Catharsis is a term psychiatrists and psychoanalysts use to describe the way in which psychotherapy helps a person release pent-up emotions. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle used the word, which means purging or cleaning out, to describe the emotional effect of tragedy on a spectator. In psychotherapy, the therapist brings about catharsis by encouraging the patient to recall memories of painful or traumatic (shocking) events. The therapist helps the patient to become aware of unconscious wishes and fears and thus to accept or release the emotions associated with them.
