ARLINGTON, VA — The American Psychological Association reported Monday that therapists across all fifty states are experiencing unprecedented demand following what researchers have identified as a nationwide surge in reactivated family group chats related to spring and summer holiday planning.

The spike, which began in late February and accelerated sharply after March 1, has overwhelmed scheduling systems at private practices from coast to coast. Dr. Helen Vasquez, 54, a licensed clinical psychologist in Northern Virginia, told reporters she received eleven new patient inquiries in a single weekend, all of which she traced to a family text thread that had been dormant since Thanksgiving.

“The pattern is always the same,” Vasquez said. “The chat is quiet for months. Then someone — usually an aunt — sends a message that begins ‘So I was thinking’ and within forty-eight hours I have a full caseload.”

“My mother-in-law sent a seven-paragraph message about Easter brunch seating assignments. My brother-in-law responded with a thumbs-down emoji. I have not slept since.”

The above account was provided by Rachel Dempsey, 39, of Falls Church, Virginia, who said she called three therapists before finding one with availability. “The first two said they were also dealing with their own family group chats and could not take new clients at this time,” Dempsey added.

The APA has issued formal guidance recommending that practitioners pre-schedule additional appointment blocks during what they are now classifying as “Group Chat Season,” which runs from late February through mid-April and again from October through December.

Dr. Vasquez said she has begun offering a specialized session she calls “Thread Recovery,” a forty-five-minute guided debrief for patients who have been added to a planning chat without their consent.

At press time, Dempsey’s family group chat had added a shared Google Doc titled “FINAL Easter Plan (DO NOT EDIT)” that four people had already edited.