Glossary of Terms

Psychpedia

Your authoritative guide to mental health terms, therapy modalities, and psychological conditions.

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A

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)

ADHD is a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

B

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

BPD is a mental health disorder that impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life.

C

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a widely used, evidence-based form of psychological treatment that helps people identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and emotions.

Couples Counseling

A type of psychotherapy in which a therapist with clinical experience working with couples helps two people involved in a romantic relationship gain insight into their relationship, resolve conflict and improve relationship satisfaction.

D

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

E

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a specialized psychotherapy technique designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

G

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a number of different things. Individuals with GAD may anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues.

M

Major Depressive Disorder

Also known as clinical depression, this disorder causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

O

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

P

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event—either experiencing it or witnessing it.