National Psychotherapy Day 2022

National Psychotherapy Day is recognized on September 25th of each year. It was created by Ryan Howes, Ph.D., ABPP, and a group of professionals to promote the profession to raise awareness and funding. Their goal remains today – to support underfunded community mental health centers and low-fee psychotherapy clinics throughout the nation. 

Things People Don’t Know About Psychotherapy  

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, helps individuals develop problem-solving skills, become increasingly self-aware, and build confidence. These abilities help people to live constructive and satisfying lives.  

At its core, it teaches how to identify and manage mental health issues. It also encourages taking personal responsibility for one’s actions. Suitable for both adults and children, it’s used to treat people either in individual, couples, family, or group settings.  

Prospective patients often pursue psychotherapy at the urging of someone else. Typically, they don’t know much about the treatment beyond what they’ve heard about other people’s experiences.  

Here are basics that could encourage prospects to pursue treatment: 

• It’s helpful for anyone – the benefits of psychotherapy apply to any mental illness issue, including anxiety, depression, anger management, and relationship difficulties. 
• The conversations are confidential – Psychotherapists and other behavioral health professionals are bound by confidentiality ethics (and laws). What’s said in therapy stays between those involved in counseling. The only possible exceptions are in the context of an immediate threat to the safety of the patient or others.  
• Sessions are collaborative – Therapist and patient work together to create a strategy and plans to solve the issue. Having a professional’s help greatly enhances a person’s ability to understand the problem and increases their quality of life. 
• Therapy isn’t a lifelong commitment – while a commitment needs to be made on both the therapist and patient’s behalf to see the treatment through to a beneficial conclusion, there will be an ending. 

The Importance of National Psychotherapy Day 

There needs to be a unified campaign for psychotherapy awareness, and this national day of observance is an ideal platform to launch. Its scope reaches prospective patients and their families to spread awareness. It’s a vehicle to let people know the options available to help them with their mental health and emotional problems. 

The educational aspect of this occasion goes a long way to dispelling any false narrative on the subject, propagated by the general public’s misunderstanding of what behavioral therapy is. There needs to be a recognition of its benefits, particularly the issues it helps to heal in a person’s life. These activities around September 25th will help put mental health therapy in the same standing as treatments for physical ailments. 

Raising Awareness of National Psychotherapy Day 

The National Psychotherapy Day campaign is a beneficial time to further build a practice by reaching more prospective patients and clients who lack awareness of the services available to them today.  

Here are a few approaches to inspire and grow: 

• Promote the day. Utilize the practice’s website, social media, database newsletters, and local news media (contact the Features Editor) to promote National Psychotherapy Day by providing helpful information and resources to educate prospective patients in the area. Invite referral partners to be involved, too. 
• Partner with area businesses to hold mental health presentations for their employees. Include content related to the organization’s particular risks, the advantages of therapy, and the company’s health insurance coverage for these services. Wear turquoise – the color of the campaign’s recognition. 
• Take care of therapists and support staff. Use this week in particular to show appreciation for those who impact practice and its patients. Providing them with things they’ve mentioned that they’d like shows gratitude. These could include team social activity events, catered food, spa gift cards – anything from the heart is a heartfelt gesture of appreciation.  

As awareness turns to demand for counseling from new patients, scaling a practice becomes an opportunity. With therapists stretched to capacity and support staff frustrated, automating operational processes is a practical option. This allows therapists more billable hours available with less redundant face sheet activity. It frees staff to minimize repetitive administrative work while streamlining interaction with patients. 

See how this automation works.