| Term | Definition / Meaning / Stand for |
| AAI |
Adult Attachment Interview |
| AAMFT |
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy |
| ABA |
Applied Behavior Analysis |
| ABCT |
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies |
| ACE |
Acknowledging, Clarifying, Expressing (conflict resolution technique) |
| ACE |
Authentic Connection Experience |
| ACT |
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy |
| ACoA |
Adult Children of Alcoholics |
| ADHD |
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder |
| AEP |
Affection Exchange Principle |
| AITA |
Am I The Asshole? (often used in online relationship discussions) |
| AMC |
Assertive Marriage Communication |
| AMD |
Assertive Mindful Dating |
| AMI |
Acute Mental Illness |
| AOE |
Area of Emotional Support |
| AOP |
Anti-Oppressive Practice |
| APA |
American Psychological Association (also relevant to relationship studies) |
| APA |
American Psychological Association |
| APD |
Antisocial Personality Disorder |
| APP |
Applied Positive Psychology |
| APS |
Association for Psychological Science |
| AQ |
Attachment Quotient |
| AR |
Attachment-Related (e.g., AR anxiety) |
| ASD |
Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| ASEBA |
Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment |
| ASMR |
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response |
| ASSIST |
Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test |
| AT |
Attachment Theory |
| ATP |
Attachment Theory Principles |
| AUC |
Attuned Understanding and Connection |
| AV |
Attachment Vulnerability |
| AVPD |
Avoidant Personality Disorder |
| BAI |
Beck Anxiety Inventory |
| BAP |
Broad Autism Phenotype |
| BAS |
Behavioral Activation System |
| BAT |
Brief Acceptance Therapy |
| BCT |
Behavioral Couple Therapy |
| BDD |
Body Dysmorphic Disorder |
| BED |
Binge Eating Disorder |
| BFM |
Behavioral Family Model |
| BGT |
Brief Group Therapy |
| BME |
Behavioral Measurement Evaluation |
| BNE |
Biopsychosocial Neuroendocrinology |
| BPRS |
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale |
| BPSR |
Biopsychosocial Risk |
| BRQ |
Behavioral Response Quotient |
| BTT |
Behavioral Trauma Therapy |
| BWP |
Burnout Work Psychology |
| C-PTSD |
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder |
| CAT |
Cognitive Analytic Therapy |
| CBI |
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention |
| CBT-I |
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia |
| CD |
Conduct Disorder |
| CFT |
Compassion-Focused Therapy |
| CID |
Clinical Identity Disorder |
| CMH |
Community Mental Health |
| CND |
Cognitive Neuroscience of Development |
| CPA |
Child Psychological Abuse |
| CR |
Conditioned Response |
| CRH |
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (stress-related) |
| CSA |
Childhood Sexual Abuse |
| DAAT |
Dynamic Attachment Adaptation Therapy |
| DBE |
Developmental Behavioral Education |
| DCF |
Department of Child and Family |
| DEC |
Dual Emotion Conflict |
| DMDD |
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder |
| DPDR |
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder |
| DR |
Delayed Reinforcement |
| DSE |
Developmental Social Environment |
| DSM-5 |
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition |