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By Elizabeth Sarchet and Michael Kiener, PhD, CRC

The use of pop psychology and the oversimplification of psychology terms on social media are ongoing phenomena that can impact counselors and the mental health profession. It’s not unusual to discover a video on TikTok that misuses psychology terms. For example, one video shows a confrontation between two friends over the equal division of spending during social events, which leads to one person calling the other selfish and the other accusing the first of being a narcissist. This mischaracterization of certain behaviors as a personality disorder, known as therapy speak, can be harmful. 

Pop Culture Phenomenon and Emotional Danger

Therapy speak evolved from words like narcissism, trauma and gaslighting. Such concepts have been oversimplified and flattened to make engaging, bite-sized content for social media. Influencers can label simple disagreements as gaslighting or being offended by something as triggering. People might use therapy speak to provide advice, inform others and share experiences, but they can also use it as a weapon. For example, someone might try to control a partner but call it boundaries or call someone toxic for having a valid emotional reaction.   

Buzzwords that are commonly misused and lack nuanced context can make their meaning inaccurate. Expressing a different perception of an experience may not be gaslighting. Similarly, bonding over shared trauma may not be trauma bonding. While talking about counseling and mental health has become less stigmatized in recent years, the overuse and misuse of therapy-related words pose interesting challenges for mental health professionals.

Distinguishing Therapy Speak from Counseling Language   

With counseling language coming into daily use, when does language intended to educate or describe unique mental health experiences become misused? Does this language open a window to deeper understanding or build a wall that shuts out knowledge?  

Viewing counseling language through this window or wall perspective, counselors can further examine the function of the terminology and how it is used. Does the sentence accurately describe or categorize a symptom or an experience? For example, saying “this is a panic attack” is professional and precise. However, when a phrase is used as an excuse or to avoid accountability, as in, “I can’t help being late; I am protecting my boundaries,” then this usage can be characterized as therapy speak.  

When working with clients, encouraging them to use language that clearly expresses their feelings can foster healthier communication and self-awareness. If a client states, “You trigger me,” this language can feel accusatory or vague. However, guiding them to say, “From my perspective, it makes me feel X when you say or do Y” can help them take ownership of their emotions and articulate their experience more accurately. 

This approach not only promotes personal responsibility and encourages more empathetic dialogue but also decreases the chance of therapy speak by moving away from buzzwords toward genuine, individualized expression. 

Here are some tips for counselors:

• Understand and identify therapy speak by recognizing the difference between professional clinical language and oversimplified, misused buzzwords that can obscure understanding or be weaponized. 
• Encourage nuanced expression by guiding clients to clearly articulate their feelings with ownership, instead of relying on vague or accusatory language. 
• Evaluate the function of language by assessing whether a term facilitates deeper understanding or shuts down dialogue. Educate clients to use language that builds connection rather than control. 
• Address the weaponization of therapy speak by being alert to how it can be used to incorrectly diagnose or control others. Help clients understand the harm of misusing psychological terms. 
• Normalize mental health discussions by promoting the accurate use of clinical language in everyday conversations. This can destigmatize mental health and support well-being.