521:. Yalom claims that: "each human being has an innate set of capacities and potentials and, furthermore, has a primordial knowledge of these potentials. One who fails to live as fully as one can, experiences a deep, powerful feeling which I refer to here as "existential guilt"." He cites similar ideas presented in Horney's mature work and in Maslow's work, and concludes that there is a general consensus among Heidegger, Tillich, Maslow and May that existential guilt is a positive constructive force. He cites one example among his patients who experienced existential guilt as regret, which in the course of therapy gave place to a sense of possibility, another example of a patient who experienced existential guilt as self-contempt which later gave place to a sense of choicefulness, to self-confidence and to self-love. He also refers to existential guilt as a recurrent theme in Kafka's work.
636:
important for the therapist to first learn whether there are possibly other underlying issues (cultural issues, or issues relating to the concerns of death, freedom, and isolation), and addressing such issues, for example by helping the patient develop curiosity and concern for others within the framework of group therapy. Regarding "pure meaninglessness", Yalom states that the desire to engage life is "always there within the patient"—to engage in satisfying relationships, in
494:. In this context, he discusses limits of responsibility, yet points out that "when adversity is formidable, still one is responsible for the attitude one adopts toward the adversity—whether to live a life of bitter regret or to find a way to transcend the handicap and to fashion a meaningful life despite it". He also outlines research by
587:), and then addresses interpersonal psychopathology. He points out that fusion is a common escape from existential isolation and that this has a high overlap to the "ultimate rescuer" belief. He then addresses therapeutical approaches to understanding interpersonal relationships, in particular also the
355:
tendencies in the case of an extreme of individuation, or passive-dependent or masochistic tendencies in the case of an extreme of fusion, or depressive symptoms in case of a breakdown of either defense). He points out that individuation co-occurs with psychopathy less often and appears to be a more
327:
and discusses theoretical and empirical findings with regard to the fear of death. He names some philosophers' views, works of literature and examples from clinical practice that assign to death awareness a role in fostering inner changes and personal growth. He offers explanations on its widespread
27:
635:
Yalom holds that the search for meaning is paradoxical in a similar sense as Frankl sees the search for pleasure to be paradoxical: it cannot be achieved if aimed at directly and must rather be pursued indirectly ("obliquely"). He states that, if a patient reports a lack of meaning in life, it is
461:' approach of asking patients to re-enact a dream and to play the parts of all the objects in the dream drama. He adds however that Perls, although requesting patients to assume responsibility, had a so active and powerful style that he placed patients in a contradictory situation, leading to a
640:
or creative engagement, in satisfying work, in religious or self-transcendent strivings, and other forms of engagement. Therefore, Yalom's proposed therapeutic answer to "pure" meaninglessness is to remove obstacles that prevent the patient from wholehearted engagement. Yalom holds that the
386:
The author subsequently describes a psychotherapeutic approach based on death awareness. One of the methods he describes is a "disidentification" exercise, in which an individual first notes down answers to the question "Who am I" and then meditates on giving each of these up, one by one.
359:
Yalom sees his notion of "life anxiety" and "death anxiety" as being closely corresponding with May's earlier concept of "fear of life" and "fear of death". Furthermore, he views the dialectic of the poles of "specialness" versus "the ultimate rescuer" as being similar to that of the
632:, that focusses on the human search for meaning. In terms of clinical research, he speaks of two psychometric instruments designed to measure purpose in life, summarizing criticism and results with regard to the "Purpose–in–Life Test" and briefly mentioning the "Life Regard Index".
653:, as rational, as coherent, and as systematic as any other". The book is considered to be among Yalom's most influential books. For example, psychologist Richard Sharf has referred to it as "erhaps the most thorough and comprehensive explanation of existential psychotherapy".
656:
The book, written as "a book for clinicians" and meant to be clinically useful, with "excursions into philosophy" that are "brief and pragmatic", is recognized as having greatly influenced the development of existential thinking and practice among
American psychotherapists.
419:
is a commonly used term for a subjective experience of responsibility awareness. Many existential philosophers have described the anxiety of groundlessness as ″ur-anxiety″—the most fundamental anxiety, an anxiety that cuts deeper even than the anxiety associated with
607:
and its role in psychotherapy. He discusses various answers related to questions around the "meaning of life", distinguishing between "cosmic" and "terrestrial" meaning, and noting that "most
Western theological and atheistic existential systems agree
411:. According to Yalom, responsibility means authorship "of one's own self, destiny, life predicament, feelings and, if such be the case, one's own suffering". Responsibility is "a deeply frightening insight". In more illustrative terms, he states:
436:
Yalom recites examples in literature, case studies and therapeutical implications concerning situations in which persons avoid responsibility. He discusses therapeutic approaches to disorders of wishing, willing and deciding, among them
424:
Yalom contends that: "The classical psychoneurotic syndromes have become a rarity. Today's patient has to cope more with freedom than with suppressed drives. the patient has to cope with the problem of choice—what he or she
236:
in comparison with the existential tradition in Europe. He points out the influence of
European psychoanalysts who emigrated to America as to highlighting particular aspects: the role of the will and of death anxiety
347:". He outlines individuals' oscillations between these two poles and discusses how a hypertrophy of either of these defenses, or a reaction to a breakdown of either defense, can give rise to disorders (for example
148:, in which the author, addressing clinical practitioners, offers a brief and pragmatic introduction to European existential philosophy, as well as to existential approaches to psychotherapy. He presents his four
429:
to do" and that "at both individual and social level, we engage in a frenetic search to shield ourselves from freedom." Yalom discusses various responsibility-voiding defenses, including: "
486:
He subsequently reviews empirical findings that certain forms of psychopathology, in particular depression, are found to be more likely associated with an external locus of control or, in
383:, the author also discusses the special situation in this regard of the schizophrenic patient who, according to Yalom, "clings to his or her denial of death with a fierce desperation".
339:
He presents two poles of basic defenses against this fear and possible resulting psychopathology: an orientation to personal "specialness" and inviolability, with a tendency to
433:", displacement of responsibility to another, denial of responsibility ("innocent victim", "losing control"), avoidance of autonomous behaviour and decisional pathology.
552:: interpersonal isolation (isolation from other individuals, experienced as loneliness), intrapersonal isolation (in which parts of oneself are partitioned off), and
1007:(ed.): Kierkegaard's Influence on the Social Sciences, Aldershot: Ashgate 2011. xix+ 335pp. (Kierkegaard Research: Sources, Reception and Resources, vol. 13.)
753:(ed.): Kierkegaard's Influence on the Social Sciences, Aldershot: Ashgate 2011. xix+ 335pp. (Kierkegaard Research: Sources, Reception and Resources, vol. 13.)
304:
In Parts I to IV, the author discusses, for each of these concerns, the changes that occur in the course of the development of the individual, his view on
272:
The further chapters are structured in four parts, each of which is dedicated to one of the four concerns which constitute, in Yalom's approach, the four
505:
as presented by
Heidegger but emphasizing that "one is guilty not only through transgressions against another or against some moral or social code, but
465:. Concerning the therapeutic approach to increase patients' responsibility, he notes that Kaiser's contributions, published 1965 in a book entitled
301:
as "givens of existence" with which the individual is confronted and which form "an inescapable part, of the human being's existence in the world".
556:(an "unbridgeable gulf between oneself and any other being"). He then illustrates "what, in the best of ways, a relationship can be" in terms of
415:"To experience existence in this manner is a dizzying sensation. Nothing is as it seemed The very ground beneath one seems to open up. Indeed,
984:
951:
924:
730:
688:
113:
649:
In his own words, Yalom intended with this book to "demonstrate that the existential approach is a valuable, effective psychotherapeutic
1033:
1023:
168:—and discusses developmental changes, psychopathology and psychotherapeutic strategies with regard to these four concerns.
245:), the future-oriented motivation of the individual (Horney), fear and freedom (Fromm), and responsibility and isolation (
1038:
171:
This work is considered to be among Yalom's most influential books, as is his groundbreaking textbook on group therapy
308:
in relation to the respective concern, and proposed psychotherapeutic strategies for assisting patients in a crisis.
473:
that explicitly aim at enhancing the individual's responsibility awareness, but takes a critical stance towards the
1028:
1043:
1004:
750:
480:
311:
As other books by Yalom, this book includes descriptions of numerous case studies that illustrate his arguments.
141:
55:
588:
475:
532:'s view of the will as "an organ of the future". He discusses clinical observations on the will made by Rank,
446:
553:
442:
233:
491:
404:
246:
217:
201:
192:), the author presents three views of the prototype of intrapsychic conflict in the individual: the
26:
430:
343:
and "life anxiety", versus an orientation to "the ultimate rescuer" with a tendency to fusion and "
498:
and others that go as far as to ascribe an influence of a patient onto the progression of cancer.
976:
617:
450:
250:
916:
722:
628:, which focus more on transcending oneself. He presents in depth Frankl's therapeutic approach,
703:
This relates to
Hellmuth Kaiser, whose name is spelled in the book of 1980 as "Helmuth Kaiser".
980:
947:
941:
920:
726:
684:
678:
637:
249:). Yalom also points out that he frequently refers to works of writers in his book, including
120:
108:
533:
495:
369:
365:
262:
221:
469:, stand out for thoughtfulness and consistency. Yalom also refers to best-selling American
604:
502:
487:
454:
361:
305:
197:
165:
969:
909:
715:
212:), and the existential view. He also offers a short review of the European tradition of
572:
470:
376:
213:
145:
37:
224:
and others) as well as existential analytic thought (referring to the presentation in
1017:
529:
438:
380:
344:
340:
333:
329:
242:
193:
479:-training which claims to improve responsibility and yet is, in his view, itself an
641:
therapist's best tool for this is the therapist's own engagement with the patient.
565:
561:
514:
266:
205:
629:
462:
458:
258:
254:
209:
445:, which he equates with the "symptom prescription" approach in the writings of
625:
352:
328:
omission in the theory and practice of psychotherapy – in particular also by
583:, a selfish love which relates to others in terms of usefulness) and Fromm (
525:
518:
408:
238:
225:
157:
92:
650:
621:
613:
549:
348:
161:
127:
510:
400:
501:
Yalom also reflects on "existential guilt", building on the notion of
336:. He then discusses the development of the fear of death in children.
368:
versus field independence and to that of interior versus exterior
324:
153:
297:
differently compared to
Tillich and Kierkegaard: Yalom speaks of
943:
579:, a love for the being of another person, in distinction from
610:
it is good and right to immerse oneself in the stream of life
121:
672:
670:
680:
Dictionary of
Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling
276:
rooted in the existence of the individual. These are:
789:
787:
785:
289:
Part IV: Meaninglessness (with
Chapters 10 and 11).
119:
107:
99:
87:
79:
69:
61:
51:
43:
33:
968:
908:
824:
822:
820:
818:
816:
714:
507:one may be guilty of transgression against oneself
677:Emmy van Deurzen; Raymond Kenward (12 May 2005).
524:In the subsequent chapter, Yalom expands on the
517:, of the role of anxiety as seen by Rank and of
286:Part III: Isolation (with Chapters 8 and 9), and
232:of 1958), outlining also the American field of
334:a mere disguise for a deeper source of concern
173:The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy
8:
19:
1001:Irvin Yalom: The Throw-Ins of Psychotherapy
747:Irvin Yalom: The Throw-Ins of Psychotherapy
620:, which have a main focus on the self, and
293:It has been noted that Yalom uses the term
560:, recalling similar thoughts expressed by
513:as seen by the philosopher and theologian
25:
18:
283:Part II: Freedom (with Chapters 6 and 7),
666:
356:effective defense compared to fusion.
7:
457:. A further approach he presents is
323:, the author addresses the fear of
683:. SAGE Publications. p. 296.
399:, the author outlines the role of
280:Part I: Death (with Chapters 2–5),
214:existential philosophical thinking
14:
946:. Cengage Learning. p. 168.
509:." He expands on notions such as
940:Richard Sharf (1 January 2015).
589:therapist–patient relationship
548:, he addresses three types of
1:
624:, dedication to a cause, and
144:by the American psychiatrist
1060:
216:(with brief excursions on
20:Existential Psychotherapy
971:Existential Psychotherapy
911:Existential Psychotherapy
895:Existential Psychotherapy
882:Existential Psychotherapy
869:Existential Psychotherapy
856:Existential Psychotherapy
843:Existential Psychotherapy
830:Existential Psychotherapy
808:Existential Psychotherapy
795:Existential Psychotherapy
777:Existential Psychotherapy
764:Existential Psychotherapy
717:Existential Psychotherapy
142:existential psychotherapy
137:Existential Psychotherapy
56:Existential psychotherapy
24:
975:. Basic Books. pp.
915:. Basic Books. pp.
721:. Basic Books. pp.
595:Part IV: Meaninglessness
528:, quoting in particular
200:view (as represented by
967:Irvin D. Yalom (1980).
907:Irvin D. Yalom (1980).
713:Irvin D. Yalom (1980).
603:, the author discusses
467:Effective Psychotherapy
1034:English-language books
1024:1980 non-fiction books
241:, later built upon by
16:Book by Irvin D. Yalom
554:existential isolation
443:paradoxical intention
234:humanistic psychology
492:learned helplessness
375:Quoting the work of
202:Harry Stack Sullivan
196:ian view, the
1039:Existential therapy
540:Part III: Isolation
511:existential anxiety
21:
618:self-actualization
251:Fyodor Dostoyevsky
1029:Basic Books books
986:978-0-465-02147-5
953:978-1-305-53754-5
926:978-0-465-02147-5
732:978-0-465-02147-5
690:978-1-4462-3993-3
379:on patients with
299:ultimate concerns
274:ultimate concerns
218:Søren Kierkegaard
150:ultimate concerns
133:
132:
114:978-0-465-02147-5
80:Publication place
1051:
1044:Psychology books
1008:
999:Almut Furchert:
997:
991:
990:
974:
964:
958:
957:
937:
931:
930:
914:
904:
898:
891:
885:
878:
872:
865:
859:
852:
846:
839:
833:
826:
811:
804:
798:
791:
780:
773:
767:
760:
754:
745:Almut Furchert:
743:
737:
736:
720:
710:
704:
701:
695:
694:
674:
534:Leslie H. Farber
496:O. Carl Simonton
391:Part II: Freedom
370:locus of control
366:field dependence
362:cognitive styles
295:ultimate concern
263:Jean-Paul Sartre
222:Martin Heidegger
140:is a book about
123:
71:Publication date
29:
22:
1059:
1058:
1054:
1053:
1052:
1050:
1049:
1048:
1014:
1013:
1012:
1011:
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987:
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934:
927:
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733:
712:
711:
707:
702:
698:
691:
676:
675:
668:
663:
647:
605:meaninglessness
597:
581:deficiency-love
542:
490:'s model, with
488:Martin Seligman
471:self-help books
455:Paul Watzlawick
451:Milton Erickson
393:
317:
306:psychopathology
186:
181:
166:meaninglessness
88:Media type
72:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1057:
1055:
1047:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1031:
1026:
1016:
1015:
1010:
1009:
1003:, p. 277. In:
992:
985:
959:
952:
932:
925:
899:
893:Yalom (1980),
886:
880:Yalom (1980),
873:
867:Yalom (1980),
860:
854:Yalom (1980),
847:
841:Yalom (1980),
834:
828:Yalom (1980),
812:
806:Yalom (1980),
799:
793:Yalom (1980),
781:
775:Yalom (1980),
768:
762:Yalom (1980),
755:
749:, p. 281. In:
738:
731:
705:
696:
689:
665:
664:
662:
659:
646:
643:
612:", describing
596:
593:
585:need-less love
573:Abraham Maslow
558:need-free love
541:
538:
449:, Jay Hayley,
422:
421:
417:groundlessness
405:responsibility
392:
389:
377:Harold Searles
332:who saw it as
316:
313:
291:
290:
287:
284:
281:
188:In Chapter 1 (
185:
182:
180:
177:
146:Irvin D. Yalom
131:
130:
125:
117:
116:
111:
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
89:
85:
84:
81:
77:
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73:
70:
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48:
45:
41:
40:
38:Irvin D. Yalom
35:
31:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1056:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1030:
1027:
1025:
1022:
1021:
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1002:
996:
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988:
982:
978:
973:
972:
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960:
955:
949:
945:
944:
936:
933:
928:
922:
918:
913:
912:
903:
900:
897:, Chapter 11.
896:
890:
887:
884:, Chapter 10.
883:
877:
874:
870:
864:
861:
857:
851:
848:
844:
838:
835:
831:
825:
823:
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813:
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803:
800:
796:
790:
788:
786:
782:
778:
772:
769:
765:
759:
756:
752:
748:
742:
739:
734:
728:
724:
719:
718:
709:
706:
700:
697:
692:
686:
682:
681:
673:
671:
667:
660:
658:
654:
652:
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642:
639:
633:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
611:
606:
602:
594:
592:
590:
586:
582:
578:
574:
570:
568:
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
539:
537:
535:
531:
530:Hannah Arendt
527:
522:
520:
516:
512:
508:
504:
499:
497:
493:
489:
484:
482:
481:authoritarian
478:
477:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
439:Viktor Frankl
434:
432:
428:
418:
414:
413:
412:
410:
406:
402:
398:
390:
388:
384:
382:
381:schizophrenia
378:
373:
371:
367:
363:
357:
354:
350:
346:
345:death anxiety
342:
341:individuation
337:
335:
331:
330:Sigmund Freud
326:
322:
315:Part I: Death
314:
312:
309:
307:
302:
300:
296:
288:
285:
282:
279:
278:
277:
275:
270:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
243:Ernest Becker
240:
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106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
83:United States
82:
78:
74:
68:
64:
60:
57:
54:
50:
46:
42:
39:
36:
32:
28:
23:
1000:
995:
970:
962:
942:
935:
910:
902:
894:
889:
881:
876:
871:, Chapter 9.
868:
863:
858:, Chapter 8.
855:
850:
845:, Chapter 7.
842:
837:
832:, Chapter 6.
829:
810:, Chapter 5.
807:
802:
797:, Chapter 4.
794:
779:, Chapter 3.
776:
771:
766:, Chapter 2.
763:
758:
746:
741:
716:
708:
699:
679:
655:
648:
634:
609:
600:
598:
584:
580:
576:
569:relationship
566:
562:Martin Buber
557:
545:
543:
523:
515:Paul Tillich
506:
500:
485:
474:
466:
435:
431:compulsivity
426:
423:
416:
396:
394:
385:
374:
358:
353:narcissistic
338:
320:
318:
310:
303:
298:
294:
292:
273:
271:
267:Albert Camus
229:
206:Karen Horney
198:neo-Freudian
190:Introduction
189:
187:
184:Introduction
172:
170:
149:
136:
135:
134:
1005:Jon Stewart
751:Jon Stewart
630:logotherapy
536:, and May.
463:double bind
459:Fritz Perls
447:Don Jackson
259:Franz Kafka
255:Leo Tolstoy
210:Erich Fromm
65:Basic Books
1018:Categories
661:References
626:creativity
577:being-love
483:approach.
645:Influence
550:isolation
247:H. Kaiser
239:Otto Rank
230:Existence
226:Rollo May
175:(1970),.
162:isolation
93:Hardcover
62:Publisher
651:paradigm
622:altruism
614:hedonism
546:Part III
407:and the
349:schizoid
228:'s book
179:Contents
152:of life—
44:Language
601:Part IV
420:death."
401:freedom
397:Part II
158:freedom
128:6580323
91:Print (
52:Subject
47:English
983:
950:
923:
729:
687:
638:social
567:Ich-Du
519:by May
321:Part I
265:, and
164:, and
34:Author
503:guilt
427:wants
325:death
194:Freud
154:death
100:Pages
981:ISBN
948:ISBN
921:ISBN
727:ISBN
723:8–10
685:ISBN
616:and
526:will
453:and
409:will
351:and
122:OCLC
109:ISBN
75:1980
599:In
571:),
544:In
476:est
441:'s
395:In
364:of
319:In
103:544
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