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therapist

therapist

508 3.7
A trained person who helps people with physical or mental health problems
  • noun
  • /ˈθɛrəpɪst/
translation icon : terapeuta
  • My therapist said it'll do me some good anyway.
  • mental health therapist
  • physical therapist
  • occupational therapist

This guy matched with his therapist on Tinder.

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Examples

Synonyms

counselor
vstherapist
  • US
311 3.2

A trained person who listens and gives advice for personal or emotional problems

has formal training to practise specific therapy methods across health areas
psychologist
vstherapist
309 4.2

A person who studies the mind and helps people with feelings or behavior

practises specific therapy approaches in real health situations rather than academic study
shrink
vstherapist
  • Slang
240 8.9

A doctor who helps people with their mental health

refers to a trained practitioner who can practise different therapy types
psych
vstherapist
  • Informal
119 8.9

A person who helps people with their feelings and thoughts

means a trained practitioner who offers particular therapy types across health areas
analyst
vstherapist
56 5.6

A trained therapist who helps people understand their feelings and past through talk

offers broader therapy training across mental or physical health, not only analysis
psychotherapist
vstherapist
27 5.5

A person who helps others with mental and emotional problems by talking and giving support

is a broadly trained practitioner across different therapy types, mental or physical
physical therapist
vstherapist
  • Specialized
27 3.4

A person who helps people regain movement and strength after injury using exercises and hands-on care

applies to trained practitioners working in either mental or physical therapy areas
clinical psychologist
vstherapist
  • Specialized
20 4.1

A trained person who helps people with mental or emotional problems by talking with them

offers various therapy types across mental or physical health rather than only diagnosis
psychoanalyst
vstherapist
  • Specialized
12 7.0

A doctor or therapist who treats mental and emotional problems by talking about thoughts and dreams

has wider training to practise many therapy methods beyond psychoanalytic focus
speech therapist
vstherapist
6 3.3

A person who helps people who have trouble speaking or using words

covers broader therapeutic training for diverse mental or physical health problems
hypnotherapist
vstherapist
  • Specialized
4 7.2

A person who uses hypnosis to help people change habits and overcome fears

covers many therapy approaches and conditions beyond hypnosis techniques
shrinker
vstherapist
  • Slang
3 9.0

A person who helps people with mental or emotional problems

describes a broadly trained person practising specific therapy methods across fields
physiotherapist
vstherapist
  • UK
3 4.9

A person who helps people regain movement and strength using exercise and hands-on treatment

is the general trained practitioner covering varied therapy types beyond physical care

Compounds

physical therapist
  • Specialized
27 3.4

A person who helps people regain movement and strength after injury using exercises and hands-on care

A person who helps people who have trouble speaking or using words

How Skilled

consultant
537 3.8
therapist
508 3.7
assistant
833 1.0

Surface Forms

therapist singular
therapists plural

Morphology

therapist = therapy (transparent) = therapy + ist

Standard agentive formation: 'therapy' + '-ist' yields 'a person who practises therapy', which is directly predictable.

Etymology

The word therapist comes from the Greek root therap- meaning 'to care for' or 'to heal', and you can see the same root in therapy. The ending -ist means 'a person who does something', so a therapist is someone who gives therapy to help a person's body or mind.