therapy-speak

English

Alternative forms

• therapy speak

Etymology

therapy +‎ -speak

Pronunciation

• (This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.)

Noun

therapy-speak (uncountable)

1. The employment of psychologic jargon to converse with other people.

   Hypernyms: jobspeak, psychologese

   • 2022 January 15, Amy M Franks, David Caldwell, “Unpacking the Use of Therapy-Speak in Scholarly Writing”, in American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education‎^[1], volume 87, number 3, published 2023 April 1, →DOI:

     We recommend that authors and reviewers carefully consider whether manuscript quality is enhanced by the use of therapy-speak.

   • 2024 March 27, Ross Douthat, “The Quest for a New Vision of Sexual Morality”, in The New York Times‎^[2]:

     Whatever Huberman’s failures of honesty and communication, for instance, he appears extremely well versed in the kind of therapy-speak that’s supposed to tame libidinous excess — suggesting that predators and cads can work through this system as well as any other.

See also

• psychobabble
• neurobabble, neurotrash