NATIONAL FORGIVENESS DAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, MARKS ITS FOURTH YEAR WITH A BOLD QUESTION: CAN 21 DAYS TRANSFORM ANGER AND RESENTMENT INTO FORGIVENESS AND FREEDOM?

The world's leading expert in betrayal recovery who founded the official national holiday says the answer — backed by research and hundreds of participants — is a resounding yes

SAN DIEGO, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year on September 1st, National Forgiveness Day invites people around the world to pause, reflect, and choose something radical: their own freedom. Now in its fourth year, the holiday founded by world-renowned betrayal recovery expert Dr. Debi Silber, founder and CEO of The PBT® Institute is expanding its reach with a first-of-its-kind 21-Day National Forgiveness Day Transformation Program — and the results are rewriting what most people believe is possible.

"Is it possible to go from angry, bitter, and resentful to forgiving and free with intention and group support in 21 days?" asks Dr. Silber. "That was the experiment. For many, it proved to be a resounding yes."

Forgiveness: The Most Misunderstood Word in the English Language

Despite its proven physical, mental, and emotional benefits, forgiveness remains one of the most resisted concepts in human experience. Many people equate it with condoning what happened, excusing the person who hurt them, or giving up their power. Dr. Silber's research tells a different story.

"Forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person," says Dr. Silber, founder and CEO of The PBT® Institute and the world's leading expert in betrayal recovery. "It's not about letting someone off the hook. It's about releasing yourself from the poison of carrying what happened to you. It's about freeing yourself from the weight you've been carrying — weight that was never yours to keep."

The science backs her up. Research consistently shows that those who practice forgiveness experience lower blood pressure, reduced cortisol levels, stronger immune function, less chronic pain, improved sleep, and significantly reduced anxiety and depression. Emotionally, it marks the turning point from survival to transformation.

A Holiday Born from Personal Pain and Groundbreaking Research

Dr. Silber founded National Forgiveness Day after her own experience with betrayal led her to pursue a PhD — and ultimately make three groundbreaking research discoveries that changed how the world understands betrayal and healing. During her PhD research, Dr. Silber made three groundbreaking discoveries: that betrayal is a distinct trauma type requiring its own healing path; that Post Betrayal Syndrome® is a measurable cluster of symptoms with more than 60 physical, mental, and emotional symptoms; and that The Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery™ represent a universal pathway that, when followed, leads to complete healing and transformation. Those discoveries were then validated through the largest study of its kind ever conducted — more than 100,000 respondents across 50+ countries — confirming what she had found, on a global scale.

September 1st was chosen intentionally: a marker on the calendar to choose, collectively and individually, to stop carrying what no longer serves.

This Year: A 21-Day Program Proven to Work

In 2023, Dr. Silber went live for 21 consecutive days to mark the first National Forgiveness Day, guiding participants through a structured forgiveness journey. The response was transformative — not just emotionally, but measurably. Participants reported sleeping through the night for the first time in years, feeling anger dissolve without knowing exactly how, and experiencing physical symptoms of Post Betrayal Syndrome® begin to lift.

Those live sessions became the foundation for the National Forgiveness Day Transformation Program, now available at NationalForgivenessDay.com — a comprehensive 21-day experience that includes a full video library, a personal Forgiveness Tracker, the science of Post Betrayal Syndrome® made actionable, an emergency toolkit with guided meditations and affirmations, and a live Fireside Chat with Dr. Silber.

"I've seen more physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual progress during the 21-Day Forgiveness Journey than I have doing any other program or treatment in the past 12 years," shared one participant.

Choosing Freedom — Together

What makes National Forgiveness Day distinct from other wellness observances is its insistence on community. Healing, Dr. Silber says, doesn't happen in isolation — and neither does forgiveness.

"You don't have to see the whole staircase," she says. "You just have to be willing to take the next step. And it helps immeasurably to not take it alone."

As September 1st approaches, Dr. Silber is inviting the world to mark the date — not with a greeting card, but with a decision.

For media inquiries, interviews, or to learn more about the National Forgiveness Day Transformation Program, visit NationalForgivenessDay.com or contact Dr. Debi Silber at [email protected].

Dr. Debi Silber is the founder and CEO of The PBT® Institute, a two-time TEDx speaker, two-time #1 international bestselling author, and host of the top 1% globally ranked podcast From Betrayal to Breakthrough. She is the world's leading expert in betrayal recovery and the founder of National Forgiveness Day.

SOURCE The PBT Institute