Gratitude letter template

If you’re a therapist looking for a gratitude letter template to share with your clients, you’re in the right place.

Expressing gratitude by using a gratitude letter template to write a thankful letter can lead to physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. 

This article provides therapists with an overview of the benefits of gratitude and tips for writing a gratitude letter.

We’ve also included a customizable gratitude letter template for therapists to save to their electronic health record (EHR) and share with clients. 

What are the benefits of gratitude?

Gratitude can profoundly affect mental health and well-being. 

But what is it, exactly? 

Gratitude is the feeling of appreciation for positive aspects of our lives and can be cultivated as a therapeutic practice.

The practice of gratitude involves increasing awareness of what we are grateful for—such as the connections we make with others, the simple gestures of our partners, opportunities in our lives, and qualities we appreciate in others—and expressing thanks for those things.

The benefits of gratitude and writing a thankful letter include:

• Improved mental health: Though more research is needed, studies suggest gratitude can increase optimism, positive emotions, and life satisfaction, and decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

• Reduced stress and anxiety: Practicing gratitude may lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone, and promote feelings of relaxation. It also shifts your attention away from worries and toward what you have in your life. 

• Enhanced emotional resilience: Gratitude increases resilience by allowing time for reflection on challenges you’ve overcome and the support you have from others, rather than feeling you’re navigating through challenges alone. 

• Better physical health: Some preliminary research suggests gratitude may be associated with certain physical health benefits, including sleep quality and cardiovascular measures, though evidence is still emerging and more research is needed.

• Boosted motivation: Gratitude practices may contribute to increased energy and motivation for engaging in healthy behaviors, such as exercise and consuming nutritious meals, to support physical and mental health.

How to write a letter of gratitude

Writing a thankful letter of gratitude is a great way to show appreciation to someone you care about or who has benefited your life in some way. 

Elements to focus on

While the specific reasons for appreciation will be unique to your situation, there are key elements that you can focus on in the thankful letter, including:

1. Think of someone who has helped, supported, or influenced you in a meaningful way.

2. Write a letter to the person and express your thanks or gratitude.

3. Describe how this person has made a difference in your life or why you appreciate them. You could refer to your life before they helped you or your earlier memories of your relationship. You could also express gratitude for their qualities and how they changed your outlook. 

4. Mention how they have continued to impact your life or your perspective. 

Example gratitude letter template

Here is an example letter that can be used as a gratitude letter template:

Dear X,

I’m writing this letter to thank you for how you have supported me over the years. 

When we met, I was feeling particularly depressed and hopeless after losing my mom. You were so supportive, compassionate, and kind. Sharing your experiences of grief really helped me to see that I wasn’t alone and that, over time, I’d feel less pain. You encouraged me to seek additional support from my therapist, and I’m so glad you did. 

Since then, I’ve been expressing my grief and finding ways to honor my mom, which has helped immensely. Thanks to your support and encouragement, life has more color.  

I’ll never forget how much your compassion helped me, and I always try to extend the same empathy and support to others struggling with their grief. 

Thank you so much, 

[Your name and contact details]

We’ve included these tips and more examples in our thankful letter template that you can download at the top of this article. 

Other ways to express gratitude

Besides using a gratitude letter template, there are several other ways to express gratitude: 

Keep a gratitude journal 

This involves recording things you’re grateful for each day, such as coworkers, a partner, friends, and things your body allows you to do. Using a gratitude journal is a great way to reflect on your connections, qualities, and abilities, and express thanks.

Express gratitude creatively 

There are many ways to express gratitude, such as art journaling, making collages, dancing, making music, singing, and other arts and crafts. 

Volunteer

Helping others through volunteering and acts of service is a great way to give back to your community and express thanks for the gifts you’ve been given. 

For example, people who attend recovery meetings may choose to volunteer their time by mentoring others, setting up and cleaning meeting rooms, making coffee, and spreading the message of recovery. 

How to use the gratitude letter template 

You can download and use the letter of gratitude template in several ways:

• Print or screen share the gratitude letter template and use it as a session psychoeducational prompt.

• Use gratitude therapy worksheets to describe the benefits of gratitude and provide an example of how to express gratitude in a thankful letter.

• Ask the client to use the worksheet to write a gratitude letter in between sessions and share how they felt at their next therapy appointment. 

Sources

• Komase, Y., Watanabe, K., Hori, D., Nozawa, K., Hidaka, Y., et al. (2021). Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well-being among workers: A systematic review.

• Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: the benefits of appreciation.

• UCLA Health. (2023). Health benefits of gratitude. 

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