psychotherapy

noun

psy·​cho·​ther·​a·​py ˌsī-kō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce psychotherapy (audio)
: treatment of mental or emotional disorder or of related bodily ills by psychological means
psychotherapist noun

Examples of psychotherapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Each patient also underwent 11 hours of psychotherapy. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025 Studies show that those who use EMDR can reap the same benefits as those who use years of psychotherapy, just in a shorter amount of time. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 23 June 2025 The field of psychotherapy may seem worlds apart from Corporate America, but both systems grapple with a common challenge: how to motivate individuals who feel powerless, resistant or ambivalent about change. Brittney Van Matre, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025 His longstanding interest in free will led to the 2022 co-edited volume Agency in Mental Disorder, which brings philosophical reasoning about limits and culpability to bear on addiction, mental illness, and psychotherapy. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for psychotherapy

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of psychotherapy was circa 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Psychotherapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychotherapy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

psychotherapy

noun
psy·​cho·​ther·​a·​py ˌsī-kō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce psychotherapy (audio)
: treatment of mental or emotional disorder or of related bodily illnesses by psychological means

Medical Definition

psychotherapy

noun
psy·​cho·​ther·​a·​py ˌsī-kō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce psychotherapy (audio)
plural psychotherapies
1
: treatment of mental or emotional disorder or maladjustment by psychological means especially involving verbal communication (as in psychoanalysis, nondirective psychotherapy, reeducation, or hypnosis)
2
: any alteration in an individual's interpersonal environment, relationships, or life situation brought about especially by a qualified therapist and intended to have the effect of alleviating symptoms of mental or emotional disturbance

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