Is Everyone a Therapist Now? – ESL Lesson Plan

Have you ever called someone a “narcissist” after a bad date? Told a friend they were “trauma dumping” when they shared too much? If so, you’re not alone – and this lesson is for you.

Therapy speak has taken over everyday conversation. Words like gaslighting, boundaries, triggered, and OCD are everywhere – on TikTok, in arguments, and at the dinner table. But what happens when clinical language leaves the therapist’s office and enters our relationships? According to experts, it can do more harm than good.

This engaging, ready-to-use lesson plan explores the rise of therapy speak and its impact on communication. Inspired by an article from Cleveland Clinic (my.clevelandclinic.org), the lesson helps students think critically about when psychological language helps – and when it hurts.

Students will:

• Develop reading comprehension skills by analyzing a paraphrased article about therapy speak and its impact on everyday communication
• Expand vocabulary with essential psychology-related terms such as attachment, capacity, defensive, self-care, lightly, support group, diagnose, and mindful
• Practice speaking and discussion skills through structured questions at every stage – from lead-in to post-reading to vocabulary-based personal response
• Understand and practice the grammar of may and might for expressing possibility, giving tentative advice, and softening opinions
• Develop media literacy and presentation skills through an optional extension activity in which students find, evaluate, and rewrite real examples of therapy speak from social media platforms

This lesson gives students the language they need to talk about mental health in a thoughtful and responsible way. By the end, they will not only know what gaslighting, boundaries, and trauma dumping really mean – they will also understand when to use these words and when to keep them in the therapist’s office.