Yalom Reader

by Irvin D. Yalom

In both his nonfiction and his fiction, Yalom uses the lens of psychotherapy to explore human nature and shows us that the line between the true and the imagined is not always easy to distinguish. What has driven Dr. Yalom from the beginning of his career is a powerful interest in narrative and it is this passion that ties these selections together. It is possible to come to The Yalom Reader from many different perspectives and be richly rewarded. Readers of Dr. Yalom's clinical texts will be intrigued by the fictional entries; general readers will gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for the practice of psychotherapy. All will find the mark of a master. Dr. Yalom has written an introductory essay for the Reader, section introductions and three new essays on narrative.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Counselling

529 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 1998

About the author

Irvin David Yalom, M.D., is an author of fiction and nonfiction, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University, an existentialist, and accomplished psychotherapist.

Born in a Jewish family in Washington DC in 1931, he grew up in a poor ethnic area. Avoiding the perils of his neighborhood, he spent most of his childhood indoors, reading books. After graduating with a BA from George Washington University in 1952 and as a Doctor of Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine in 1956 he went on to complete his internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and his residency at the Phipps Clinic of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and completed his training in 1960. After two years of Army service at Tripler General Hospital in Honolulu, Yalom began his academic career at Stanford University. He was appointed to the faculty in 1963 and then promoted over the next several years and granted tenure in 1968. Soon after this period he made some of his most lasting contributions by teaching about group psychotherapy and developing his model of existential psychotherapy.

In addition to his scholarly, non-fiction writing, Yalom has produced a number of novels and also experimented with writing techniques. In Everyday Gets a Little Closer Yalom invited a patient to co-write about the experience of therapy. The book has two distinct voices which are looking at the same experience in alternating sections. Yalom's works have been used as collegiate textbooks and standard reading for psychology students. His new and unique view of the patient/client relationship has been added to curriculum in Psychology programs at such schools as John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.

The American Psychiatric Association awarded Irvin Yalom the 2000 Oskar Pfister Award (for important contributions to religion and psychiatry).

Yalom has continued to maintain a part-time private practice and has authoried a number of video documentaries on theapeutic techniques. Yalom is also featured in the 2003 documentary Flight From Death, a film that investigates the relationship of human violence to fear of death, as related to subconscious influences.

source: Colibri Bookstore

Reviews

[Fatemeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

خوشم میاد از چیزایی که برام ٱشناست مثال می‌زنه تا درباره‌ی اضطرابی که دارم حرف بزنه. :)))


کلا هم ایده‌ی باز نگری در آثار و نوشتن کتاب جالب بود.

[Abbas Madani · Rating 4 out of 5]

یالوم در این کتاب بازنگری ای به نوشته های چندین کتاب اصلی خود کرده است.بنظر من این کار بسیار جالب است هم نوشته فراموش نمیشود و میتواند در این بازنگری در تجدید چاپش ان را کامل تر و بی عیب تر کند و هم به نحوه تلاش و کوشش برای نوشتن کتاب ها پرداخته .درست مثل نشان دادن پشت صحنه فیلم ها.و از این طریق به خوانندگان علاقه مند به نویسندگی اموزش میدهد که چگونه میتوان یک موضوع ،و یا فکر و یا الهام و یا فرضیه و .... را انقدر پرورش داد که یک کتاب شود.بنظر میرسد همانطور که خود نویسنده بارها در نوشته هایش بان اشاره کرده این یکی از استعداد های ذاتی او بوده.مانند انچه در اولین روز تخصصش برای ارایه شرح حال یک بیمار بصورت داستان انجام داد و مورد توجه قرار گرفت.همه ما در طول زندگی فکر و یا ایده و یا فرضیه های زیادی در درونمان بروز میکند که نداشتن این مهارت مانع نوشتن مطلب و کتاب راجع ان میشود و وقتی همین ایده را در کتاب نویسنده ای میخوانیم حسرت میخوریم که چرا من ننوشتم.در هر حال دقت به رویکرد او در پرورش یک فکر و ایده ت مرحله طبع و نشر برای علاقه مندان بنویسندگی بسیار در خور توجه است

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this five stars because this book made me want to read everything that he has written fiction and non-fiction. I think he must be an awesome therapist. I'd love to attend one of his (now) infrequent lectures or just meet him to chat.

[Azraa]

-فهمیدن آنچه نیستیم، پله ای است برای رسیدن به اینکه چه هستیم.
-(از مزایا و معایب گروه درمانی میگه): برای برخی از بیماران اهمیت دارد که در معرض حمله قرار گیرند. همانطور وه جی. فرانک توصیه میکند، در این فرایند فرد بهتر میتواند دلایلی برای موضع خودش به دست آورد و یاد بگیرد که در مقابل فشار دیگران تاب بیاورد.
-فرد زمانی به سلامت ذهنی میرسد که از روابط میان فردی خود، آگاه باشد. شفای روانی یعنی اینکه خود به چنان جایی برسد که رفتار بیمار با خودش و دیگران کاملا شبیه به هم باشد.

[Mohadese Shahsvnd · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب خلاصه و مروری ساخت‌یافته بر کتاب‌های قبلی یالومه؛ که شامل مطالب گروه‌درمانی، اگزیستانسیال و رمان‌ها میشه.
یادآوری و دوباره خواندن همه‌ی اون جملات جادویی حس خیلی خوبی بود. در بخش رمان‌ها البته فقط به «وقتی نیچه گریست» و «دروغگویی روی مبل» پرداخته میشه.

[Paul Finch · Rating 3 out of 5]

After encouragement from friends, Rocky Cole, and Renee Obrien, I finally picked this book of Dr. Irvin Yalom to read first. I had read his books on group therapy and inpatient group therapy back in the early 1980s while in my training as a therapist, looked at his book on existential psychotherapy, but never read it. And although I saw over the years his collections of stories of patients and even novels, it took my friends encouragement to get me interested enough to begin reading his work. I chose the Yalom Reader because it has selections from alot of his works, to get an overview of what would be of interest to me. So I did get to read from his fictional novels, stories about patients, his textbook on existential therapy, and even review his work on group therapy (and therapy in general). So it was my introduction to his work as a writer. Now I did like his "literary" writings much better than his "textbook" teaching writings. I think he, like alot of existentialists, could benefit not from more therapy, but from reading Colin Wilson's take on existentialism, or some of the positive psychology literature as a balance to their focus on dark side of humans--anxiety, psychopathology interpreted classically or existentially, etc. So now I have ordered his other "literary" writings and look forward to the tales. The intros to these were easy reads, the textbook-y parts were chores--though nice reviews I kept wishing I'd be done. Don't know why these parts were so many pages and the tales were so short and quick. Anyway... I like Dr. Yalom just as I liked his group teachings when I was a young therapist in training 25 years ago. Thanks, and thanks Rocky and Renee for getting me to finally get to it.

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich hatte von diesem Buch etwas anderes erwartet, ich dachte es geht um das Zusammenspiel von Psychologie und Literatur, um die Einflüsse der psychischen Verfassung von Autoren auf ihre Werke. Doch was das angeht wird nur im ersten Abschnitt an der Oberfläche gekratzt. Ansonsten geht es um den Autor und seine eigene Arbeit und wie er sie zum Schreiben genutzt hat. Da ich bisher noch nie etwas von ihm gelesen habe, hatte ich dazu aber keinerlei Bezug und war eher enttäuscht.

[Keyvan]

خوبه هم برای کسایی که متخصص هستن هم برای کسایی که کتابا های یالوم رو نخوندن تنها نکته منفیش اینه ک میاد کتاب دیگشو نصفه نیمه تکرار میکنه باعث میشه دیگه سمت کتابش نری و باخودت بگی من دیگه فهمیدم مثلا فلان کتابش موضوعش چیه

[Thomas Widrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich hatte schon längere Zeit damit geliebäugelt, etwas von Irvin D. Yalom zu lesen, nachdem ich in einer Buchhandlung kurz in „Das Spinozaproblem“ geschmökert hatte. „Was Hemingway von Freud hätte lernen kennen“ bietet einen guten Einstieg in Yaloms Werk. Es gibt Aufschluss über Yaloms Intellektuelle Biographie, seinen Versuch, psychotherapeutische und literarische Einsichten und Methode zu verbinden und enthält Auszüge aus seinen wichtigsten Werken. Keine Minute Langeweile!

[Justin M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating anthology of Yalom’s work and writing. Through this book I grew to appreciate group therapy as an equally valid option rather than as an addition to individual therapy.

I also learned a lot about existential psychotherapy. Something which I don’t entirely agree on the tenants of, but that I find useful in parts.

Finally, I had no idea he wrote fiction as well. Some of them were interesting and might make me read more, others were dreary and not in my area of interest.

[Enes Subaşı · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great selection of works from irvin d. yalom, who specializes in group therapy and existential psychotherapy. the book provides a great insight into his inner path during sessions and his journey as an author and made me want to read more of his work

[Jasper Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know how interested in this book you will be if you aren’t studying therapy, but if you are, it’s a must read!

[Mahsa Mohammadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

ه کتاب عالی برای درمانگران. دکتر یالوم تجربیات چندین ساله خودشون را در قالب کتاب با ما به اشتراک می گذارد.
https://taaghche.com/book/32969/%DB%8...

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as it gets, therapeutically and clinically that is

[Kaya Prpic · Rating 5 out of 5]

a journey rich in both theory and imagination ... with many stops for reflection

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

as per usual a great insight into the world's most famous psychotherapist

[Copenhagen Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT does what it says - expert and very readable book from a master psychotherapist.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

More textbook than his other stuff but still found some nuggets.

[Jen Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Yalom, what an extraordinary therapist. Great insight to group process work