Therapy Speak
Susie Orbach talks to Michael Rosen about the use and misuse of 'therapy speak', which seems to have leaked out of the therapist’s office and into our homes.
Susie Orbach talks to Michael Rosen about the use and misuse of “therapy speak”. With the rise of mental health awareness, it seems to have leaked out of the therapist’s office and into our homes. Instead of saying someone’s getting on our nerves, we talk about “boundaries”; instead of accusing someone of lying, we call them a “gaslighter”; instead of telling someone we’re listening, we say we’re “holding space”.
But do these words mean what we think they do? And do they help or heighten the issues we are trying to discuss?
Producer: Alice McKee, BBC Audio Bristol
Last on
Broadcasts
- Tue 15 Aug 202316:00BBC Radio 4
- Mon 21 Aug 202323:00BBC Radio 4
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Word of Mouth
Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them












