Basic Books Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy

The brilliant, and very human Dr. Yalom never disappoints, from the lovely dedication of this book to his wife, to the FUNNY chapter about his shockingly domineering, yet indispensable bookkeeper. I thought it was only me that ran into this type of person, and caved! Now over eighty years old, Irvin Yalom keeps us pointed at the fact of our unavoidable death, so that we will live NOW and make it mean something. Moreover, he has ushered me into the very real facts of old age, as they are going to appear. Years ago I read his phrase "senile skin platelets", and his point that playing tennis is not going to delay or escape them. That stuck with me. In this book, my hero discloses (five stars for self disclosure Irv!) that facial recognition grows somewhat more difficult for him. (Ulp). Reality writ large. - Nanaimo, B. C.

One day I was strolling through a bookstore and saw a novel by Irvin Yalom titled "Lying on the Couch". The fact that it was written by a psychiatrist with a private practice who was also a professor at Stanford University intrigued me. I wasn't expecting much from the book other than a light read but to my (delightful) surprise, the story had great depth and Dr. Yalom proved to be an excellent writer and story teller. So much so, that I have since read every book he's written. You don't have to be a student of therapy or a therapist to appreciate this book or any other by Dr. Yalom. His writing speaks to everyone and leaves everyone with a gift of personal insight. There are many good writers but only a few great ones. Dr. Yalom is among the greats. He is wise, humble, and deeply honest about his own struggles with the big questions in life. If you haven't met Dr. Yalom, I urge you to read any one of his books. You won't be disappointed!

I think Dr Yalom should be required reading for all therapy and counselling students. He is inspiring and passionate, with an excellent style of writing which thoroughly engages the reader. The 'novelistic' presentation of therapy really helps you engage with the individual clients who he is discussing. If I had *anything* negative to say, I might just about venture that I didn't enjoy this *quite* as much as "Love's Executioner" - however, since that is definitely in my top 3 non-fiction books of all time, it's not really a criticism and I would heartily recommend this to anyone who has even a passing interest in psychotherapy.

Dear Irv Yalom, This letter is a declaration of gratitude for your newly published book, Creatures of a Day, and the artful legacy you’ve bestowed upon the field of psychotherapy. In the era of fast technology and mass production, your attention to relationship and the handcrafted nature of therapy is a life line. In all of your 50 years as a psychotherapist, you didn’t sell out for clinical blueprints and formulaic approaches. Instead, you opted to stay true to what you knew--the here and now, the importance of the therapeutic relationship, and your own internal thoughts and experiences as essential elements for your work with clients. Creatures of a Day waves a flag and asks us to take notice. It invites us back into the mystery of our work and reminds us to celebrate our humanness. Your masterful story telling allows us to see you and your clients in action, mistakes and vulnerabilities included, and shares pivotal moments that will provoke thoughtful learning for generations of therapists. So thank you for this. You show us your mistakes You see, your books (especially Love’s Executioner and Creatures of a Day) let us into your thoughts and experiences. We get to hear you talk to yourself and occasionally grapple with doubt. We get to know your own vulnerabilities and how they influence your therapeutic relationships. This is such a rare view. And I am hungry for it. There are too few books, too few videos, and fewer workshops or trainings that offer this kind of perspective for therapists. We don’t get to see masters make mistakes. We don’t get to hear supervisors or consultants narrate their doubts. So, I consider your book an invitation to write about my own similar encounters in my work. And to continue to make this kind of conversation central to my trainings and retreats for therapists. Thank you for the inspiration and the permission. You offer central themes and an individualized perspective As a collection of psychotherapy tales, I think of Creatures of a Day as a series. Like a series of paintings that are created around central themes, your tales invite us to look at the existential themes of aging, death, and connectedness. And, just like a painting series, each reader will take with them a message that is individualized and of unique importance to him/her. In this way, you are truly exhibiting your art as a writer and a psychotherapist. In Creatures of a Day, two patients read the same book and take from it a very different, but beautifully applicable, message. A nurse perceives the angry words she hissed to her dying patient completely opposite of the way in which they were received by the woman she was treating. And a case that you filed away as a blunder turns out to have been a life changer that is only revealed about a decade or so later. This is a reminder to me that while we can’t predict how our art is received, we can in fact commit to creating and collaborating in the very best way we can. You invite humanness and the art of relationship I’d like to let you know that in addition to the invitation to write about my experience as a therapist, I welcome your permission to be human with my clients. And, with that comes a renewed dedication to knowing and experiencing what being human is for me. This means deepening my relationship with my art, continuing my work in therapy, and showing up with the same honesty and openness that you let us see in your book. You make risk a good thing You ask your patients to risk and use this in as a very important subject during the course of treatment. You take several risks in Creatures of a Day, and show us that risks are a vital part of being an authentic and real therapist. You show us that in your work you are just being honest and attending to your experience and the client’s experience. In fact it is more risky to be untruthful or hide than it is to show up and attend the the relationship. You inspire me I won’t stop practicing. You inspire me to continue to write about my own work. And in my own small way, carry your legacy forward. Once again, thank you for your guidance, your influence, and your legacy. Lisa Mitchell, MFT, ATR, LPC www.innercanvas.com

Another masterpiece bey Irvin Yalom. His honesty and complete lack of judgement for his patients makes reading his books a rare experience like no other.