Q

• qi. In Chinese medicine, the healing energy that flows through pathways in
the body called meridians. (Also called “chi.”)

R
• rapport. The development between two people in a relationship
of special feelings based on mutual acceptance, warmth,
friendliness, common interest, a sense of trust, and a non-
judgmental attitude.

• rationalization. Attempting to make excuses or

formulate logical reasons to justify unacceptable feelings or
behaviours.

• reaction formation. Preventing unacceptable or undesirable thoughts or behaviours from being

expressed by exaggerating opposite thoughts or types of behaviours.

• reciprocal inhibition. Also called counterconditioning, this technique serves to decrease or eliminate a
behaviour by introducing a more adaptive behaviour, but one that is incompatible with the unacceptable
behaviour (e.g., introducing relaxation techniques to an anxious person; relaxation and anxiety are
incompatible behaviours).

• reframing. Changing the conceptual or emotional

setting or viewpoint in relation to which a situation is
experienced and placing it in another frame that fits the “facts”
of the same concrete situation equally well or even better, and
thereby changing its entire meaning. The behaviour may not
actually change, but the consequences of the behaviour may
change because of a change in the meaning attached to the
behavior.

• regression. A retreat to an earlier level of development and the comfort measures associated with that
level of functioning.

;;;;
 • religiosity. Excessive demonstration of or obsession with
religious ideas and behavior; common in schizophrenia.

• reminiscence therapy. A process of life review by elderly individuals that promotes self-esteem and
provides assistance in working through unresolved conflicts from the past.

• repression. The involuntary blocking of unpleasant feelings and experiences from one’s awareness.

• residual stimuli. Certain beliefs, attitudes, experiences, or traits that may contribute to an individual’s
low self-esteem.

• rigid boundaries. A person with rigid boundaries is “closed” and difficult to bond with. Such a person
has a narrow perspective on life, sees things one way, and cannot discuss matters that lie outside his or
her perspective.

• ritualistic behavior. Purposeless activities that an individual performs repeatedly in an effort to decrease
anxiety (e.g., handwashing); common in obsessive compulsive disorder.

S
• schemas (core beliefs). Cognitive structures that consist of the individual’s fundamental beliefs and
assumptions, which develop early in life from personal experiences and identification with significant
others. These concepts are reinforced by further learning experiences and in turn, influence the formation
of other beliefs, values, and attitudes.

• schizoid personality disorder. A profound defect in the ability to form personal relationships or to
respond to others in any meaningful, emotional way.

• selective abstraction (sometimes referred to as mental filter).A type of thinking in which a conclusion
is drawn based on only a selected portion of the evidence.

• self-concept. The composite of beliefs and feelings that one holds about oneself at a given time, formed
from perceptions of others’ reactions. The self-concept consists of the physical self, or body image; the
personal self or identity; and the self-esteem.

• self-esteem. The degree of regard or respect that individuals have for themselves. It is a measure of
worth that they place on their abilities and judgments.
• self-expectancy. The component of the personal identity thatis the individual’s perception of what he or
she wants to be, to do, or to become.

• senile. Pertaining to old age and the mental or physical weakness with which it is sometimes associated.
In senile-onset dementia, the first symptoms appear after age 65.

• seroconversion. The development of evidence of antibody response to a disease or vaccine. The time at
which antibodies may be detected in the blood.

• sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). A clinical forensic registered nurse who has received
specialized training to provide care to the sexual assault victim.

• silent rape reaction. The response of a rape victim in which he or she tells no one about the assault.

• slander. An action with which an individual may be charged for orally sharing information that is
detrimental to a person’s reputation.

• Socratic questioning (also called guided discovery). When the therapist questions the client with
Socratic questioning, the client is asked to describe feelings associated with specific situations.
Questions are stated in a way that may stimulate in the client a recognition of possible dysfunctional
thinking and produce a dissonance about the validity of the thoughts.

• somatization. A method of coping with psychosocial stress by developing physical symptoms.

• splitting. A primitive ego defence mechanism in which the person is unable to integrate and accept both
positive and negative feelings. In their view, people—including themselves— and life situations are
either all good or all bad. This trait is common in borderline personality disorder.

• statutory rape. Unlawful intercourse between a person who is over the age of consent and a person who
is under the age of consent. Legal age of consent varies from state to state. An individual can be arrested
for statutory rape even when the interaction has occurred between consenting individuals.

• stereotyping. The process of classifying all individuals from the same culture or ethnic group as
identical.

• stimulus generalization. The process by which a conditioned response is elicited from all stimuli
similar to the one from which the response was learned.

• storefront clinic. Establishments that have been converted into clinics that serve the homeless
population.

• sublimation. The rechannelling of personally and/or socially unacceptable drives or impulses into
activities that are more tolerable and constructive.

• subluxation. The term used in chiropractic medicine to describe vertebrae in the spinal column that have
become
displaced, possibly pressing on nerves and interfering with normal nerve transmission.

• substance abuse. Use of psychoactive drugs that poses significant hazards to health and interferes with
social, occupational, psychological, or physical functioning.

• sundowning. A phenomenon in dementia in which the symptoms seem to worsen in the late afternoon
and evening.
• sympathy. The actual sharing of another’s thoughts and behaviors. Differs from empathy, in that with
empathy one experiences an objective understanding of what another is feeling, rather than actually
sharing those feelings.