Headshrinkers 🧑‍⚕️ Why Are Therapists Called Shrinks?

This article has been reviewed for accuracy by John Cottrell, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Medical Disclaimer: The information and recommendations on our site do not constitute a medical consultation. See a certified medical professional for diagnosis.

You are not alone if you feel overwhelmed while attempting to maintain your mental health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), twenty percent of adults in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental health illness each year, with depression and anxiety disorders being the most frequent.

Whether you’re dealing with mild stress or relationship issues, or suspect that you have a clinically diagnosable mental disorder, counseling can help you manage your mental health and begin feeling better. Therapists help those with mental diseases, diagnose mental illnesses, and work to avoid mental health problems.

In researching therapists, you may have wondered, “Why are therapists called shrinks?”. The answer may astound you! The term “shrink” is derived from “head shrinkage,” which relates to the historical practice of shrinking a conquered enemy’s head. As a result, the term “shrink” developed as a phrase for mental health experts. The word is essentially obsolete and dates from when mental health care was frowned upon. While there is still a stigma associated with mental health today, seeking therapy is significantly more universally accepted than when this phrase was more widely employed.

The importance of referring to psychotherapists as shrinks has been debated. The headshrinker metaphor may reflect the familiar feelings of fear, mystery, and antagonism related to the profession. 

Another school of thought says it alludes to decreasing a patient’s egotistical, inflated sense of importance. Although many mental-health practitioners have come to accept the phrase with self-deprecation, it has also been challenged as a vestige of an antiquated therapeutic approach that basically boils down to merely symptoms and causes rather than viewing them as complicated individuals.

Types of Professional Mental Health Providers

Although the term “shrink” can refer to various mental health experts, there are numerous types of clinicians who are trained in examining, identifying, and treating psychological issues. You may come across some of the following titles while looking for a therapist:

Counselor

Mental health counselors (MHC) and licensed professional counselors (LPC) must have a master’s degree in psychology or a similar subject, as well as years of clinical practice. Counselors are educated and trained to assess and manage mental health issues.

Social worker

Social workers obtain a master’s degree in social work. They have received training in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating mental diseases. Advocacy services and case management are also provided by some social workers.

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are medical professionals who have received advanced training in the structure of the brain and the care and management of mental diseases. Psychiatrists often prescribe medicine and counsel patients on a much less frequent basis. Some psychiatrists further their education in a specialized subject, such as child behavior.

Psychologist

A doctorate in psychology is required for psychologists. Counseling and clinical psychologists are both equipped to make mental health diagnoses and provide psychotherapy services.

Common Mental Health Issues

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classifies various situations as mental illnesses, each with its own set of diagnostic criteria. The following are some examples of frequently diagnosed mental health conditions:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Substance abuse
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic stress syndrome/disorder (PTSS/PTSD)

It’s critical to remember that not all brain ailments are classified as mental illnesses. Disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy alter the formation and neurons of the brain. They are classified as neurological disorders rather than mental disorders. Scientists are discovering that mental illnesses are related to changes in brain structure, function, and chemistry as they continue to investigate mental illnesses using new approaches.

Is Online Therapy the Right Choice for You?

Even though many people in the United States suffer from mental distress, many confront difficulties receiving mental health treatment. People’s access to mental health care is hampered by socioeconomic position, stigmatized ideas about mental health in many ethnic groups, and profound ignorance about mental health care. Furthermore, while customers in major cities may have a better chance of locating a therapist, many patients in rural locations have difficulty finding a close psychotherapist.

Fortunately, over the last year, an increasing number of therapists have begun to offer online therapy services, giving convenient, discreet, and cost-effective alternatives to conventional in-person therapy sessions. Online counseling allows you to receive psychological treatment from the comfort and privacy of your own home. All you require is a stable Internet connection.

While Internet counseling is not for everyone, studies suggest that it is equally beneficial as in-person treatment in addressing a wide range of disorders. Here are several indications that you might profit from online therapy:

• You desire to strengthen your bonds with friends, family, and coworkers
• You’re frustrated, perplexed, or overwhelmed
• You’re having difficulty moving forward or feel trapped at crossroads
• You’re negotiating a challenging situation or stage in your life
• You are overreacting to circumstances that seem “insignificant,” or you are having difficulty regulating your emotions

What Are the Different Types of Therapy?

Therapy offers a host of benefits for everyone. You might be interested to find out that there are many different types of treatment!

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also known as individual talk therapy, promotes an open and honest talk about the issues bothering you. You’ll work with your therapist to analyze and address how these concerns are affecting your life, as well as develop techniques to manage your symptoms.

Family therapy

Treatment, unlike individual therapy, isn’t only for one person even if that person is the only family member cooperating with the therapist. Instead, the emphasis is on the network of ties that comprise the family unit.

Couples therapy

Couples counseling can help keep your relationship on a course before it runs off the rails of dissolution. However, if the stresses are real and communication is nearly impossible, couples can meet with a neutral person in counseling.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT combines two different types of therapy: behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. It can be used to treat many mental disorders.

What Are the Benefits of Therapy (In-Person and Online)?

It’s simple to justify spending that boosts our beauty in a society that is typically focused on material things. We have a natural motivation to care about our appearance: physical beauty is highlighted as the be-all and end-all just about anywhere we obtain our media.

We acquire gym memberships to appear a specific way as if imitating the youth and beauty we see in society will make us happy. Working out in the gym is also considered the primary approach to “becoming fit,” but increasing mental well-being is not stressed as much. Why is that?

Psychological wellness is likely undervalued because increasing it isn’t viewed as having the same impact on our image as going to the gym. However, the benefits that come from therapy are innumerable.

Therapy will enable you to arm yourself with an arsenal of coping skills. Therapists are trained and educated to assist in developing the natural coping abilities that everyone possesses. Because everyone is different, coping strategies will change from person to person.

Therapy may positively impact how you interact with those in your life. We aren’t always aware of how many ways we negatively harm our relationships. When we’re angry, we may react and call our companion names, only to ignore the outburst after the argument and not recognize its impact on our relationship.

On the other hand, sometimes we’re so used to trying to keep our emotions bottled up inside that we struggle to be firm with the people we care about. A therapist can assist us in bettering our relationships by balancing the way that we speak with our loved ones.

Therapy can help increase your overall happiness and well-being. Talking about your history, present, and future with a counselor can help you better know yourself. While self-awareness does not always mean self-acceptance, it is the first step into really accepting who you are at your core.

Self-compassion is a related idea. Greater self-compassion allows you to deal with the inevitable bumps in life without becoming mired in negativity. Therapists, particularly person-centered therapists, frequently emphasize and guide us through ways for enhancing self-acceptance and self-compassion. 

Learning self-compassion in treatment provides several real advantages: High self-compassion has been shown to improve health-promoting behaviors, foster well-being, improve empathy and generosity, and act as a buffer against worry.

Therapy can assist you in living a more productive life. Counseling can also help you identify hurdles preventing you from achieving your best. These types of roadblocks (for example, perfectionism or obsessing) are obstacles that a therapist can assist you in overcoming to find an appropriate solution. 

You and your therapist can also talk about organizational skills and whether changing destructive behaviors, such as poor scheduling or inaccurate assessments, will help you focus and be more productive. Changes of this nature can result in long-term improvements such as enhanced work performance, increased emotions of self-efficacy, and better relationships.

Lastly, therapy can help decrease chronic stress levels. Therapy can assist with long-term stress in a variety of ways. A therapist can teach you techniques for soothing your body and mind, such as guided visualization, gradual relaxation techniques, and deep breathing.

Therapists can also assist you in pinpointing the roots of your stress and teaching you stress-reduction practices. They can introduce you to new ideas like radical acceptance, which states that many aspects of your life are beyond your power. That acceptance is the way to minimize your pain. Best of all, once you’ve learned these tactics, you’ll be able to use them for the long haul. In other words, short-term stress reduction might lead to long-term stress management practices.

How to Choose a Therapist

First and above all, you must locate a therapist with whom you are comfortable. Your counselor is not there to be your friend, and therapy is not an easy procedure. Having said that, you are free to use a therapist who you believe respects your uniqueness, ideas, and sense of self.

You must be ready to trust your therapist fully. If you cannot, and believe that you have to mislead your therapist or conceal crucial facts, you will not likely get any meaningful healing. In some ways and at some point during therapy, you must also think that seeing your therapist is beneficial to you. You may not be receiving the most satisfactory treatment possible if you do not experience improvement in your emotional difficulties.

Secondly, you should search out therapists who have been serving in their field for at least a decade, greater where possible. According to research, there isn’t much of a difference in the quality of therapy outcomes depending on a clinician’s degree or training. Still, the longer a therapist has been practicing, the better the client outcomes are.

This means that therapists with more experience will be more likely to assist you. Search out a therapist with specialized experience with your mental health issues. You don’t want to be any practitioner’s first-time client for the situation you’re battling with!

Ask point-blank inquiries about the therapist’s history in your first appointment with them. Don’t be afraid to speak up! After all, this is about you and your well-being. The therapist is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. Take advantage of the opportunity to inquire about the therapist’s previous experience with your problem.

Before reaching out to a therapist, you must first evaluate your personal situation. What is your purpose in seeking therapy? Can you adequately describe the concerns and difficulties you are experiencing? Do you have a specific goal that you would like to achieve through therapy? Answering these types of questions honestly will enable your therapist to be better equipped to aid you in conquering your mental health and working towards wellness.

Final Thoughts

Referring to your therapist as a “shrink” could seem derogatory. It’s essential to view your therapist and therapy sessions as a means to self-improvement and make positive life-altering changes. Remember that therapy is not about repairing the broken; instead, it is about embracing ourselves as we are in order to live a full, prosperous life.

John Cottrell, Ph.D., is a yoga instructor and certified yoga therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He has been teaching yoga since 2000. John is originally from Oakland, California, earning his Master of Science and Ph.D. from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology in Palo Alto, California. His clinical practice led him to child and adolescent psychotherapy, drug and alcohol treatment, psychological and neuropsychological testing, and group/couples therapy. John continues his devotion to sharing health and well-being through his business, mbody. He offers private and group yoga classes, yoga therapy, workshops, retreats, written yoga articles, and a men’s yoga clothing line.

Sources

• Benefits and Options for Therapy: https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-therapy
• Benefits of Psychotherapy: https://www.goodtherapy.org/benefits-of-therapy.html
• National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsmBarriers to Mental Health Care: https://www.namichicago.org/blog/barriers-to-mental-health-care