I’m convinced that nobody except therapists likes «therapy speak.» If you don’t know what therapy speak is, maybe this will refresh your memory.

«Hey! I’m so glad you reached out. I’m actually at capacity / helping someone else who’s in crisis / dealing with some personal stuff right now, and I don’t think I can hold appropriate space for you. Could we connect [later date or time] instead / Do you have someone else you could reach out to?»

There are several elements that make up therapy speak. One of them is an unusual formality. I don’t know about y’all, but I don’t text my friends like this. I would probably only send a message with this level of formality if I wanted them to never speak to me again. Another is a cavalier attitude. If I got this message, I’d assume that my friend didn’t care about me at all. One of the most egregious recent examples of therapy speak went viral this week, and it is a doozy.