The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients: Revised Edition

The culmination of master psychiatrist Dr Irvin Yalom's forty-five years' work as a therapist, this book illustrates through real case studies how patients and therapists alike can get the most out of therapy. Presented as eighty-five 'tips' for 'beginner therapists', Yalom shares his own fresh approach and the insights he has gained while treating his patients. Personal, and sometimes provocative, Yalom includes some unorthodox suggestions: Let the patient matter to you; Acknowledge your errors; Create a new therapy for each patient; Three kinds of therapist self-disclosure; Revealing the therapist's personal life: use caution; Full interpretation of a dream? Forget it!; Freud was not always wrong. This is an entertaining, informative and insightful read for both beginner (and experienced) therapists, patients, students and everyone with an interest in the subject.