APA Dictionary of Psychology

therapy that is provided after the initial (primary) form of treatment and that is intended to enhance effectiveness or to increase the chances of a cure. Adjuvant therapy typically refers to medical treatment, particularly any drug therapy used in support of nondrug interventions. For example, in the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation are often used as adjuvant therapies after the primary intervention of surgery. The term is sometimes used in psychotherapy as a synonym for the preferred adjunctive therapy.