What Type of English Vocabulary Should I Learn as a Therapist?

Worried your vocabulary is too “basic” to provide effective therapy sessions in English? Here’s how to choose and learn the most useful vocabulary for psychologists.

A few months ago, I started to work with a wonderful EMDR psychotherapist who felt like her English was starting to become a bit rusty. In our first session, we discussed her needs and objectives. One of the things she mentioned was that she just didn’t use fancy words.

I then asked her if that was something she wanted to do, something that was important to her. She said that though she admired therapists who had a wide range of vocabulary, she could never remember complicated, unusual words and use them properly. A part of her felt like she should grow her vocabulary, but a bigger part felt that she would sound forced or fake if she used these words.

If, like this therapist, you also want to talk about your needs and objectives, book a free 60-minute consultation here.

So, you might be asking yourself, what do I mean by complicated vocabulary?

For example, let’s look at the adjective flabbergasted. It’s a fun word to say. It was invented in England in the 18th century by combining two words, flabby (soft and fat, like a jelly) and aghast (shocked and worried). To be flabbergasted means to feel very shocked or surprised. Should you learn that word, and start using it in your sessions?

Well, it depends. Let’s consider two factors here.

Firstly, let’s think about your client. Where do they come from? If they aren’t native speakers of English, how advanced is their English? What’s their level of formal education (have they completed high school, been to university, etc.)? What’s the register of the language they use (formal, neutral, informal)? What type of cultural context do they live in?

Of course, it’s possible some people will use the word flabbergasted, and it might be something they say a little ironically, with a pinch of humour.

 However, mostly, people are not going to use this word. They are likely to express their feelings of intense surprise differently. They would say something like “It came out of nowhere /out of the blue”, “It caught me by surprise” “I just couldn’t believe it” “I was taken aback / caught off guard”.

Secondly, let’s think about your work as a psychotherapist. What’s your clinical orientation? What’s your style? How do you generally express yourself? Does it feel natural to you to use words like flabbergasted?

My style as a therapist, for example, is very visual and evocative. I don’t really know why, but I often express thoughts and feelings through imagery (metaphors, similes, etc.). I don’t tend to use very complicated words, I paint pictures. Going back to the EMDR therapist I mentioned, she is incredibly communicative through her non-verbal language. Her facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice clearly express many nuances of how she’s feeling. I would only use the word flabbergasted if I’m joking. I would say “I was flabbergasted when Matthieu suggested grabbing a burger for dinner,” (that’s my brother, and he loves burgers).

So, here’s my personal recommendation. Try to make some complex vocabulary that is specific to psychology a part of your passive vocabulary. That means you can understand what the word means, even if you don’t use it. If you want to (because it’s a part of your style) you can add some of these “fancy words” to your active vocabulary. This means you understand them but also actually use them when speaking.

Most importantly, though, focus on the vocabulary you don’t know and that you hear frequently in therapy contexts (ex. Videos, podcasts). If these words are being repeated over and over again, it’s likely that your English-speaking patients will use them at some point.  

Also, try to make sure you know the difference between specific words, even if they seem basic. For example, a lot of people use the word “jealous” when they mean “envious”. These words are not complicated, but they are quite different from each other. According to Psychology Today, “Envy occurs when we lack a desired attribute enjoyed by another. Jealousy occurs when something we already possess (usually a special relationship) is threatened by a third person,”

This is also obvious when we look at phrasal verbs (a verb plus a preposition). There is a big difference between to be taken aback by something (shocked) or to be taken with something (admiring something). Because both phrasal verbs are so similar, misunderstandings are more likely to happen, so it’s important to know the difference between them. 

In conclusion, it’s your choice whether or not to try to learn more complex, unusual language and use it actively.

However, make sure the vocabulary you do choose to learn is frequent and specific. The idea is that you understand your patient, express yourself clearly and avoid misunderstandings.

And, in my opinion? Just learning that type of vocabulary properly will already keep you so busy that you will forget about speaking like the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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