What is this lesson about?
This advanced therapy ESL lesson plan explores whether the rapid growth of therapy represents essential mental health support or commercial exploitation. Students learn high-level vocabulary (e.g. therapeutic alliance, commercial exploitation, overdiagnosis, self-help industry) and debate whether therapy should be seen as a universal right, a personal choice, or a consumer product.
 
How do students learn the new language?
Learners progress through a structured, discussion-first sequence:
Warm-up with a thought-provoking quote from William James.
A challenging reading text on therapy’s rise in popularity.
Comprehension and critical thinking questions.
Vocabulary matching and gap-fill tasks with advanced collocations.
Debate expressions grouped by function (hedging, challenging assumptions, weighing trade-offs).
Structured debate rounds exploring both sides of the issue.
Reflection and an opinion blog task.
 
Why is this lesson useful?
By the end, students can:
Debate the role of therapy with nuance and precision.
Use advanced collocations and debate expressions fluently.
Weigh evidence, challenge assumptions, and present counterarguments.
Write persuasively on abstract issues related to psychology, health, and commerce.
 
What makes this lesson special?
This therapy ESL lesson plan combines psychology, wellbeing, and ethics into a high-level debate. It encourages students to think critically while developing advanced fluency. Flexible for online or classroom teaching, it sparks meaningful, real-world discussions.
 
Who is it for?
Ideal for adult learners at C1–C2 who want to refine their debating skills and explore psychology and wellbeing topics in English. Perfect for teachers seeking advanced, thought-provoking materials that combine mental health and language learning.