Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson What’s The Problem With Therapy Speak? August Mailbag
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Aug 10, 2026 They unpack how clinical terms like boundaries, triggers, and trauma have spread into everyday talk and the risks when jargon gains authority. They debate labels and who gets believed. An introvert’s contentment vs social pressure is discussed. A couple explores moving from scorekeeping to generosity in household fairness. Career-change fears about becoming a therapist are examined.
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Triggers Are For Expansion Not Avoidance
- In therapy triggers are used to expand coping capacity via graded exposure, not to justify lifelong avoidance.
- Forrest contrasts clinical exposure-response work with cultural framing of triggers as reasons to dodge uncomfortable experiences indefinitely.
Boundaries Can Be Weaponized Into Control
- Boundaries have been culturalized and sometimes weaponized into a tool for control rather than mutual well-being.
- Forrest cites a public example where intense boundary language was used to manipulate a partner, sparking broader critique.
Therapy Language And Epistemic Injustice
- Epistemic injustice explains why therapy language can both empower and exclude groups based on who gets credibility.
- Rick explains that naming things like PTSD or sexual assault gave marginalized people language and credibility they lacked before.
