Irvin Yalom is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, one of the founders of the "third wave" in psychotherapy and founders of the school of existential therapy. Psychotherapy Crisis in America, taking place, according to Yalom, because of economic dependence on the US health care system by the interests of private insurers and, as a result, the requirements for the psychotherapy that it was inexpensive, and therefore, a short, superficial, flimsy. Irvin Yalom, a psychotherapist with a great experience, has written many books, scientific and otherwise. However, "The Gift of Therapy" is the text is so structured, interesting and useful, it can be called one of the best works of this author. Yalom book is subtitled “An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients.” It Includes 85 chapters, which reflect 35 years of his experience as a specialist. His book also describes the author's experience as a patient. In these eighty-five chapters, Yalom offers tips that he supports with the stories and examples from practice with real patients.
First of all, the book is addressed to young physicians and students of psychology. For his young colleagues, Yalom can become the wise and benevolent mentor and senior assistant. In the book, there is no dogma, no bombast, only clear and simple tips that will not only help in the work but also get rid of uncertainty, so typical of novice therapists. However, for patients (actual or potential), this is a book of great interest. The treatment process is presented simple and transparent in the book. If you have any illusions about the "magic of nature" of psychological work, they fade. If you have a fear - they will disappear. The book may decide to resort to the help of psychotherapy - or understand that a person is able to handle himself in many situations. For all the simplicity of this publicistic text by Yalom, a deep base material, which is based on his book, is felt. This is not just a reflection on the meaning of life and in any case, not instruction on how to make life better. The therapeutic effect of reading of any of his books is inevitable simply because Yalom asks important questions that people often left by the wayside in the pursuit of momentary desire or necessity.
"The Gift of Therapy" rather is designed for students of psychologists, because under its cover hides structurally accurate list of recommendations on the process, methods, risks, and benefits therapy. Yalom wrote all his principles, accumulated over years of practice, and then took important most of them, reinforced by their examples and published a book, which is not intended for the general reader, but it is also curious for such a reader.
In the book, there are complaints about the current state of therapy, and tips on how to make your practice more successful (not only a doctor but also a man), what to look for in the first session, and a description of their own plight therapist (Yalom, 2011). Irvin Yalom is no longer a young man, as he says at the beginning of the book, his patients are afraid to lose him simply because of their age, so it is time to pass on his experience. Yalom has a clear line that can be seen in all his books, he is an integral therapist who knows what he is talking.
According to the book, Psychotherapy is not an art therapist finding the right answers and interpretations. Rather, psychotherapy is the art of asking the right questions to the patient. Yalom writes that he never considered existential psychotherapy as an isolated, autonomous ideological school (Yalom, 2011). Any therapy that claims the title of good, effective psychotherapy cannot possess the existential aspect and this aspect is a prerequisite for therapy to work, regardless of the specific psychotherapeutic approach. Irvin Yalom notes that the treatment process is improved when the therapist penetrates gently into the patient's world. The therapeutic value of empathic understanding seems clear enough: if there is a sense that the therapist really tries to see the world of the patient as the patient sees it, and, thus, the support in an effort to clarify and, consequently, to broaden understanding of himself, is felt.
This teaches empathy to be empathetic to yourself, to be quietly aware of your feelings in the same way that the therapist recognizes them. Empathy another has a decisive influence on self-esteem. If the therapist finds valuable time and effort trying to understand my feelings, and that I should appreciate it. According to the author, the therapist has to fight for the creation of a new therapy for each patient to avoid any equipment, which is a pre-painted by the order of acts, as attempts to make the standardization psychotherapy less real and therefore less effective (Yalom, 2011).
In the book, a lot of attention is given to death, freedom, meaning, and loneliness. It is clear because all these concepts are the cornerstones of the theory of Yalom. Much has been said about the responsibility that the patient has to take. About this writes not only Yalom, many psychological schools are based on this concept, but he offers a number of proprietary techniques to help patients. Irvin Yalom is a staunch opponent of de-individualized, bureaucratic, formal approach to psychotherapy.
The short-diagnosis-oriented therapy is opposed especially sharply. Short-diagnosis-oriented therapy, according to Yalom, controlled by economic forces, based on a narrow, formal diagnosis, one-sided, controlled protocol therapy for all, without regard to the individual (Yalom, 2011).
Yalom thought, first of all, that each patient must invent a new therapy because each has a unique story. The basis of this "new" therapy is a therapy, based on interpersonal relationships, "here and now" of the therapist and the patient, on their mutual revelations (Yalom, 2011). The author argues that “Therapists must be aware of their own dark side and be able to empathize with all human wishes and impulses.” (Yalom, 2011).He also has more startling statement “I make it a point to touch each patient each hour . . .” (Yalom, 2011). His examples and findings raise questions. The author offers for other therapists about their understanding of the sexual attractiveness of patients, as well as ways to deal with their negative feelings to patients if they alienate or irritate specialist.
This book helps the reader understand what therapy is like inside and how it acts, what professional advantages it has and dangers warn any specialist in this sphere. For example, many therapists experience discomfort from what they fear, underestimate or overestimate, the situation when the patient was severely damaged during therapy or committed suicide can be also very destructive.
At the same time, the realization that life of the therapist is service and that the positive changes in the patient's beneficial effect on the people around him gives great joy. It is surprising how a meaningful person the therapists become to their patients. Yalom writes about the feelings of his patient “I love you but I also hate you because you leave”, “because every week you leave” (Yalom, 2011).
The book tells us that after the therapist makes a diagnosis, it is usually selectively examines different aspects of the patient, who does not fit into a specific diagnosis and, consequently, a lot of attention to small features, which confirm the initial diagnosis. Yalom offers an approach here and now to analyze properly individual problems that manifest at a meeting with a therapist. The author calls to discuss all the little things that a patient cannot articulate because of shame or because it's too personal information, however, a discussion of such information will inevitably lead to a fruitful discussion, which will give the desired result in therapy.
In the book "The Gift of therapy," the last two pages are devoted to the issue of how to experience the joy and pleasure from the fact that you are a therapist. It is necessary to take pleasure in the fact that you help others. You enter into the intimate lives of others.
Thus, Thanks amazingly deep and practical approach of Yalom, he penetrates into the very essence of psychotherapy and the relationship between patient and therapist and helps to enrich the therapeutic process for a new generation of professionals and their patients. The book will be of interest to any reader through short chapters and entertaining and conversational writing style.
References
Yalom, I.D. The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients. Hachette Digital. Retrieved July 10, 2016 from https://books.google.com./books?id=Ry8ab_ptBTEC&pg=PT8&hl=uk&sour ce=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false
