primal therapy

a treatment of mental disorder in which the patient, often in group sessions, is induced to reenact his or her infancy and to express emotions violently in screams, shouts, etc.

Origin: after the book The Primal Scream (1970) by A. Janov, U.S. psychologist

See primal therapy in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
Psychology
A method of therapy thought to treat emotional problems by encouraging patients to relive traumatic experiences and to express feelings through screaming and other verbal or physical acts of aggression. Also called primal scream therapy.

Related Forms:

  • primal therapist noun

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