psychothérapie

Forms

psychothérapie f (plural psychothérapies)^[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from French psycho- + thérapie.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Rey places it among the many scientific terms with this prefix that appeared in French in the 1880s and 1890s, after psychologie and psychique, when the work of Charcot had made the idea current.^[6] An isolated English use of psychotherapy in 1853 does not, in his view, make the French word an anglicism.^[6] The English word in its current use (1892) was in fact formed on the model of the French one.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is the title Essais de psychothérapie quoted by Maurice Barrès in 1888, in his essay on Renan.^[2][4] The Grand Robert dates the word to 1891 and the GLLF to 1904 (Larousse).^[3][8]

Semantic evolution

The word spread with the medical use of hypnotism and suggestion: in 1889 a Clinique de psychothérapie suggestive was run in Brussels by van Renterghem and van Eeden.^[6] The English psychotherapy at first also covered the treatment of diseases by such "psychic" methods, mainly hypnotism.^[7]

In the 20th century the term came to cover every treatment of mental or psychosomatic disorders by psychological means, especially through speech between patient and therapist; it is used in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine and is kept distinct from psychoanalysis, though there is an analytic psychotherapy.^[6][2][8] Group therapy (psychothérapie de groupe) is recorded from 1948, and collective therapy led on to psychodrama.^[2][6] The derivatives psychothérapique and psychothérapeute followed soon after the noun.^[6]

Timeline

• 1888 – Barrès quotes the title Essais de psychothérapie.^[2][4]
• 1889 – A Clinique de psychothérapie suggestive is named in Brussels.^[6]
• 1892 – The English word psychotherapy is formed on the French model.^[7]
• 1894 – The adjective psychothérapique is first recorded.^[6][2]
• 1902 – Psychothérapeute is first recorded.^[6]
• 1904 – The Larousse dictionary records the word.^[8]
• 1948 – Psychothérapie de groupe is first recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (medicine) The treatment of mental, behavioural or psychosomatic disorders by psychological means, chiefly through talk between a thérapeute and the patient: Elle a commencé une psychothérapie après la mort de son père.^{[2][4][9][5][10]}
2. A course of such treatment: suivre une psychothérapie, to be in therapy.^[4][5]
3. Psychothérapie de groupe: group therapy.^[2][4][9]

Word family

• psychothérapeute
• psychothérapique

Related words

• thérapie
• psychanalyse
• psychiatrie
• English psychotherapy

Usage notes

In everyday French the word is often shortened to thérapie.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)