BEANTWORTEN SIE FRAGEN - English

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The expression shrink for a psychotherapist has a positive or a negative connotation?

What are further expressions?


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BEANTWORTEN SIE FRAGEN

AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgJanuary 2021
”shrink” for a psychologist / psychiatrist is generally negative in its connotations.

It originated sometime in the 1950s and generally gets used in American English, although I’ve heard it in British and Australian English occasionally, but more rarely.
  • will_stewa profile picture will_stewaMay 2021
    It is from ”Head shrinker” From an old 1950s comedy routine about Hollywood celebrities needing their heads shrunk”
nmesomtoChukwu profile picture nmesomtoChukwuJanuary 2021

"The word shrink is slang for psychiatrist or psychologist." Nonetheless, a shrink could also connote endearment as it "suggests that the psychologist or psychiatrist is doing his/her job by shrinking a person's problems." 

 

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adiii_2022 profile picture adiii_2022August 2022
negative I think!