
I can’t tell you what to do about continuing with any therapist; that’s up to you. However, if you decide to discontinue with your therapist, the resources below provide guidance in finding a therapist that is the best match for you.
Good luck and good mental health!
Dr. Green

What are you struggling with emotionally when it comes to your work in environmentalism? Do you have some success stories to share with our readers? I want to know! Maybe together we can come up with strategies that will enrich your inner—and outer life!
See you next time!

Share your challenges and success stories by sending Dr. Green your questions using the form below:
All participants will remain anonymous. This column is not a substitute for psychological therapy or care. We are merely a place where peers can find advice on handling their inner conflicts and problems as a result of their environmental efforts.
All questions are considered intended for publication; published questions will be kept anonymous. Individual replies are not possible.
Disclaimer: This column is not a replacement for therapy, and the advice given is educational in nature, not a replacement for professional psychological or psychiatric therapy. This is a peer-driven support effort by The Revelator to inform and build community with environmental and wildlife defenders.

Resources
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (The Ethics Code)
The Hippocratic Oath
Toward Causal Understanding of Therapist-Client Relationships: A Study of Language Modality and Social Entrainment
Vail, A. K., Girard, J. M., Bylsma, L. M., Cohn, J. F., Fournier, J., Swartz, H. A., & Morency, L. P. (2022). Toward Causal Understanding of Therapist-Client Relationships: A Study of Language Modality and Social Entrainment. Proceedings of the … ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction. ICMI (Conference), 2022, 487–494. https://doi.org/10.1145/3536221.3556616
Why the Most Important Part of Therapy Is So Misunderstood: The therapist-client relationship can’t go just one way. by Santiago Delboy, MBA, LCSW
Mental Health Match
A step-by-step guide to finding a therapist by Andrea Muraskin