psychotherapy
gb/sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi/ us/sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi/
C1
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C1
action
1
talk-based mental health treatment
A way to treat mental and emotional problems by talking with a trained professional instead of using medicine or surgery.
Usage pattern:
to undergo psychotherapy for [condition]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"a psychotherapy"* as if it were a countable noun. In most cases, use it as an uncountable noun: *"She is in psychotherapy"*, *"He is receiving psychotherapy"*, not *"He is receiving a psychotherapy"*. Learners also sometimes confuse *psychotherapy* with *psychiatry*: psychiatry is a medical specialty (doctors who can prescribe drugs), while psychotherapy is the talking treatment itself.
Synonyms
talk therapy (Very close in meaning; more informal and commonly used in everyday speech than 'psychotherapy'.)
|
therapy (Broader and more general; can refer to many kinds of treatment, not only psychological talking treatments.)
|
counseling (Often used for shorter-term or less intensive talking treatment; in some contexts it is less clinical than 'psychotherapy'.)
Antonyms
medication (Focuses on treatment with drugs rather than talking and psychological methods, so it contrasts with psychotherapy in mental health care.)
Collocations
undergo psychotherapy
|individual psychotherapy
|group psychotherapy
|psychotherapy session
|psychotherapy treatment
|psychotherapy for depression
Themes
health
|medicine
|emotions
|science
|daily_life
Examples
- She began psychotherapy after struggling with anxiety for several years.
- Psychotherapy can be very effective for treating depression and trauma.
- Many people combine medication and psychotherapy to manage their mental health.
- His doctor referred him to a specialist for intensive psychotherapy.
- Online psychotherapy has become more common since the pandemic.
Learner examples
- I started psychotherapy because I feel very sad and worried.
- Psychotherapy helped him understand his feelings better.
- Her doctor said psychotherapy might help with her panic attacks.
- He goes to psychotherapy once a week.
- Many people choose psychotherapy instead of taking more medicine.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
field of psychological treatment
The professional and scientific field that studies and uses psychotherapy to help people with mental and emotional problems.
Usage pattern:
to specialize in psychotherapy
Common mistake:
Learners may not notice the difference between psychotherapy as a *treatment* and psychotherapy as a *field of study*. When talking about courses, research, or training, it usually refers to the field: *"She studies psychotherapy"*, not necessarily that she is receiving treatment.
Synonyms
clinical psychology (Overlaps in practice but is broader; covers assessment and research as well as psychotherapy, and not all clinical psychology is psychotherapy.)
Antonyms
nonclinical psychology (Refers to areas of psychology not focused on treatment or mental disorders, contrasting with the therapeutic focus of psychotherapy as a field.)
Collocations
train in psychotherapy
|practice psychotherapy
|the field of psychotherapy
|psychotherapy research
|psychotherapy training
Themes
science
|health
|education
|profession
Examples
- She is completing a postgraduate qualification in psychotherapy.
- The conference focuses on new developments in psychotherapy.
- He has published several books on the theory of psychotherapy.
- Psychotherapy has evolved as evidence-based research has shaped the field.
- Universities now offer specialized psychotherapy training programs for mental health professionals.
Learner examples
- She wants to study psychotherapy at university.
- He teaches psychotherapy to new therapists.
- There are many different schools of psychotherapy.
- Research in psychotherapy looks at what kinds of treatment work best.
- Psychotherapy is an important part of mental health care as a profession.
Grammar
Dictionary form
psychotherapy
IPA
GB/sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi/
US/sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi/
Syllables & stress
psy - cho - ther - apy (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ther)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: psychotherapy
- Plural: psychotherapies, psychotherapy
Word family
Forms
psychotherapies
noun
Core family
psychotherapist
noun
psychotherapeutic
adjective
Related words
Advanced or less common
psychotherapeutically
adverb
therapeutically
adverb
Expressions
be in psychotherapy
1/bˈi ˈɪn sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi/
fixed phrase
technical
currently receiving psychotherapy
To be going to psychotherapy regularly at the present time.
Examples
- She has been in psychotherapy for over a year.
- Several employees are in psychotherapy to cope with work-related stress.
psychotherapy and medication
1/sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi ˈænd mˌɛdɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
combined talk therapy and drugs
Using both psychotherapy and medicine together to treat mental health problems.
Examples
- For severe depression, doctors often recommend psychotherapy and medication.
- The study compared psychotherapy and medication with psychotherapy alone.
psychotherapy session
1/sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi sˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
one meeting for psychotherapy
One planned meeting between a therapist and a patient for psychotherapy.
Examples
- Each psychotherapy session lasts about fifty minutes.
- She felt exhausted after the psychotherapy session but also hopeful.
undergo psychotherapy
1/ˌʌndɚɡˈoʊ sˌaɪkoʊθˈɛɹəpi/
fixed phrase
technical
receive psychotherapy treatment
To have psychotherapy as a patient over a period of time.
Examples
- He decided to undergo psychotherapy to deal with his childhood trauma.
- Many patients undergo psychotherapy and medication at the same time.