Irvin Yalom || Existential Psychotherapy

Today it’s great to have Irvin Yalom on the podcast. Yalom is emeritus professor of psychiatry at Stanford University’s School of Medicine and author of many internationally bestselling books including Love’s Executioner, The Gift of Therapy, Becoming Myself, and When Nietzsche Wept. He was the recipient of the 1974 Edward Strecker Award and the 1979 Foundations’ Fund Prize in Psychiatry. His textbooks Inpatient Group Psychotherapy and Existential Psychotherapy are classics and have influenced me personally, deeply. Dr. Yalom lives in Palo Alto, California.

Topics

· Dr. Yalom’s childhood and upbringing

· Dr. Yalom’s interest in existential psychology

· Group therapy and death anxiety

· Rollo May’s influence on Dr. Yalom

· Dr. Yalom’s books

· Death anxiety and regret

· Coping with his wife’s death

· Meeting Viktor Frankl, Carl Rogers, and other legends in psychology

· Last moments with Rollo May

· A Matter of Death and Life with the Yaloms

· Dr. Yalom’s advice to therapists

· Overcoming the terror of death

· Serene acceptance of death


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[rozalialuks]

More I hear more I like. He opened up his heart to us in such a a way...

[AznDudeIsOn]

0:14 · Dr. Yalom’s childhood and upbringing
8:36 · Dr. Yalom’s interest in existential psychology
· Group therapy and death anxiety
· Rollo May’s influence on Dr. Yalom
12:58 · Dr. Yalom’s books
16:29 · Relationship between Death anxiety and regret
· Coping with his wife’s death
21:48 · Meeting Viktor Frankl, Carl Rogers, and other legends in psychology
26:40 · Last moments with Rollo May
30:27 · A Matter of Death and Life with the Yaloms
40:29 · Dr. Yalom’s advice to therapists
43:12 · Overcoming the terror of death
47:05 · Serene acceptance of death

[zoha_]

What a wonderful man. I'm currently reading his "Momma and the meaning of life" and it changed my approach to my own therapy. Definitely gonna buy some more of his books

[robertschoening]

Thank you for this gift. His book "Staring at the Sun" was an eye-opener and personally therapeutic at my age (73). Well done interview.

[Tamarahope]

Dr Yalom said he couldn't remember how Love's Executioner came about. In his book Becoming Myself, he recounts a time he was in an abondoned Catholic church in Shanghai during a writing sabbatical (in which he had decided to write about client stories). He went into the confessional and sat in the priest's chair. After sitting and meditating for an hour, the plot of a story came to him. He had nowhere to write it, so he scoured the church and found a stub of a pencil. Having no paper, he scribbled in his passport. That was the first of a collection of stories that became Love's Executioner.
Edit: In Becoming Myself, he talks about discovering an advantage of memory loss. He would re-read Love's Executioner with a curiosity and excitement at how each story ended!

[adrianagarcia]

What a dream! Dr. Yalom is amazing!!! When you interviewed David Buss I thought I couldn't get happier for my ears and brain and then this! Thank you SBK! You are the kindest to share with us and deserve all the best for all your hard work.

[hawkarae]

I am currently working my way through the good doctor's books, on #3: Love's Executioner. I'm completely besotted and thank you for this opportunity to enjoy your conversation!

[tommyaaquist]

Truly a legend, and such a heartwarming conversation. Your empathy really showed in this interaction.
I am hoping to use some of Yalom's theories and techniques when I get out in to clinical practice.

[ronaldoferreira]

Wonderful. "Thank you for this Lively Conversation": Yalom is right!
And the best of all is:
1. Yalom, after all, met Jung.
2. Yalom enjoyed the interview!!!

[gordonleith]

21:30> Dr. Yalom, if you're "rambling", then ramble on! 😄Thoroughly enjoying it!

[johnsumerlin]

I had my undergraduate class in counseling watch your podcast. The interview created excitement for me and my students and brought about much discussion. Thank you for a meaningful contribution to the history of existential psychology. Don't we wish that those tapes with Rollo May had been preserved?

[watchingvideosnow]

Lovely, thank you both! Been following his last book virtual-tour with awe..

[heal.alenamana]

0:21 / 52:12


Irvin Yalom - what an inspiration ! Great Great Man !

[arobbins]

Great responses, memories and sharing form Dr. Yalom. The interviewer (if that is what it is called in a Podcast) was a little clunky in asking questions. Made some of the exchange awkward.

[Me_ThatsWho]

This interview is like the Chris Farley interview of Paul McCartney on SNL

[arbhplays]

I am a student from India and I want to learn psychology please someone help me with how to get started

[tonyburton]

A little disappointing. Memory is failing him, can't remember about previous arguments and assertions. But no matter, a living legend, whose legacy will be great. Still great conversation.

[sorourrostampour]

The questions were quite irrelevant and not interesting at all.