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emersonmoore03's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
jziobro17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
cat_book_lady's review against another edition
5.0
5***
Don’t mistake this stellar rating for me actually liking Irvin Yalom as a person, even though he is a highly respected, renowned, and somewhat brilliant psychotherapist, especially THE pioneer for group therapy, but he is also arrogant and thoroughly self-absorbed. I was both fascinated and appalled at his 10 selected stories, not because of their content (though they will absolutely hold your interest), but because he was so brutally honest about his own personal thoughts. He constantly battled countertransference - when the therapist is triggered by their own personal prejudices and experiences that can negatively affect sessions - and yet his biases were just sometimes downright cruel and frankly disgusting. I suppose he knocked his own self off the veritable pedestal I placed him on, and while he is still brilliant with incredible insight and skill, he was definitely brought down a few pegs in the pages of my own skewed book. He made me laugh, he made me angry, he made me respect him, and he made me revile him - hence, that kind of effect on me as a reader (and counselor) 5***.
Still, watching the therapeutic process was deeply fascinating, and this is one of the few books where you get to see the cases from both the client and the counselor’s perspective. That alone is worth the read. I don’t always go for the whole Freudian stuff (and yes, Yalom loves to analyze dreams!), but he is also highly existential by helping his clients look for the meaning of life through examining their fear of death. This book is amazing in this respect, and Yalom’s techniques were highly effective. Watching the master in action was thrilling and yet disturbing at the same time.
Essentially, this book takes the mystery out of therapy, and really does show the work of a master, and yet he loves, loves, LOVES his own spotlight and reputation, which is probably why he was able to get away with thinking/saying quite a few very inappropriate statements because his reputation at that point of his career was beyond reproach. I suppose, in some weird way, that it was refreshing to know that, while professional in the office, Yalom was simply a man fighting his own personal crap, and you can’t help but analyze the therapist for his own failings, and yet still admire him as a man par excellence. It is that tension that will keep you reading with morbid fascination to the very last page.
Don’t mistake this stellar rating for me actually liking Irvin Yalom as a person, even though he is a highly respected, renowned, and somewhat brilliant psychotherapist, especially THE pioneer for group therapy, but he is also arrogant and thoroughly self-absorbed. I was both fascinated and appalled at his 10 selected stories, not because of their content (though they will absolutely hold your interest), but because he was so brutally honest about his own personal thoughts. He constantly battled countertransference - when the therapist is triggered by their own personal prejudices and experiences that can negatively affect sessions - and yet his biases were just sometimes downright cruel and frankly disgusting. I suppose he knocked his own self off the veritable pedestal I placed him on, and while he is still brilliant with incredible insight and skill, he was definitely brought down a few pegs in the pages of my own skewed book. He made me laugh, he made me angry, he made me respect him, and he made me revile him - hence, that kind of effect on me as a reader (and counselor) 5***.
Still, watching the therapeutic process was deeply fascinating, and this is one of the few books where you get to see the cases from both the client and the counselor’s perspective. That alone is worth the read. I don’t always go for the whole Freudian stuff (and yes, Yalom loves to analyze dreams!), but he is also highly existential by helping his clients look for the meaning of life through examining their fear of death. This book is amazing in this respect, and Yalom’s techniques were highly effective. Watching the master in action was thrilling and yet disturbing at the same time.
Essentially, this book takes the mystery out of therapy, and really does show the work of a master, and yet he loves, loves, LOVES his own spotlight and reputation, which is probably why he was able to get away with thinking/saying quite a few very inappropriate statements because his reputation at that point of his career was beyond reproach. I suppose, in some weird way, that it was refreshing to know that, while professional in the office, Yalom was simply a man fighting his own personal crap, and you can’t help but analyze the therapist for his own failings, and yet still admire him as a man par excellence. It is that tension that will keep you reading with morbid fascination to the very last page.
jemerevoltedoncnoussommes's review against another edition
5.0
Life, death, love, loss, pain
Therapy is for the sane
A microcosmos
Therapy is for the sane
A microcosmos
mollie_isabel's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
opson's review against another edition
5.0
Such a well-written, honest and engaging book. It depicts ten patient’s life stories and their corresponding deep-seated trauma through the eyes of the sympathetic psychiatrist Dr Irvin Yalom.
An absolute pleasure to read. Great both in regards to gaining psychological insights, but also to get a better understanding of existential philosophy. I appreciated the focus on narrative, rather than theory. Found the insights more impactful that way.
Highly recommended.
An absolute pleasure to read. Great both in regards to gaining psychological insights, but also to get a better understanding of existential philosophy. I appreciated the focus on narrative, rather than theory. Found the insights more impactful that way.
Highly recommended.
greaydean's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. Great insights to therapy and engaging stories.