primal therapy

American  

noun

Psychiatry.

1. 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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primal therapy British  

noun

1. Also called: primal scream therapy.   scream therapy.  psychol a form of psychotherapy in which patients are encouraged to scream abusively about their parents and agonizingly about their own suffering in infancy

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Etymology

Origin of primal therapy

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75

Example Sentences

In 1971, Janov told reporters, “In the future, there will be no need for a field called psychology,” because primal therapy would cure “80 per cent of all ailments.”

From The New Yorker • Jul. 31, 2019

In 1977, Dr. Janov sued the publication Psychology Today for $7.1 million in libel damages for describing primal therapy as “jabberwocky.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 4, 2017

As with many other emotional-release therapies of its time, primal therapy is today widely rejected by mental health professionals as unscientific and ineffectual.

From The Guardian • Oct. 3, 2017

But the rhapsodic public endorsement of Mr. Lennon, who, with his wife, Ms. Ono, underwent primal therapy with Dr. Janov in 1970, caused “The Primal Scream” to be heard round the world.

From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2017

"Lifing" is the effort to derive the utmost from every day; "Who are you screaming with?" a glancing allusion to primal therapy, is now a query about any psychological aid the subject is seeking.

From Time Magazine Archive