Counseling Awareness Month 2023
In 2002, the American Counseling Association established April as the time to celebrate Counseling Awareness Month. This recognition was set forth in order to honor and acknowledge the hard work that counselors world wide contribute to humankind as well as to destigmatize seeking out therapy.
A Brief History of Talk Therapy
It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the German neurologist Sigmund Freud first developed psychoanalysis. Freud was the first professional to encourage and promote the act of individuals talking and confiding about their problems to a psychoanalyst. He placed emphasis on the notion that humans need a third-party individual to help unpack the parts of the psyche that individuals are not fully aware of.
By the 1940’s, the American Psychological Association deemed counseling psychology as a specialty and shortly after that, post World War II, talk therapy became much more widely utilized. From the 1950’s onward, psychologists began to develop different core techniques and theories now recognized as the “school of therapy.” Among these schools of therapy named were psychoanalytical, behaviorist, and humanistic.
In today’s world, therapy is one of the most in-demand forms of healthcare. In April we can celebrate the help and input from top psychologists and psychiatrists of the past, as well as brave individuals in the pursuit of wellness, who destigmatized talk therapy and made it widely available.
What to Take Away From Counseling Awareness Month
According to Denver, Colorado’s Thrive Counseling, there are three key things to take away from 2023’s Counseling Awareness Month:
Counseling is More Than “Serious Issues”
You do not need to be in a serious state of pain or panic to seek therapy. While therapists and psychiatrists are trained to help individuals with serious mental health issues, counselors can also aid those who are seeking out ways to cope with day-to-day ailments and life questions.
You Can Train Your Brain with Counseling
The American Counseling Association has encouraged individuals to remain open to the ability that counseling has on training the brain. This theme is centered around how therapy can sharpen your brain and open your life up to new possibilities, solutions, and ways of life. There is no limit to the ways that counseling can unpack and free a person.
Counseling Awareness Gives a Voice to the Counseling Community
Counseling Awareness Month was conceived in order to highlight therapists across the country, as well as their clients, and to help even further de-condemn the act of seeking out therapy. The stigma toward talk therapy is largely the result of misinformation or misunderstanding. This month of celebration aims to give a better representation of what counseling is.
You don’t need to suffer for another moment. Help is available! To book a session or reach out with any inquiries, please visit: https://www.counselingteens.org/contact
References:
https://thrivecounselingdenver.com/blog/counseling-awareness-month/
https://nationaltoday.com/counseling-awareness-month/
https://www.counseling.org/Resources/CAM_Celebration_Guide.pdf
