Table Of Contents
Irvin Yalom “The Gift of Therapy” – A Book Review
Throughout his career, Irvin Yalom has inspired mental health and medical professionals across the globe. His writing spans over 5 decades of work as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in the United States.
In that time came a breadth of professional and personal experience that he has lent to us all through many forms of media. Most notably, Irvin Yalom’s favorite is writing.
In particular, his book “The Gift of Therapy-An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients” is one of many works where he offers his insights on mental health practice. This book is primarily for new therapists. It does, however, apply to all levels of practice.
Having read this book at the beginning of my own practice a few years ago, I felt it was necessary for this to be my first book review, as well! In this article I will discuss a brief history of Irvin Yalom, his approach, the book’s outline and content, and finally my opinions on his writing.
Reading the book was as much fun as digesting its content and writing about it, so I hope you enjoy this article!
Irvin Yalom, MD
A Brief History of Irvin Yalom
Irvin Yalom, MD is a psychiatrist, professor emeritus of Stanford University, highly accomplished author, and psychotherapist. Primarily, Irvin Yalom is known for his existential approach. He also is known as a leader in the modality of group psychotherapy.
He decided from a very young age to go into psychiatry. This was before he made it to medical school! I think this is why I identify with him so much.
Like Irvin Yalom, I was a young student who already knew what I wanted out of school.
As a psychotherapist, Irvin Yalom promotes a sense of wonderment with his patients. He writes about this in “The Gift of Therapy”. Many of my practices, along with what I tell my students, are based on this approach. How can we be curious together?
Also from a young age, Irvin Yalom knew he wanted to write-both fictional and non-fictional. “The Gift of Therapy” is a non-fictional book focusing on how to get started as a therapist in practice.
Many of his early works were scientific articles. Mainly, Irvin Yalom focused on writing works to train therapists in his group psychotherapy approach. This would prove to be successful, as group psychotherapy is a highly used form of therapy these days!
From scientific works to fictional works, Irvin Yalom has a rich body of literary work that has slated his place in the world of psychotherapy.
These days, Irvin Yalom is retired from teaching and practicing (to my knowledge). His inspiration and legacy lives on in the many therapists who continue to further his work in group psychotherapy and existential psychotherapy. I cannot wait to tell you the effect he and his work has had on me!
The Existential Approach
Before I get into the book, I want to take a minute to explain existentialism in psychotherapy. Irvin Yalom’s primary mode of psychotherapy is existentialism. This means he focuses a lot on getting his patients comfortable with the idea of talking about death.
As a universal truth, making sense of our life happens in the space it occupies before we die.
Essentially, existentialism is a radical form of psychotherapy where we learn to practice acceptance and gratitude for the life we have while we accept that in the grand scheme of things, we aren’t here forever.
My take on the subject is to be at one with the universe, any deity you believe in, others, nature, or any large-scale belief system you hold. There’s a consistent part of us that needs to “fit in”, and existentialism is a great way for us to find meaning in where we as people fit.
Learning about yourself and where you fit can allow you to navigate life’s mysteries and hardships with grace. This is a core tenant of my own practice with adults–learning who you are and giving yourself the space to be the best version of yourself while you are here.
We embrace the idea that we are not here forever. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is effective for most people. Here is more on existentialism as a psychotherapy approach.
Okay, let’s talk about the book!
My Gift of Therapy Review
Irvin Yalom’s Gift of Therapy Outline
The outline of “The Gift of Therapy” is unique in that it is a collection of short and long chapters that discuss 1 topical idea, then moves to another in the next chapter. There is not a particular order that the chapters are organized, per Irvin Yalom’s own words. Instead, he has taken the approach to simply share his thoughts and organize them in a way that is easy to follow.
Because of this organization of chapters the book can be read in all sorts of ways. Of course, you can read it cover to cover. What I would recommend is to look at the chapters beforehand, mark the ones you may find useful, and start there.
I found Irvin Yalom’s take on using the therapy session as a “microcosm” of the patient’s real world experience.
Using the dynamics of the patient’s interactions in therapy we can draw clearer conclusions as to how they interact naturally in their environment.
This has some caveats, of course. Patient’s often times are not in highly controlled environments when they experience their problems in real life. However, we can use certain reactions and instances in therapy to bring potential patterns to light.
Promoting this introspection in the moment is a powerful way for patients to gain some autonomy over how they react to their environment. This and other bits of info Irvin Yalom offers are major contributors to his treatment approach throughout the book.
If you are like me and didn’t start reading much until after you got into practice, this will save you time. Each chapter, no matter the length, is full of incredible knowledge and insight. So be sure to read it in a way that is digestible for you.
My Opinion
As for my own opinion, I really like this book! This was the first book I read when I started as a clinician. It was actually my own therapist who recommended it to me, and I am so glad she did.
Being able to read a few chapters and come back to it as needed was perfect for my integrating it into my practice early on. Especially for somebody like me with a beautifully scattered ADHD brain, this was exactly what I needed.
I was able to read a little, digest it, practice it, then come back and read more. The whole book, even at this slower pace, took me maybe 3-4 months to get through. So it really isn’t too much of a read.
Irvin Yalom’s writing is nothing short of spectacular. His language is highly palatable and easy to understand. I love writers who can “write as they speak”. Irvin Yalom absolutely falls into this category.
Therapeutic Content
Irvin Yalom’s primary reason for writing this book was as an “open letter” to new therapists. After all, it is in the title! As such, his message is meant to make contemporary psychotherapy practice more robust with his insights.
There’s great advice overall on what therapy should be for patients, how we as the therapists fit into that role using an existential lens. Like I said before, comfortability talking about death is a core component of Irvin Yalom’s approach.
My own professional take on this is that existentialism is great for a maintenance phase of ongoing therapy. Often times when we start therapy, we are in a crisis. Or perhaps there is a major life event that needs processing.
Regardless the reason of your search for therapy, the general outline tends to start with current symptoms, relay to past experiences for processing, then closure and maintenance.
If you have been in your own long-term therapy you understand how it can change from directive and medical to fluid and philosophical. This is the space Irvin Yalom speaks to in “The Gift of Therapy”. How do we grapple with our being and limitations for the remainder of our lives?
Pondering large questions like this are effective in pulling us out of the moment and into the bigger picture. This is why many people are attracted to ideas of the universe, religion, connection with others, nature, meditation, or any other medium of spirituality. Sometimes feeling small is important.
Conclusion
Reading this book has helped me use these concepts dynamically in therapy with my own patients. He has been a major role model for me in my own clinical practice from day one.
I have yet to have a negative experience using Irvin Yalom’s approaches. Hopefully that counts for something! As with anything in therapy, a proper amount of prep work is needed before diving into the deep end that is your patients’ unconscious.
This book is a must read for the beginning clinician in school, in pre-licensure, or in advanced practice.
It works for any level of practitioner and can be applied at any point in practice.
Even if you are skeptical of the existential lens of Irvin Yalom, check the book out! Perhaps it may cause you to think about the way you practice. Maybe there is something that you have wanted to change and haven’t been able to quite put your finger on it.
“The Gift of Therapy” may have an answer hidden in there for you! After all, it is written in a way that makes these ideas incredibly easy to find.
Irvin Yalom and his book influenced me so much that I decided to write a book in similar format specifically for students transitioning into practice. The outline will be essentially the same as “The Gift of Therapy”. However the content will be slightly different.
I focus primarily on telling young clinical students and professionals what to expect in their first year of practice and how to handle it. I have been working on it since I graduated in 2019! Stay tuned for that announcement in the upcoming years!
If You’d Like To Support Me And Dr. Yalom, Feel Free To Click On The Book To Buy This Wonderful Book!
