therapist

Everyday

1. A therapist is a trained person who helps people get better from illness, injury or problems, often by treatment that is not drugs or surgery. tree →
2. A therapist often means someone who helps with feelings and thoughts by talking, like a counsellor or psychologist. tree →
3. Many therapists have a special kind: speech therapist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, play therapist. tree →

In the lessons

In school and everyday life, children may see a speech therapist for talking and sounds, a physiotherapist after an injury, an occupational therapist for handwriting or daily skills, or a play therapist or counsellor for worries and big feelings. In PSHE lessons, pupils learn that seeing a therapist is normal and brave, like going to a doctor. Phrases: «speech therapist», «see a therapist», «family therapist».

Examples

• I see a speech therapist on Tuesdays to practise my «r» sounds. tree →
• The therapist helped Dad walk again after his accident. tree →
• Talking to a therapist helped her with her worries. tree →
• My cousin's occupational therapist gave him a special pencil grip. tree →
• The play therapist used toys to help the boy talk about his feelings. tree →
• There is nothing embarrassing about seeing a therapist. tree →

Note

Countable. Related: «therapy». Trap: read it as «thera-pist», not «the rapist» — a well-known joke about word breaks.