psychotherapy

American  

[sahy-koh-ther-uh-pee] / ˌsaɪ koʊˈθɛr ə pi /

noun

psychotherapies plural

1. the treatment of psychological disorders or maladjustments by a professional technique, as psychoanalysis, group therapy, or behavioral therapy.

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psychotherapy British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˌθɛrəˈpjuːtɪks, ˌsaɪkəʊˈθɛrəpɪ /

noun

1. the treatment of nervous disorders by psychological methods

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psychotherapy Cultural  

1. The use of the techniques of psychology or psychiatry or both to treat mental and emotional disorders. The term includes psychoanalysis, as well as other forms of psychological therapy.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• psychotherapist
  noun
• psychotherapeutic
  adjective
• psychotherapeutically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• psychotherapies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of psychotherapy

First recorded in 1890–95; psycho- + therapy

Compare meaning

How does psychotherapy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• psychoanalysis vs. psychotherapy

Explanation

Psychotherapy is a mental health treatment that usually involves talking with a trained professional. Someone who's feeling anxious or depressed might try psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is often described as "talk therapy." Talking to a counselor or therapist about difficult feelings or thoughts can help people understand their emotions better and develop healthy coping strategies. This kind of therapy is also helpful for dealing with challenging situations like the death of a loved one, a traumatic experience, or a family conflict. Psychotherapy, coined in 1892, comes from the Greek roots psykhē, "mind or soul," and therapeia, "healing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psychotherapy psychotherapies

But Saxbe stresses a lot of men could use psychotherapy or support groups that bring dads together, as well as more time bonding with loved ones in general.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

In reality, as Slater notes, the demographics of who accesses psychotherapy show that the issue is often a matter of access, not will.

From Salon ● May 18, 2026

"We call on future work to create ethical, educational and legal standards for LLM counselors -- standards that are reflective of the quality and rigor of care required for human-facilitated psychotherapy."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 2, 2026

But, he adds, there is a "spectrum" of schools, with some incorporating psychotherapy for students and training for parents, or disciplining staff who carry out corporal punishment.

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2025

It should be stressed that Skulason was not “Bobby’s psychiatrist,” as has been implied in the general press, nor did he offer Bobby any analysis or psychotherapy.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

"I have done various psychotherapies to try to remember, to try and have a glimpse of something, and it's black, I have no idea," she said of the interaction.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026

To complicate matters, numerous studies over the past few decades have reached what seems a counterintuitive conclusion: that all psychotherapies have roughly equal effects.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 10, 2020

Professional associations are resistant to allowing people without formal qualifications to help out with psychotherapies, and various regulations could get in the way.

From Nature ● Oct. 9, 2016

Although a number of commonly used psychotherapies are broadly comparable in their effects, some options are less well suited to certain conditions, and a few may even be harmful.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 13, 2012

These psychotherapies tend to include relaxation skills; incrementally increased exposure to stress triggers, like driving over a bridge or being out in the open; and challenging some of the inaccurate assumptions that fuel anxiety.

From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2011