September 25th is National Psychotherapy Day, a day meant to raise awareness of the important work done by therapists.
- There is still a stigma about going to therapy. We’ve made some progress, but I don’t think we’ve quite beaten the “you must be crazy if you’re in therapy” rap. This stigma prevents a lot of people from seeking the help they need.
- The public has a distorted view of therapy and therapists. Therapy takes place behind closed doors, as it should, but that makes it a mystery to many people. Portrayals of therapy on TV and in movies don’t help.
- A lot of people aren’t aware of therapy’s proven, lasting effectiveness. Many people look to medication first, while therapy provides a viable option with fewer physical side effects.
If you tell someone that you are celebrating Psychotherapy Day they will probably say ‘you need your head examined’ or some other joking remark, or maybe they will say that people who can afford psychotherapy don’t need a special day.
Psychotherapy Day was founded in 2012 by a group of professionals and students and is designed to combat misconceptions and raise awareness of the vital work that is done by therapists in helping the one in four people who suffer from mental illness as well as those with emotional problems.
The color turquoise is worn to show support for Psychotherapy Day and can be combined with their logo of a turquoise counseling chair on a black background. It is an ideal time to talk, write, read or blog about psychotherapy in order to break down stigmas and worries, to volunteer or donate to community mental health centers, and to share psychotherapy research.
