Psychological Terminology

A
ADDICTION

Strong emotional and /or psychological dependence on a substance such as alcohol or drugs that has progressed beyond voluntary control.

ABUSE-EMOTIONAL

Emotional and verbal abuse is any behaviour that is used to control or mistreat another person. This includes inducing fear by intimidating, terrorizing, threatening, humiliating, insulting, degrading, destroying property, and isolating a person from family and friends.

ABUSE-MENTAL

Mental abuse is the abuse of power or control over another person. Emotional and verbal abuse are used as manipulative tools in mental abuse.

ANGER

Anger is a strong feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance. Anger can feel as little as frustration or as big as rage. One may want to act out in violence toward another or yourself.

ANXIETY - GENERALIZED

Anxiety is a general feeling of anxiousness or nervousness. A feeling of impending doom.

ANXIETY - OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

OCD is a disorder in which the brain has thoughts and urges that just won't go away. Symptoms may feel like mental hiccups that won't stop. People usually, though not always, experience obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts, images or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of your control. Compulsions are acts that one performs over and over again and feel out of control.

ANXIETY - PANIC DISORDER

Panic disorder involves repeated, unprovoked attacks of intense fear. One usually feels that they are truly dying.

ANXIETY - POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

PTSD is experienced when one has a traumatic event happen in their life and due to the intensity of the trauma, the memory is fragmented when it is stored in the brain. This causes amnesia of some or all of the event. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, acute bursts of feeling fear, anxiety or rage when one is "triggered". A trigger is the recollection of a memory fragment brought on by a certain smell, sight, colour, phrase or sound.

ANXIETY - SOCIAL PHOBIA/SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

A disorder that results in extreme anxiety in social situations. Those who suffer from social phobia experience intense and disabling self-consciousness in these situations. People with social phobia have an intense and persistent feeling of being watched, judged, and evaluated in a negative manner.

B
BODY CENTERED THERAPY

A therapeutic process that utilizes emotions, physical sensations or energy that is held in the body to guide the client to increased insight.

BURNOUT

Burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.

C
COUNSELLING

Counselling is a process to help a client understand problems in life or relationships, and to deal with or cope with a crisis.

D
DEPRESSION - ADJUSTMENT DISORDER

Adjustment disorder is the inability or maladaptive reaction to an identifiable stressful life event(s) / stressor(s), such as job loss, death or divorce.

DEPRESSION - BIPOLAR

Bipolar disorder, or manic-depression, is characterized by moods that swing between two opposite poles - periods of mania (mood elevation, including exaggerated euphoria, irritability, or both), and episodes of depression.

DEPRESSION - DYSTHYMIC DISORDER

Dysthymic disorder, or dysthymia, is a type of depression that lasts for at least 2 years. The depression is usually mild to moderate and symptoms include a poor appetite or overeating, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, low energy, fatigue and feelings of hopelessness.

DEPRESSION - MAJOR

Major depression is the same as dysthymic depression however the symptoms are severe and may include suicidal thoughts. It can last for many years leaving the sufferer unable to perform day to day tasks, being unable to care for oneself or make simple decisions. Major depression is a debilitating mental disorder.

DREAM WORK

The use of dreams within the therapeutic process.

E
EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED THERAPY

A therapeutic process that focuses on the emotions of the client, facilitating greater understanding and self awareness.

F
FOCUSING

A therapeutic process that utilizes a felt sense within the body to guide the client to self-awareness.

G
GRIEF

The normal process of reacting to a loss. The loss may be physical (such as a death), social (such as divorce), or occupational (such as a job). Emotional reactions of grief can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and despair. Physical reactions of grief can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems, or illness.

H
HABITUAL BEHAVIOUR

Can be considered chronic behaviour (not addiction). One can experience physical habits, emotional habits or cognitive habits.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy combining trance induction of hypnosis with individualized techniques of counselling secured by each Hypnotherapist uniquely. Therefore, Hypnotherapy cannot be confined within a detailed description. Every Hypnotherapist has specialized tools, techniques and background specifically directed to the counselling field. Hypnotherapy encompasses a holistic approach to health and healing and the total person's well-being. Hypnotherapy is a dramatic rapid intervention system that reshapes the client's feelings of competence and capability. Within the sessions of hypnotherapy, one may discover hidden memories, latent creativity, new insights, feelings of competence, release of fears or release of repressed emotions.

P
PANIC ATTACKS

See Anxiety - Panic Disorder

PHOBIAS

Phobias are an intense, almost paralyzing fear centering on a specific situation or object. Virtually everyone can think of something that evokes a visceral response akin to fear, but phobias go far beyond what is normal or rational.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

The process of expanding self awareness within the Counselling relationship by exploring thoughts, feelings and perceptions.

R

REFLECTIVE LISTENING

Listening practice used by psychotherapists that involves reading body language, tone of voice and language used by client, and then actively offering understanding of what is being said. In this way, true understanding is achieved and the therapist is able to join the client in their experience.

REGRESSION THERAPY

The use of hypnosis to regress one to an earlier memory in order to heal trauma, or emotional upset from that memory.

S
SELF ESTEEM

Self esteem is the perception of self, the self-concept considered as a whole, taking into account all its various dimensions. One can have low self esteem (a feeling of unworthiness) or high self esteem (a feeling self importance).

STRESS

Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.