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What We Truly Need: Experiences of a Psychoanalyst

Author(s) : Dieter Adler

Reviews and Endorsements

Dieter Adler describes his best experiences in therapy as those in which he has been able to stimulate thought processes. The same applies to this book: He does not aim to convince his readers of anything, but what he writes is convincing. What matters to him is not to get his patients to adopt his views, but to help them achieve an inner growth that allows for different attitudes and behaviors and leads to greater life satisfaction. Using examples from his own life, those of others, and drawing on the values of other cultures, he explains how to find out what we truly need: The compass is feelings and trust in the needs of the unconscious, allowing detours in the course of life, being open to surprises and discoveries, and tackling the things that are worth striving for with passion.

Through the gateway of seemingly small matters, Adler talks of the big things in life, avoids overly clever words of wisdom, but is discerning and attentive to individual and context-related factors, be it with regard to goals like success, the importance of order, or other beliefs and feelings. The title provides the guiding theme of the book, whose style mirrors real life and is peppered with subtle humor and subversive irony, and in an almost casual way provides prompts that help the reader find answers. His principle of remaining true to oneself and to appreciate others can help fill life with vibrancy.
Deutsches Aerzteblatt (the official journal of the German Medical Association)