National Psychotherapy Day
National Psychotherapy Day is a holiday observed annually on September 25th that recognizes the importance of psychotherapy in modern medicine. Psychotherapy is the methodical use of psychological methods, particularly as applied to personal interaction between the psychotherapist and the patient.
It is designed to help the patient overcome personal problems, increase happiness, and change undesirable behavior. These professionals work with individuals, couples, groups, and families. Before the invention of this profession, people experiencing mental problems were usually just written off by society or tossed into sanitariums.
Fortunately, psychotherapy has been able to change that and improve people’s lives in the process. To our minds, that is something worth celebrating by observing this holiday.
The History of National Psychotherapy Day
Psychotherapy might seem like a modern profession, but it has actually been around for quite some time. It was first used to great effect in ancient Greece and Persia, but it was mainly used for self-analysis and reflection.
It would not be until modern psychotherapists such as Sigmund Freud began to develop a more cohesive framework for this study that it began to be applied to other patients. Over the years, many different forms of psychotherapy have emerged, and each one has its own approach to helping patients overcome their mental challenges and deficits.
In 2018, a group of psychotherapists and students came together to create National Psychotherapy Day. It was seen as a holiday that could be used to raise awareness about the importance of psychotherapy and combat many of the misconceptions surrounding mental illness and this field.
It has been observed across the United States ever since and is still seen as an important holiday for anyone interested in learning more about mental health and psychotherapy.
Some Quick Points About Psychotherapy
In order to do our part and help dispel the myths around psychotherapy, we decided to list some of the facts that we learned about this discipline while doing research on National Psychotherapy Day. Let’s look at them before continuing with our observance of this holiday.
- Anyone and everyone can benefit from psychotherapy.
- Psychotherapy can be used to treat substance abuse, anxiety, depression, grief, and other conditions.
- Asking for professional help is often the best start for people on their journey to feeling better.
- Psychotherapy is collaborative between the psychotherapist and the patient.
Observing National Psychotherapy Day
National Psychotherapy Day can be observed by learning more about mental health, psychotherapy, and some of the modern treatments used to treat patients nowadays. People interested in this holiday can also help spread the word about it online using the hashtag #PsychotherapyDay.