mental healing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-mediumFormal, technical, historical, sometimes New Age/spiritual contexts.
Quick answer
What does “mental healing” mean?
The process or practice of restoring or improving psychological and emotional well-being.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The process or practice of restoring or improving psychological and emotional well-being.
Refers broadly to therapeutic methods aimed at treating mental distress, disorders, or trauma. Historically also associated with spiritual or faith-based approaches to psychological wellness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is similar, though the term appears slightly more often in historical or alternative therapy contexts in the UK. In the US, it is strongly associated with the 19th-century New Thought movement.
Connotations
In both varieties, it can sound somewhat dated or niche outside of specific historical or complementary medicine discussions.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects; 'therapy', 'counselling', or 'psychotherapy' are far more common contemporary terms.
Grammar
How to Use “mental healing” in a Sentence
[Subject] practises mental healing.[Subject] is a form of mental healing.[Subject] underwent mental healing for [ailment].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mental healing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A. The term is a noun phrase. One can 'heal mentally'.
American English
- N/A. The term is a noun phrase. One can 'engage in mental healing'.
adverb
British English
- N/A. No direct adverbial form. 'Therapeutically' or 'healingly' might be used in context.
American English
- N/A. No direct adverbial form. One might say 'in a mentally healing way'.
adjective
British English
- She attended a mental-healing retreat in the countryside.
- His approach was rooted in mental-healing principles.
American English
- The clinic offered mental-healing services alongside medical care.
- It was a profound mental-healing experience.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in wellbeing or HR contexts: 'The company promotes workshops focused on mental healing.'
Academic
Used in historical, religious studies, or alternative medicine papers discussing non-clinical therapeutic traditions.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual conversation. Someone might say, 'After the accident, she focused on her mental healing.'
Technical
Used in specific discourses of complementary medicine, pastoral care, or history of psychology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mental healing”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mental healing”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mental healing”
- Using it as a verb (*'to mental heal'). Correct: 'to practise mental healing' or 'to heal mentally'.
- Confusing it with 'mental health', which is a state, not a process.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine focused on diagnosing and treating mental disorders, often with medication. Mental healing is a broader, often non-clinical term for processes that restore psychological well-being.
It is not a standard term in contemporary clinical psychology or neuroscience. It is more appropriate in historical, anthropological, or complementary medicine contexts.
'Therapy' is a much broader, more neutral, and modern term encompassing all forms of psychological treatment. 'Mental healing' often implies a specific, sometimes holistic or faith-based, approach to recovery.
It is grammatically possible but very rare and sounds dated or niche. Terms like 'therapist', 'counsellor', or 'healer' (in alternative contexts) are more common.
The process or practice of restoring or improving psychological and emotional well-being.
Mental healing is usually formal, technical, historical, sometimes new age/spiritual contexts. in register.
Mental healing: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmen.təl ˈhiː.lɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmen.t̬əl ˈhiː.lɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Healing of the mind”
- “A balm for the mind”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MENTAL focuses on the mind, HEALING fixes what's broken. Combined, they mean 'fixing the mind.'
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A BODY (that can be wounded and healed).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'mental healing' MOST likely to be used?