therapy

therapy — noun

1. a planned course of medical care designed to help someone recover from a physica

1.nounB1
Definition

a planned course of medical care designed to help someone recover from a physical illness, injury, or health problem, often using specific methods such as exercises, medication, or procedures.

Example

After Diego broke his arm, he needed several weeks of physical therapy.

collocation: physical therapy

The doctor recommended a new therapy to help manage Greta's chronic back pain.

collocation: therapy for [condition]

Common collocations
  • physical therapy
  • radiation therapy
  • drug therapy
  • gene therapy
  • occupational therapy
  • undergo therapy
  • receive therapy
  • respond to therapy
Synonyms
  • treatment

    the broadest term for medical care; any action taken to improve a patient's condition

  • rehabilitation

    focuses on restoring function after injury or illness, often through exercise and training

  • remedy

    typically used for minor ailments or home cures; less formal and less structured than therapy

  • cure

    implies complete elimination of a disease, whereas therapy is a process that may or may not lead to a cure

Antonyms
  • neglect

    the absence of care or attention to a medical condition

Grammar Patterns

therapy + for + [condition]

undergo/receive + therapy

[type] + therapy

Usage Note

Often uncountable in everyday use ('He is receiving therapy'), but becomes countable when specifying a type or method ('several new gene therapies have been developed'). The plural 'therapies' usually refers to different approaches or categories of treatment.

Common Mistakes

I took some therapy for my headache.
I took some medicine for my headache.
'Therapy' implies an ongoing or structured process, not a one-time remedy for a minor symptom.
She had a therapy yesterday.
She had a therapy session yesterday.
When referring to a single appointment, add 'session'; 'therapy' alone does not mean one visit.

2. a process in which a person talks regularly with a trained professional about th

2.nounB1
Definition

a process in which a person talks regularly with a trained professional about their emotions, thoughts, or personal difficulties in order to improve their mental health and well-being.

Example

Hao has been going to therapy once a week since his anxiety became hard to manage.

collocation: go to therapy

Group therapy helped Élise feel less alone when dealing with her depression.

collocation: group therapy

Common collocations
  • group therapy
  • cognitive behavioral therapy
  • talk therapy
  • go to therapy
  • be in therapy
  • start therapy
  • continue therapy
  • benefit from therapy
Synonyms
  • psychotherapy

    the formal, clinical term for the same concept; more likely to appear in medical or academic writing

  • counseling

    often shorter-term and focused on specific life problems, whereas therapy can be deeper and longer

  • talk therapy

    a colloquial, everyday term that emphasises conversation rather than medication

Grammar Patterns

go to therapy

be in therapy

therapy + for + [mental health issue]

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable in this sense. A person 'goes to therapy', 'is in therapy', or 'starts therapy' — not 'a therapy'. To refer to a single appointment, say 'therapy session' or 'therapy appointment'.

Common Mistakes

I'm going to therapy for my broken leg.
I'm going to physical therapy for my broken leg.
Without a modifier like 'physical' or 'occupational', 'therapy' on its own in everyday speech usually means psychotherapy.
She has been in a therapy for two years.
She has been in therapy for two years.
Do not use the article 'a' before 'therapy' in this uncountable sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to actions taken to improve health, but they differ in scope and duration. 'Treatment' is the most general term — it covers anything from a single pill to a long hospital stay. 'Therapy' (the target sense) implies a structured, ongoing process rather than a one-off action. 'Remedy' usually suggests a simple home solution for a minor problem, such as honey for a cough. 'Cure' points to complete elimination of a disease — you do not say 'a cure for a broken arm'. 'Rehabilitation' focuses on restoring function after injury or illness through exercise and training. For example: 'The treatment for her infection was a course of antibiotics, but the therapy for her damaged knee took months.'

treatment ↗remedy ↗cure ↗rehabilitation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in therapy
  • course of therapy
  • form of therapy
  • response to therapy
  • benefits of therapy

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The word 'therapy' comes from Greek 'therapeia', meaning 'healing' or 'service'. The Greeks used it for medical attendance and care of the sick. It passed into Latin as 'therapia' and entered English in the early 19th century as a medical term. The sense of psychological treatment by talking emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries alongside the development of psychotherapy.