n. slang for a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional who conducts psychotherapy. It is short for headshrinker, an allusion to the practice of headshrinking.
A shrink is the term that is generally used to describe a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a M.D. who has gone on for several more years of training in psychiatry. A therapist is someone who provides psychotherapy. They can be a PhD level psychologist or a masters trained therapist such as a LPC, LMSW, or LCSW.
The word “shrink” has long been a common way of referring to psychotherapists, including both psychiatrists and psychologists. However, the origin of this slang term springs from a completely different treatment of the human head.
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