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8th out of 289 books
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Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy
The collection of ten absorbing tales by master psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom uncovers the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. In recounting his patients' dilemmas, Yalom not only gives us a rare and enthralling glimpse into their personal desires and motivations but also tells us his own story as he struggles to reconcile
...morePaperback, 304 pages
Published
September 1st 2000
by Harper Perennial
(first published January 1st 1989)
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The stories of 10 patients' experiences in psychotherapy - but they feel like much more.
The stories offer a surprisingly engaging window to peek into the struggles of patients w/ the very same existential pains and miseries everyone experiences. The author is a practicing therapist, and he based these stories on his patients (suitably amended to ensure anonymity). He reflects much on his own role in the therapeutic relationship, and these reflections are often as interesting as the stori...more
The stories offer a surprisingly engaging window to peek into the struggles of patients w/ the very same existential pains and miseries everyone experiences. The author is a practicing therapist, and he based these stories on his patients (suitably amended to ensure anonymity). He reflects much on his own role in the therapeutic relationship, and these reflections are often as interesting as the stori...more
A friend gave me this book a few days ago. My friend is very well-educated, has lived all over the world, and has experienced more than most people. When he gave me the book, he said to me, "This book reflects my vision of the world".
How could I help but be intrigued?
Opening the book, he then read the following passage from the Preface: "Four givens are particularly relevant for psycho-therapy: the inevitability of death for each of us and for those we ...more
How could I help but be intrigued?
Opening the book, he then read the following passage from the Preface: "Four givens are particularly relevant for psycho-therapy: the inevitability of death for each of us and for those we ...more
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stephanie
rated it
this is a series of essays, based on yalom's private practice. yalom is a freakin' massive genius is the world of psychology - he basically founded existential psychotherapy, and also was the first person to effectively use the group model in any productive way. (he uses the process group method, dbt uses a more classroom style approach.)
"the fat lady" is maybe the most famous story from here - what i love about yalom is you know he's the biggest pompous asshole, but at th...more
"the fat lady" is maybe the most famous story from here - what i love about yalom is you know he's the biggest pompous asshole, but at th...more
I read this book for a second time sometime last week and have been too busy to write anything about it. Currently I really need to be asleep and am not, so this will be slightly confused, short, and likely unnecessary, deal.
The first time that I read this book I appreciated the fact that Yalom's therapy is relationship based. It is really about the people and caring about those people. Instead of diagnosis and being crazy. Not to say that this can't be completely misinterpreted as ...more
The first time that I read this book I appreciated the fact that Yalom's therapy is relationship based. It is really about the people and caring about those people. Instead of diagnosis and being crazy. Not to say that this can't be completely misinterpreted as ...more
Carrie
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone in therapy, has been in therapy, needs therapy, wants to be a therapist
Five stars for now. I might take it down a notch later, but I really did enjoy this book a whole lot. It was really readable, and there were all kinds of personal insights I gained, from the characters I wouldn't have expected.
The book is basically this: each chapter is a somewhat fictionalized/generalized account of a patient in Yalom's therapy. It starts with their problem, and goes through the whole course of their therapy, and how that problem was "solved." Some are...more
The book is basically this: each chapter is a somewhat fictionalized/generalized account of a patient in Yalom's therapy. It starts with their problem, and goes through the whole course of their therapy, and how that problem was "solved." Some are...more
Fascinating book about the relationship between therapist and patient, but with the analyst revealing the very human reactions that he has to his patients. These ten tales are wise, instructive, and some riveting in their twists and turns, especially the title story. It took me a little while to get into the book -- it demands more from you, but is ultimately very rewarding.
Kate
rated it
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Kate by:
Sarah Berkowitz
Shelves:
psychology
An essential and intimate look into the world of psychotherapy for those who are either in the field, aspire to be in the field, or simply desire a peak into the world of an armchair and a sofa. Each tale is heartbreaking, uplifting, and sprinkled throughout with bits of wisdom. It remains an amazing experience to witness the struggles of those on a path to personal growth and fulfillment. There is no more difficult battle in life than facing one's self, seeing and accepting one's self, and then...more
Some interesting insights that I think I can apply to my own job as a Coach. I didn't like the author's presentation at times, but with a muddy subject like transcendental psychology, I understand this is a very subjective view.
I appreciated the author's desire to get across the point that nobody's ever "sure" about diagnosis or treatment.
Some valuable points:
"One of the axioms of psychotherapy is that the important feelings one has for another alway...more
I appreciated the author's desire to get across the point that nobody's ever "sure" about diagnosis or treatment.
Some valuable points:
"One of the axioms of psychotherapy is that the important feelings one has for another alway...more
This is a book I keep returning to. It's lasted on my shelf for five years now- and when I am feeling displaced, uncertain- I take a certain comfort in Yalom's well-told stories of the theraputic process.
Each of the stories is revelatory- after a few years of theraputic work myself- it's fascinating to see the other side- Yalom clearly explains transferance and countertransferance- explains his own prejudices and misgivings- and openly discusses his mistakes and missteps.
...more
Each of the stories is revelatory- after a few years of theraputic work myself- it's fascinating to see the other side- Yalom clearly explains transferance and countertransferance- explains his own prejudices and misgivings- and openly discusses his mistakes and missteps.
...more
Chloé
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone with an interest in psychology
Recommended to Chloé by:
a graduate student studying to become a clinical psychologist
This book is written by a psychotherapist, who has mainly existential views though he is flexible enough to adjust his practice to meet the needs of individuals. Each chapter follows an intriguing story of one of his patients - an overweight woman who loses almost 100 pounds, a terminally ill cancer patient, a widow, a mother grieving over the loss of her favorite daughter, etc. The cases shed light on the true practice of psychotherapy. It illustrates successful exchanges and frustrations alike...more
Khaya
rated it
Recommends it for:
Therapists; lay-people interested in the therapeutic process
Shelves:
professionallit,
readablenonfiction
Love’s Executioner is a collection of ten true stories (identifying details have been changed to protect anonymity, of course) of patients in psychotherapy with Irvin Yalom and how his work with them progressed. Yalom’s tone manages to be both enjoyable on a literary level and enlightening on a professional level. He shares his personal and professional struggles in working with these patients and is honest about the mistakes he makes, including those born of arrogance or poor judgment. At th...more
I'm impressed with the guys honesty in recording his thoughts about his clients I have to say. He does seem to focus on the fanciableness or otherwise of his female clients which is something of a distraction for me as I don't tend to go down that road in thinking about my clients. Not that some of em aren't quite fanciable, just that that isn't the subject of my focus and doesn't enter my head whilst we're actually talking, either in group or private counselling sessions. Am a simple soul wh...more
This is not the book to read while you are actually in therapy. Although I think Love's Executioner Other Tales of Psychotherapy was meant to show people the "behind the scenes" of psychology, Dr. Yalom will make you question the motives of any practitioner, no matter how saintly. That's not to say that the book isn't intriguing, informative, or balanced; it is all of those things. It's just that Yalom comes across as unbearably arrogant in many of the case studies, which belies the w...more
Are you like me in that you sometimes resist reading books or watching movies because, they're, you know, OLD? Like published before 1990? I am SO glad that I read this book, which was first published in 1989. In it, Irvin Yalom narrates ten case studies of patients whom he has worked with in psychotherapy. The studies are Fascinating with a capital F, and have so many things to say about the human condition that it is impossible to summarize them easily. Also adding to the book is Yalom's abili...more
This is an interesting collection of case studies from the private practice of one of psychotherapy's big shots. Irvin Yalom has written several ubiquitous textbooks on the subject, but Love's Executioner is aimed at the layperson and reads like a collection of short stories. His goal in writing is not only to demystify psychotherapy, but specifically to shed light on the nature of transference and counter-transference that takes place in the relationship between therapist and patient. It is def...more
I have always enjoyed reading Yalom's books as his style of therapy always inspired me to be a better therapist. It's been a few years since I've actually engaged in psychotherapy, focusing instead on assessment, and this collection of writings and case studies reminded me of how much I enjoy (and miss) the art of psychotherapy and all that you can learn and gain from each individual you work with clinically. Yalom truly put himself on the stage in his writings, explicitly talking about his th...more
I started reading this book with the expectation that I would find an interesting but nonetheless mechanical look into the brass tacks of psychiatry... and found something far more dangerous and intriguing: Dr. Yalom is a creative writer. And he's utterly brilliant.
Starting with the prologue, this work is filled with deep and genuine originality, taste, and introspection. Dr. Yalom's prose is sagaciously crafted, and a pleasure to read and reread.
The entirety of the c...more
Starting with the prologue, this work is filled with deep and genuine originality, taste, and introspection. Dr. Yalom's prose is sagaciously crafted, and a pleasure to read and reread.
The entirety of the c...more
I didnt enjoy this book as much as i hoped i would, for me Dr Yalom's prose was a bit too repetative and the points he was making were sledge hammered home at times. His style of setting up each tale from a defined outlook until arriving at the denoument with a change of perspective was a bit of an easy device to fall back on, but i understand why he did this as its an easy to follow plot narrative. I did however enjoy 3 of the tales The Wrong One Died, Three Unopened Letters and In Search of ...more
It was a very interesting book, what can I say? The book is divided in 10 stories, each of a different type of man/woman with it's problems about life, about others and so on. Yalom makes a story of how he treated them and what he discovered about human minds and about humans in general from these sessions with those patients. Some of the stories are really sad, but others are of people with problems about their life, their soul mate, they have financial or sentimental problems, and they came to...more
I'm just going to go ahead and write about this book, even though I'm not quite done. I'm going to write about this book even though I'm not quite done partly out of sheer need to be distracted from the hours of grading I have yet to do. And partly because I wish I could talk about this book with someone.
Yalom's honesty is so troubling at times that I find myself reacting to him personally. Sexist, fatphobic, weirdly condescending and afraid of his own power, he's at heart just a...more
Yalom's honesty is so troubling at times that I find myself reacting to him personally. Sexist, fatphobic, weirdly condescending and afraid of his own power, he's at heart just a...more
Not my usual thing at all, but I really enjoyed it. One of the elements I found most fascinating is Yalom's need to alter characteristics of both his patients and their situation/treatment in order to preserve privacy. I admit I found myself wanting to study the finished stories alongside the "real" stories in order to understand how he formed these narratives. But that's probably just the lit student in me - overall I enjoyed both his writing style and the glimpses into how psychother...more
This book is a like a love letter to therapy. One does not have to be a therapist to enjoy it, but I like pick it up and re-read as a way to rejuvenate and remind myself why I got into the field to begin with. Each chapter is devoted to a different client, each showing the remarkable power of two people sitting in a room together. Yalom is a gifted writer, surprisingly honest and candid (did you know sometimes therapists don't like their clients or are perhaps even repulsed by them?). His journe...more
I love this book and I love Yalom
I found this book really interesting and also very frusterating. Dr. Yalom shares the story of 8 of his patients and his analysis of them. They all have very different issues, and yet he finds a way to tie all of their problems back to the fear of death. I really don't think death was eveyones problem, but it was interesting to see how he came to that conclusion. I also thought Dr. Yalom was very mean. After reading this, it would make make me think twice about what I share with my therapis...more
took 1 star off for brevity only. i honestly believe that if dr. yalom had included more "tales" in this book it would easily be on my 5-star list. but alas, i feel gyped, and like i need to go buy other books. there are even references in this book to other books telling me to buy them, pretty much, if i want to know more. shameless plugs, likely by the editors.
other than that, i absolutely loved it. i wasn't as shocked i'm sure as many other people may have been, fin...more
other than that, i absolutely loved it. i wasn't as shocked i'm sure as many other people may have been, fin...more
I was given this book in a random pile so had no expectations.
This is a collection of stories about patients in therapy. I found it completely fascinating. Apart from the general insights into what ails these people, we get a view into the world of the therapist himself - with total frankness he tells us which of his patients repulsed him, attracted him, bored him. The therapist is painfully aware of his own human foibles and has double the work to do to remain objective and useful. ...more
This is a collection of stories about patients in therapy. I found it completely fascinating. Apart from the general insights into what ails these people, we get a view into the world of the therapist himself - with total frankness he tells us which of his patients repulsed him, attracted him, bored him. The therapist is painfully aware of his own human foibles and has double the work to do to remain objective and useful. ...more
"Four givens are particularly relevant for psycho-therapy: the inevitability of death for each of us and for those we love; the freedom to make our lives as we will; our ultimate aloneness; and, finally, the absence of any obvious meaning or sense to life."
It is not without reason that Love’s executioner and other tales has developed a reputation as one of the leading books accessible for a lay reader on the interactions of psychotherapy. It comprises of ten interesting st...more
It is not without reason that Love’s executioner and other tales has developed a reputation as one of the leading books accessible for a lay reader on the interactions of psychotherapy. It comprises of ten interesting st...more
This is a must-read for any therapist, but beyond that, it is just a really powerful look at the human condition and what it is to be open, empathetic and supportive enough to help people become their best selves. Yalom's writing is approachable and entertaining. It is written so that therapist or not, this book is enjoyable.
The other thing I love about reading Yalom is that I learn so many new words. Many are words I have heard before, but in the context of SAT study cards or while...more
The other thing I love about reading Yalom is that I learn so many new words. Many are words I have heard before, but in the context of SAT study cards or while...more
I had very mixed feelings about this book. The stories were certainly fascinating, and part of me admires Yalom's candor in sharing his countertransference. However, he comes across as very unlikeable at times- the words "pompous" and "arrogant" have been used to describe him, and understandably so. And he seemed really unlikeable when he confessed his sympathy for the incredibly creepy wannabe rapist, and his disgust for the obese woman, and his hatred of dogs (a huge c...more
This book was recommended to me in 2007 and I finally got around to reading it. It was quite good and was a nice adjunct to what I learned in my psych rotation. It was also an entertaining read and offered interesting glimpses into human nature. The book is composed of about ten different case studies told from the perspective of Dr. Yalom, a psychiatrist at Stanford. I expected to learn about the patients, but I was pleasantly surprised to also be privy to Dr. Yalom's reactions. The cases ...more
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Irvin David Yalom, M.D., is an author of fiction and nonfiction, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University, an existentialist, and accomplished psychotherapist.
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“Some day soon, perhaps in forty years, there will be no one alive who has eve known me. That's when I will be truly dead - when I exist in no one's memory. I thought a lot about how someone very old is the last living individual to have known some person or cluster of people. When that person dies, the whole cluster dies,too, vanishes from the living memory. I wonder who that person will be for me. Whose death will make me truly dead?”
—
29 people liked it
“I think my quarry is illusion. I war against magic. I believe that, though illusion often cheers and comforts, it ultimately and invariably weakens and constricts the spirit.”
—
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