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34th out of 289 books
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177 voters
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Lying on the Couch
The highly respected author of Love's Executioner and When Nietzsche Wept combines the authenticity of case history with the true artistry of fiction to create a novel in which an idealistic San Francisco therapist "invents" a new therapy--and outwits the scroundrels and skeptics who would do him in.
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
August 27th 1997
by Harper Perennial
(first published 1996)
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This book had been on my "must-read" list (self-appointed just because it looked interesting, not because I'd heard anything about it) for quite some time. I finally sat down and read it, and I have to say, I'm not sure that I got it. Maybe it went over my head, or maybe I'm over-analyzing something that wasn't meant to be that profound. There were parts that really engaged me, while other parts that didn't were interesting enough for me to keep on going, but ultimately I'm not sure th...more
I imagine if you are in the field of therapy this book is much more meaningful - as it was it felt like a high brow Grisham novel in that Grisham took his career as a lawyer and capitalized on its thrill potential, and Yalom uses the multifaceted and intimate world of therapy to produce a sort of soap opera laced with underlying warning.
This novel had that weird feeling I get sometimes, where I think, if only I hadn't opened this book, so many people would still be happy. We begin with smu...more
This novel had that weird feeling I get sometimes, where I think, if only I hadn't opened this book, so many people would still be happy. We begin with smu...more
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Khaya
rated it
Recommends it for:
Therapists, and people interested in learning about the therapy process
Shelves:
professionallit,
highlyoriginal
I'm going to go ahead and give this five stars. It's not a perfect book, certainly not from a literary point of view. It was didactic at times, occasionally draggy with lengthy lecture-like dialogue and inner monologue, and some of its plot twists were highly contrived. But I don't think Yalom was trying to write a perfect novel, or if he was, that goal was secondary. What he was trying to do, according to an interview I read, is carve out a new genre -- what he calls the "teaching nove...more
Recommended by a good friend I was excited to read a fiction book written by Yalom, best known for his group therapy text which is basically the group therapy bible. Though his writing style is kind in the textbook I was leery about what I would find in his attempt at fiction. I was pleasantly surprised and, at times, shocked at what Yalom threw out there. For those of us in any field of counseling/therapy, you will find the story lines to be fun as he puts his characters in ethical dilemmas and...more
The last line of this book made me smile.
The book examines the intricate connections between and within the characters. None of the characters are perfect, but we see a very interesting journey in each of them as the book progresses. There is not a single character that is the same at the beginning of the book as they are at the end.
It's a story about the human condition, and about the folly of suggesting there is one 'right' way to do psychotherapy. Definitely a great re...more
The book examines the intricate connections between and within the characters. None of the characters are perfect, but we see a very interesting journey in each of them as the book progresses. There is not a single character that is the same at the beginning of the book as they are at the end.
It's a story about the human condition, and about the folly of suggesting there is one 'right' way to do psychotherapy. Definitely a great re...more
The first 1/3 of the book was hard to get into, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It gave me a lot of food for thought. I felt that Yalom did a great job exploring the inter psychic issues that therapist face, issues such as being congruent and genuine. What is best practice? Ethical dilemmas that one can face in the room, and the politics within therapeutic organizations. I think it'll be a great book to read while completing an ethics course, it brings up great discussion to...more
I loved his take on psychoanalysis from both the patient's view and the analyst's view. I thought the "twist" (I won't give it away) was both clever and believable. My favorite quote which I'll post in my notes was:
8
[the analyst character Seymour Trotter says:]
Ever think about the fact that it's easier to make a diagnosis the first time you see a patient and that it gets harder the better you know the patient? Ask any experienced therapist in private--they'll...more
8
[the analyst character Seymour Trotter says:]
Ever think about the fact that it's easier to make a diagnosis the first time you see a patient and that it gets harder the better you know the patient? Ask any experienced therapist in private--they'll...more
I did not enjoy this book. I found the characters to be intensely unlikeable and was unable to get past that to fully appreciate the teaching messages about psychotherapy. I must admit that reading about all of these horrifying analysis experiences helped to hammer home the central message. Trust is essential. The therapist must not violate the trust. Do not take advantage. Is there more to it as presented in this book? If so, I missed it. If not, this was an awfully drawn out experience to i...more
I think I'm going to love this book. The first few pages really sets the scene and I'm assuming the plot of the story. The characters are certainly believable. Let's see how the story progresses, develops and concludes. This after reading the prologue, which I rarely do, and the first 5 pages of the story.
Funny, but I think I've read this book before, but never finished it because of all the sexual escapades that develop after Chapter One. I can see how the story is developed in this book, how...more
Funny, but I think I've read this book before, but never finished it because of all the sexual escapades that develop after Chapter One. I can see how the story is developed in this book, how...more
I really enjoyed this novel- by a professor of psychiatry at Stanford. "Lying on the Couch" not only shows how therapists can become deeply involved in the complexities of individual's inner lives and relationships, but also how complex and challenging their own lives can become through the honesty or deception presented by their toughest clients. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a smart psychological thriller and even better if the reader likes, knows about, or would like to know mor...more
Overall, LYING ON THE COUCH, is a pretty good book. Regardless of the fact that I'm not into psychological analysis, it was hard to put the book down. I would not go as far as calling it a page-turner, though. It cannot however be compared to WHEN NIETZSCHE WEPT, also by Yalom, which is one of the best books I have read in quite some time.
The plot is well conceived, crafted and very interesting, and all the characters are neatly woven into it.
The novel evolves around th...more
The plot is well conceived, crafted and very interesting, and all the characters are neatly woven into it.
The novel evolves around th...more
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Interesting read, but the vulgarity put me off. I also could not relate to the characters and premise: the ultra-rich lifestyles, gambling, exorbitant shrink and lawyer fees, lack of a sound, functional family. This book deals in extremes (expenses, rage, sexual tendencies, education/certifications) which made it seem unrealistic. While the different psychoanalytic approaches were fascinating, none of the characters had any merit and thus I couldn't stay engaged in their journey. A forgetta...more
Somehow when I picked this up in Portland, I thought it was a mystery that had to do with therapy. It isn't so my mother got no Mother's day present.
It is a somewhat disjointed interconnected story of a bunch of people with therapy at the center. Every single character is so flawed as a human being, reading was sometimes painful. I do like when books in which the reader knows little connections about each character that they are not aware of.
Since the author is a psychi...more
It is a somewhat disjointed interconnected story of a bunch of people with therapy at the center. Every single character is so flawed as a human being, reading was sometimes painful. I do like when books in which the reader knows little connections about each character that they are not aware of.
Since the author is a psychi...more
I've been recommended to read Lying on the Couch, and I'm happy I've done it. I'm interested in therapy as such, and the book gave me an insight into therapeutical routine. More than that, Lying on the Couch is one of the most inspirational books I've read. It really spoke to me as I loved the idea of juxtaposing malice drinking its own poison and sincerity spreading its positive effect over other people like circles spread around a stone trown into a lake.
This was one of the best books I read when I was taking a class called "Supervision" in school. I highly recommend it because it gives an 'up close and personal' detailed account of a guy going through supervision in the traditional psychodynamic theory of psychoanalysis. Although the trend is not geared to this theoretical approach anymore, the insights gathered from reading this book were fascinating and intriguing.
This book has no subtlety. Within the first 50 pages, I knew what was going to happen in the next 150 pages. That's not necessarily a deal breaker for me; if a book is beautifully written, I'm willing to forgive a lot. But this is not beautifully written. In fact, the dialogue is frequently painful.
My partner asked me why I insisted on reading the whole thing. I'll update my review when I have a response.
My partner asked me why I insisted on reading the whole thing. I'll update my review when I have a response.
Great book about psychotherapy and how it changes patients and therapists. One of my favorite parts is where a patient/lawyer starts doing therapy on one of yer clients, a therapist too paranoid to see a fellow therapist. Shows how many professions unwittingly end up playing therapist to their clients. Author is well-known therapist who writes with imagination and a superb sense of humor.
Roberto Macias
added it
This book is quite unique. I personally liked Yalom's literary style in "when Nietzsche wept" and found the whole concept of Lying on the Couch interesting, which it certainly proved to be. I guess if you are reading this review is because you are mildly interested in the subject, let me just say I do recommend the book, for it is not only informative, it is also quite enjoyable.
Yalom writes nonfiction that I have really enjoyed and learned from. This is the first time I have read one of his novels, but it definately will not be the last. This book appealed to me on so many levels..plot, characters, and it felt like a behind the scenes look at the lives of psychiatrists. I really hope someone I know will read it too, because I would love to discuss it.
This story covers a few main characters, who are all either psychotherapists or their clients. They are all connected by some association to each other, but the individual do not all converge at the end into any single event, nor did I see any special parallels between the stories. The characters and stories are pretty interesting. The author delves into the territory of the psychoanalyst profession, but does not go overboard with jargon, nor lose track of the narrative. Recommended.
Hard to get into, but I kept going. Also more a collection of anecdotes than a novel. Yes it gave insight into the psychiatric profession - so what? It did all come together at the end but not my fave book by a long shot. There were some good character profiles in here - the final sting was painful, but easy to see coming!
A mentira no dia-a-dia das personagens que é transportada para o setting terapêutico. Neste contexto, são abordados de forma inteligente os limites da ética profissional do terapeuta e as fronteiras da acção do paciente, onde o desejo e a paixão emergem e se emaranham no relacionamento terapeuta-paciente.
Reads quite a bit like a soap opera. Raises some interesting ideas about psychoanalysis, ethics and boundaries, but more for entertainment value than anything else. Certainly a guilty-pleasure read, though not a particularly titillating or scandalous one. Bonus points for taking place in San Francisco.
This book is strongest when it describes the theory and practice of psychoanalysis. The dialogue wasn't particularly natural but this was worth reading if only as a reminder that therapists are human beings and that psychoanalysis is more art than science.
I didn't put it down pretty much until the end. It's funny what people can go through and plan just to get their way, sometimes having their own plan backfire at them. A good and entertaining novel I would say. I enjoyed it very much.
Ich mag einfach die Art, wie Yalom schreibt und auch wie er das Alltägliche der Psychotherapie in einem Roman mit echter Geschichte verpackt. Diesmal kam es mir aber sehr verstrickt vor, mit verschiedenen Handlungssträngen die sich immer wieder an verschiedenen Punkten berühren - es war ein bischen kompliziert da durchzublicken, aber gut dass am Ende alles zusammen findet.
I thought the psychoanalysts in this book did a little too much "self-talking" so I skimmed through a fair amount. Not a terrible book but not one that I'd recommend you run out and read!
The lesson of the day is that your therapist wants to have sex with you.
On a serious note, this book, to me, felt like a cheesy B-rated romantic comedy flick in a psychotherapy setting. The main plot did not become interesting to me until the end, and the side plots bored me to tears.
I did like something about the book. The therapy sessions in are a fictionalized demonstration of the author's method of therapy, and I found these enjoyable to read.
However, wit...more
On a serious note, this book, to me, felt like a cheesy B-rated romantic comedy flick in a psychotherapy setting. The main plot did not become interesting to me until the end, and the side plots bored me to tears.
I did like something about the book. The therapy sessions in are a fictionalized demonstration of the author's method of therapy, and I found these enjoyable to read.
However, wit...more
I couldn't put it down. I was impressed with his writing style and his psychological insights and it was based in SF and included places I've been! Great read
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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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“What? 'Borderline patients play games'? That what you said? Ernest, you'll never be a real therapist if you think like that. That's exactly what I meant earlier when I talked about the dangers of diagnosis. There are borderlines and there are borderlines. Labels do violence to people. You can't treat the label; you have to treat the person behind the label. (17)”
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“Only the wounded healer can truly heal. (97)”
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