The Gift of Therapy

WORKING ON ONESELF

Irvin Yalom is an American psychiatrist and psychotherapist, as well as a prolific author. The existential psychotherapy approach he advocates, rooted in Husserl’s phenomenology, aligns closely with the Meisner technique as we practice it in class. An enjoyable read, this book is filled with anecdotes and reflections on what constitutes therapeutic self-work, which is invaluable for the contemporary actor. This aligns with the psychological reinforcement sessions we touch upon individually. The book also draws inspiration from Letters to a Young Poet.

"For many of our patients, the realm of intimacy is a source of conflict, and therapy helps them simply because they maintain an intimate relationship with the therapist. (...) A warm and intimate therapeutic relationship that does not lead to the feared catastrophe becomes a corrective emotional experience."