primal therapy
noun Psychiatry.
a form of psychotherapy in which the patient is encouraged to relive traumatic events, often screaming or crying, in order to achieve catharsis and a breakdown of psychological defenses.
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Nearby words
primaeval, primage, primal, primal scene, primal scream, primal therapy, primaquine, primaries, primarily, primary, primary accent
Origin of primal therapy
An Americanism dating back to 1970–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for primal therapy
primal therapy
noun
psychol a form of psychotherapy in which patients are encouraged to scream abusively about their parents and agonizingly about their own suffering in infancyAlso called: primal scream therapy, scream therapy
Word Origin for primal therapy
C20: from the book The Primal Scream (1970) by Arthur Janov, US psychologist, who originated the treatment
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Medicine definitions for primal therapy
primal therapy
n.
A method of psychotherapy that encourages patients to identify and relive early traumatic experiences and to release anger and other painful emotions by aggressive behaviors such as screaming.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.