Resources
Therapy Glossary
Plain-language definitions of common therapy and mental health terms — so you can read about treatment, insurance, and clinical approaches without getting lost in jargon.
A
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction. The original ACE Study by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente found that higher ACE scores correlate with increased lifetime risk for physical and mental health problems.
- Anxiety
- A pattern of persistent worry, fear, or physical activation (racing heart, tension, restlessness) that interferes with daily life. Anxiety can range from generalized worry to panic attacks, social anxiety, or phobias, and is highly responsive to therapy.
- Attachment
- The emotional bond between a child and caregiver that shapes how a person feels safe in relationships throughout life. Patterns formed in early attachment often appear later in adult relationships and are an important focus of trauma and couples therapy.
B
- Bilateral Stimulation
- Rhythmic left-right input — most often guided eye movements, gentle taps, or alternating tones — used in EMDR to help the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge.
C
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- A short-term, evidence-based therapy that helps you identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that drive difficult emotions. CBT is highly effective for depression, anxiety, stress, and many behavioral concerns.
D
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- An evidence-based therapy that combines CBT with mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills. Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT is now used for self-harm, mood swings, eating disorders, and chronic emotional intensity.
- Depression
- A persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and changes in energy, sleep, or appetite that interfere with daily functioning. Depression is highly treatable through therapy, often combined with medication when appropriate.
- Dissociation
- A protective response in which a person feels disconnected from their body, emotions, or surroundings — sometimes described as feeling 'spaced out,' numb, or 'not really here.' Dissociation is common in trauma and is a key target of trauma-informed therapy.
E
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
- An evidence-based therapy that uses guided eye movements while you recall distressing memories, helping the brain reprocess them so they lose their emotional charge. EMDR is widely used for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, phobias, grief, and chronic pain.
G
- Grounding
- A set of practical techniques — like naming what you see, touching cold water, or noticing your feet on the floor — that bring attention back to the present moment when you feel anxious, dissociated, or overwhelmed.
I
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- An evidence-based therapy built on the idea that the mind is naturally made up of distinct inner 'parts,' each with its own feelings and intentions. IFS helps you build a compassionate relationship with these parts from a calm, core Self.
M
- Mindfulness
- The practice of paying attention to the present moment — thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and surroundings — without judgment. Mindfulness is a core skill in MBCT, DBT, and many somatic and trauma therapies.
P
- Parts Work
- A general term for therapeutic approaches — including IFS and structural dissociation — that work directly with different inner parts of a person rather than treating the mind as a single voice. Parts work is especially useful for trauma and inner conflict.
- Play Therapy
- An evidence-based therapy for children (typically ages 3–12) that uses toys, art, sand, and imaginative play as the language of expression. A trained therapist helps the child process emotions and experiences they may not yet have words for.
- Polyvagal Theory
- A framework developed by Dr. Stephen Porges describing how the autonomic nervous system shifts between states of safety, mobilization (fight/flight), and shutdown. It informs many somatic and trauma therapies by helping clients understand their nervous-system responses.
- PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- A condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, marked by intrusive memories, avoidance, mood and cognition changes, and heightened nervous-system arousal. PTSD is highly responsive to evidence-based therapies like EMDR, IFS, somatic therapy, and trauma-focused CBT.
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- A depth-oriented therapy that explores how unconscious patterns and early-life experiences shape current thoughts, feelings, and relationships. It is particularly helpful for recurring relational patterns, identity concerns, and long-standing depression or anxiety.
S
- Somatic Therapy
- A body-centered therapy that uses awareness of physical sensation, breath, and gentle movement to help release stress and trauma stored in the nervous system. Somatic approaches are especially helpful when talk therapy alone hasn't reached body-held layers of experience.
- Superbill
- An itemized receipt with the diagnosis code, procedure code, dates of service, and provider details that you can submit to your insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Family Matters of Marin generates superbills on request.
T
- Telehealth
- Therapy conducted over secure video instead of in person. Telehealth makes therapy more accessible for clients with busy schedules, mobility limitations, or those located anywhere in California (for California-licensed therapists).
- Trauma-Informed Care
- An approach to therapy and other care that recognizes how widespread trauma is and how it affects the brain, body, and relationships. Trauma-informed care prioritizes safety, choice, and empowerment throughout treatment.
W
- Window of Tolerance
- The zone of nervous-system arousal in which you can think clearly, feel emotions, and engage with life without becoming overwhelmed (hyperarousal) or shutting down (hypoarousal). Therapy often focuses on widening this window over time.
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