The Scoop
Counseling
by Computer
Video therapy can be as
effective as in-person chats
After her divorce, Sarah Boisvert,
56, wanted therapy. The problem: She
traveled constantly from her Boston
home, making weekly in-office
sessions impossible. So Boisvert
turned to online counseling. Instead
of office visits, Boisvert talked long-
distance to a therapist via Skype—a
practice that’s earning respectability,
says Lynn Bufka, Ph.D., of the Ameri-
can Psychological Association. Rhode Island Hospital is studying how telemedicine
can help doctors manage depression in older, homebound patients, and Seattle’s Group
Health Research Institute found that online messaging helps providers follow up with
patients on antidepressants. Intrigued? You can find therapists at breakthrough.com or
etherapyweb.com. Many private insurers won’t pay for videoconferencing (Medicare
will under certain circumstances), but with one in four Americans lacking adequate
access to mental health providers, Boisvert is proof it can help. Despite being in differ-
ent cities, she felt as if she and her therapist were in the same room. —Christina Ianzito
EAT EXOTIC FISH,
SAVE THE EARTH
Invasive fish can wipe out native species by stealing their
habitats. So how can we save American fish from extinction at
the hands (or fins) of foreign aquatic competitors? By eating
the invaders. Invasive fish are tasty and cheap, says John
Rorapaugh, of Washington, D.C.–based distributor ProFish. The
Illinois Department of Natural Resources has launched an anti-
hunger program featuring Asian carp, a mahimahi-like fish that
threatens the Great Lakes, and distributors like Sea to Table sell
the spiky lionfish, which has flaky meat but no natural preda-
tors. “To solve a problem with a fish,” says Louisiana chef Philippe
Parola, “there’s no one better than a cook.” —Martha Thomas
SO HOPPY
TOGETHER
Is life giving you
lemons? Make beer.
Hobby brewing is on
the rise, particularly
among the 50-plus
crowd, who now make
up 29 percent of the
membership of the
American Homebrewers
Association (AHA).
Drinking beer is part
of the fun, of course,
but brewers like Jim
Edgins, 65, of Highlands
Ranch, Colorado, say
the hobby also relieves
stress. And since brewers trade tips—and
sips—it encourages
camaraderie.
You can legally brew
beer in Washington,
D.C., and every state
except Alabama and
Mississippi. Beginner
kits (at morebeer.com
and northernbrewer
.com) start at about $80
and usually include a
fermentor and bottling
bucket; ingredients like
hops cost $25 to $45 per
5-gallon batch. But be
patient: The process can
take up to six weeks. For
tips go to homebrewers
association.org or join
one of AHA’s 1,200 clubs.
—Kayleigh Kulp
