primal scream therapy

noun

Definition of primal scream therapy

: psychotherapy in which the patient recalls and reenacts a particularly disturbing past experience usually occurring early in life and expresses normally repressed anger or frustration especially through spontaneous and unrestrained screams, hysteria, or violence — called also primal therapy

Recent Examples of primal scream therapy from the Web

Over the weekend, Arthur Janov, the psychotherapist who created primal therapy, otherwise known as primal scream therapy, died in his home in Malibu, California, reports Margalit Fox at The New York Times.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "The Founder of Primal Scream Therapy Has Died. What Exactly Is Primal Scream Therapy?," 5 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'primal scream therapy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of primal scream therapy

1971

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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