alastair_c_fyfe 's review for:

The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients by Irvin D. Yalom

3.0

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Yalom provides useful insights into the field of psychotherapy through addressing 85 topics of interest/prevalence from the clinicians perspective. Individual insights come from his extensive experience in the field, using myriad antidotes from his personal experience. Despite bringing awareness to themes and patterns found in the interpersonal alliance of therapy, some more profound and applicable than others, the book lacked certain elements towards a recommendation or referencing later down the road. His narrative is told in simplistic rhetoric, empowering a wide varied of individuals to comprehend his work (including those without a prior counseling background), yet i found the thematic tone to be rather dull and unspirational. I found at times, the book preaching in a righteous manner as if his style and approach is the only correct modality, leaving the reader with a stannic taste of grandiose thought. Some chapters i found enjoyable and expanded my perception of the role of the clinician. While others i found rather outdated, biased and not very applicable to psychoanalysis. Such as the chapters on "dream analysis".

I do believe the book offers some good prose and insights into the issues/ concerns/ tips of what commonly happens in the therapist session. Writing about psychotherapy is a very subjective and
circumstantial affair, and i would have liked Yalom to address topics such as style, approach, assimilating of different schools of thoughts( besides Freud), and ways of holistic applicability. I do believe, there are more modern, captivating, and applicable books that i would recommend on the subject matter ; illustrating more identifiable, realistic and open-ended approaches towards key elements found in the interpersonal alliance in psychotherapy.

*i would give "gift of therapy" 3 1/2 stars.