We were so happy that the CBT community joined together to celebrate the third annual Aaron T. Beck Day on July 18, marking what would have been Dr. Beck’s 103rd birthday. Beck Institute started Aaron T. Beck Day to celebrate Dr. Beck’s life and work and bring attention to the ongoing need for improvement in the way mental health is viewed, studied, and treated around the world. Dr. Beck left behind an incredible legacy, and at Beck Institute we strive to continue his work every day.

This year, we were excited to share some important information and resources to enable individuals to learn more about Dr. Beck and his work:

  • We released an important video Dr. Beck filmed in 2014, where he discusses his early challenges and successes in psychiatry and his personal path to the development of CBT.
  • We partnered with Guilford Press to bring attention to Dr. Beck’s books by offering a special one-time discount.
  • We created a downloadable Aaron T. Beck Day toolkit with social media posts, graphics, emails, and more.
  • We collected pledges from individuals who wanted to honor Dr. Beck by doing something to improve mental health in their communities.
Beck Institute Founder Aaron Beck

We were so excited to see people from around the world participate and share information about Dr. Beck. Hundreds of people posted about his work, sharing articles, graphics, photos, and videos. In fact, individuals from over 55 countries including Algeria, Croatia, Hungary, Kuwait, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ukraine, and Uruguay shared information with their networks about Dr. Beck’s life and work.

Other people chose to participate by pledging to engage in a project to improve mental health in their communities. Here are just a few of the fantastic projects individuals undertook:

  • Mina Maghfoori from Iran pledged: “In celebration of Aaron T. Beck’s birthday, I plan to host a free webinar on anxiety. This webinar will cover topics related to anxiety and effective management strategies. At the end of the webinar, participants will receive a complimentary anxiety screening. I hope this event will contribute to the promotion of mental health in our community.”
  • Rala Farra from Syria pledged: “[I will] conduct awareness sessions about mental health and talk about the role of CBT.”
  • Cosmin Octavian Popa from Romania pledged: “My action plan will be to organize an open presentation addressing the recent advances related to the applications of the cognitive-behavioral model in depression. The event will include mental health practitioners, specifically psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists. The presentation will be a national event and involve multiple psychiatric clinics and universities, by embracing a hybrid format.”

During his lifetime, Dr. Beck authored or co-authored 25 books and published over 600 articles. He taught, advised, and mentored many people who have gone on to make their own important contributions to the field of CBT and mental health.

“My father would have been so pleased to learn how many people chose to honor him on what would have been his 103rd birthday,” said Dr. Judith Beck, Beck Institute’s President and Dr. Beck’s daughter. “He went into the field of medicine out of a genuine desire to help people, and seeing how many individuals have been touched by his work would have been extremely meaningful for him. Thank you to all who participated in Aaron T. Beck Day this year!” Dr. Beck’s influence and his impact on the wellbeing of countless individuals worldwide continues to inspire all of us at Beck Institute.