Mental health terms made easy

The world of psychotherapy can feel overwhelming, with its many terms, techniques, and concepts. To make it easier, we’ve created this therapy glossary as your go-to guide. Written and regularly updated by licensed and expert therapists, it’s designed to help you navigate the complex language of mental health with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re starting your therapy journey or seeking deeper understanding, this glossary is here to support you. Bookmark it as a trusted resource for making sense of therapy every step of the way.

Must-know therapy terms

Navigate the world of psychotherapy with ease using this guide to essential therapy terms. We’ll help you understand the foundational concepts and approaches that pave the way for meaningful, purposeful changes.

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Browse therapy terms alphabetically:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

A

B

  • Behavioral Activation
  • Bereavement
  • Bias
  • Biofeedback
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

  • Boundaries

  • Brain Fog
  • Brief Therapy
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Burnout

C

D

  • DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual)
  • Denial
  • Depression
  • Desensitization
  • Developmental Trauma
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

  • Dissociation

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

  • Distress Tolerance

  • Dual Diagnosis
  • Dysfunctional Family Dynamics
  • Dysregulation

E

F

G

H

  • Habit Reversal Training
  • Harm Reduction Therapy

  • Health Anxiety

  • Helplessness

  • High-Functioning Anxiety

  • Histrionic Personality Disorder
  • Holistic Therapy
  • Hope Theory
  • Humanistic Therapy
  • Hyperarousal
  • Hypervigilance
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Hypoarousal
  • Hypomania

I

J

  • Joint Attention Therapy
  • Journaling for Therapy
  • Joy as a Coping Mechanism
  • Jungian Analysis
  • Just-World Hypothesis
  • Justice Sensitivity

K

    L

    • Life Coaching
    • Limbic System

    • Loneliness

    • Long-Term Therapy
    • Loss Aversion
    • Loss Processing
    • Low Self-Esteem

    M

    • Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms
    • Mania
    • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
    • Medication Management
    • Meditation

    • Mentalization

    • Mindfulness

    • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
    • Mood Disorders
    • Moral Injury
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Multicultural Counseling

    N

    • Narcissistic Personality Disorder
    • Narrative Therapy
    • Nature Therapy
    • Negative Thought Patterns
    • Neglect
    • Neurodiversity
    • Neurofeedback
    • Neuroplasticity

    • Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

    • Numbing

    O

    P

    • Panic Attack

    • Panic Disorder

    • Peer Support
    • Perfectionism
    • Person-Centered Therapy

    • Play Therapy

    • Positive Psychology
    • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
    • Problem-Focused Coping
    • Projection
    • Psychodynamic Therapy
    • Psychological Resilience

    Q

    • Quality of Life Assessment
    • Quantum Healing

    R

    S

    • Scarcity Mindset
    • Schema Therapy
    • Self-Compassion
    • Self-Esteem
    • Self-Sabotage
    • Single Session Therapy

    • Social Anxiety Disorder

    • Social Support
    • Solution-Focused Therapy
    • Somatic Therapy
    • Strength-Based Therapy
    • Stress Management
    • Systemic Therapy

    T

    • Telehealth Counselling
    • Therapeutic Alliance
    • Thought Stopping
    • Transference
    • Transitional Stress
    • Trauma-Informed Care
    • Triggers

    U

    • Uncertainty Management
    • Unconditional Positive Regard
    • Unconscious Bias
    • Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
    • Unresolved Trauma

    V

    • Validation
    • Values-Based Therapy
    • Venting
    • Vicarious Trauma

    • Victimization

    • Virtual Reality Therapy
    • Visualizations
    • Vocational Counseling
    • Vulnerability

    W

    • Window of Tolerance
    • Withdrawal Symptoms
    • Work-Life Balance
    • Workplace Stress

    • Worry

    • Writing Therapy

    X

    • Xenophobia

    Y

    Z

    • Zen Practices