The Story of Irvin Yalom Yalom s Cure (2014), USA. Directed by Sabine Gisiger. Reviewed by Louis Hoffman and Anne Hsu Copyright American Psychological Association. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psyccritiques/ DOI of final published version: 10.1037/a0039576..
Irvin Yalom is one of the best-known and most influential contemporary psychotherapists. In many ways, it is quite ironic that Yalom has become an iconic figure and yet represents an approach to therapy existential therapy that is certainly not a mainstream approach to therapy and frequently is misunderstood by many therapists and counselors. While some of Yalom s popularity is a result of his work in group therapy (Yalom, 2005), his group books also reflect the existential perspective that is pervasive throughout his writing, including stories of psychotherapy (Yalom, 1989; 2015), psychological novels (Yalom 1992, 2006), and career reflections and advice to young therapists (Yalom, 2002). We had the opportunity to watch Yalom s Cure at the 2015 World Congress of Existential Therapy in London, England. This was the largest gathering of existential therapists in history. On opening night of the Congress, Yalom s Cure was shown followed by Orah Krug interviewing Yalom via Skype. It was evident that the large crowd gathered to watch the documentary and interview were deeply appreciative of Yalom, even if all may not align with his approach to existential therapy. Yalom s influence has drawn many to the practice of existential therapy and served to help others better understand this approach. Yet, it is also important to recognize that Yalom s approach to existential therapy represents one of many different approaches (Cooper, 2003). Yalom s Cure is more about the person of Yalom than the theories of Yalom. While the film has a smattering of his ideas, including various quotes from Yalom s writing, this is not the primary focus. Instead, the focus is on telling Yalom s story, including the story of his family. Water Yalom s Cure opens with an image of a boat cruising along the water. Shortly after, Yalom s voice enters inviting the audience to question where they are at on the journey of life
and death. His voice ranges from silence to laughter, from pensive to playful. The tonalities emerge from the screen like an endearing invitation from a distant friend with 80 years of introspective life experience. Throughout the film, the water theme revisits with lone islands unwavering to the constant flow of water, views of the glistening water and crashing waves, clips of swimming and diving, Yalom and his wife enjoying a soak in the hot tub, and the sound of water in motion in the background. These transient scenes, long pauses for silence, and Yalom s words embody the way of being and becoming, and the authentic confronting of the existential givens, that have been pervasive in his writing. The various images of water linger whenever Yalom recurrently expresses the value of self-reflection and authenticity with self and others. Self awareness is a terrible treasure, he said. The water seems to symbolize the constant flow that is often part of the self-reflective process. This flow can at once be peaceful and ominous, gentle and powerful. Yet, for Yalom, it is vital that we embrace this process for all that it entails. On Becoming an Existential Therapist Claypool (2011), as a part of dissertation research, interviewed 5 influential existential psychologists regarding their path to identifying with the existential approach. Yalom s path bears much similarity with the themes identified by Claypool. Of the six main themes, Yalom s path as presented in the documentary fit well with all except for spiritual sensibility. For instance, Claypool s study found the non-psychological influences of philosophy, literature, and the arts to be prominent. Similarly, Claypool found common themes of disenchantment with traditional psychotherapy, a focus on deepening self-awareness and experiences, genuine personal encounters, personal struggle, and influence from clients as being important factors
influencing the identification with an existential approach. All of these are also witnessed in Yalom s Cure. A closer examine of Claypool s (2011) study does not suggest that certain historical factors played a determining role in these individuals becoming existential psychologists. Rather, it was an interaction of interests, life events, and stances toward life events that influenced them. For example, these individuals had a tendency to value facing and embracing one s suffering. This is not because they wanted to suffer, but rather all were able to find some blessings through the process of examining their suffering. This fits well with Rollo May s (1981) conception of freedom and destiny. May, who was a mentor to Yalom, advocated that people are both free (i.e., freedom) and determined (i.e., destiny). It is the interaction of freedom and destiny, particularly the interaction of how one chooses to respond to their destiny, that results in the individual, unique character of each person. Marriage Yalom s marriage was prominent in the documentary. His love relationship with his wife, Marilyn, is a model relationship for many, including their children. Despite the great example of love they have set, all four of their children divorced. This fact was difficult for Yalom to share; however, one suspects that for Yalom to be anything but authentic would be even more difficult. The picture introduces Yalom s marriage with Marilyn s laughter followed by a scene of the two sharing a private conversation while soaking in a small hot tub under the night sky. An outsider may superficially see a couple that has shared their life together basking in love. However, to offer a deeper perspective, Yalom and Marilyn also disclosed difficult times, including times when they were out of love. They were able to sustain their marriage and maintain a strong love. As Yalom says in the documentary,
Love is not just a passion spark between two people, there s infinitive difference between falling in love and standing in love. The idea is that you stand in love, not fall in love, trying to live in such a way as to always bringing something more to the live in the other. Perhaps it is too common to readily equate love with romance, thus failing to appreciate the beauty of standing in love until its time to enjoy the night sky after passion ceases. The wisdom of the Yaloms demonstrates that marriage can be inclusive of romantic love while also being much more. They both spoke of the early romantic days, beauty of the relationship as they grew older, and the times of struggle and beauty in between. As they spoke, there was an appreciation for all the various shades of their relationship. Yalom cautions in Love s Executioner that, the good therapist fights darkness and seeks illumination, while romantic love is sustained by mystery and crumbles upon inspection. I hate to be love s executioner (p. 15). Yet, in the relationship between Yalom and Marilynn, there seems to be an embracement of some sustained mystery and excitement alongside the insight of reflection and honestly of facing the realities of their relationship over time. Conclusion Yalom s influence on contemporary psychology is powerful and pervasive. This influence extends well beyond the United States to include many different locations around the world, from South America to Europe to China. Yalom has been bold in creating his own approaches to working with groups (Yalom, 2005) and individual clients (Yalom, 1980). The documentary reveals a different side of Yalom, the personal side, which was quite endearing. Although Yalom has, in many ways, been more personally revealing that most influential therapists, this film goes into greater depth showing the man behind the theory and books. If you are looking for a documentary that provides a thorough overview of Yalom s psychotherapy
approach, this film will not fulfill that desire. However, if you want to gain greater insight into the person who developed these approaches, as well as some wonderful life lessons, this is a lovely film that is well worth watching. References Claypool, T. (2011). On becoming an existential psychologist: The journeys of contemporary leaders. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (Order No. 3412340). Cooper, M. (2003). Existential therapies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. May, R. (1981). Freedom and destiny. New York, NY: Norton. Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York, NY: Basic Books. Yalom, I. D. (1989). Love s executioner & other tales of psychotherapy. New York, NY: HarperPerennnial. Yalom, I. D. (1992). When Nietzsche wept: A novel of obsession. New York, NY: HarperPerennnial. Yalom, I. D. (2002). The gift of therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists and their patients. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Yalom, I. D. (2005). Theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5 th ed.). New York, NY: Basic Books. Yalom, I. D. (2006). The Schopenhauer cure: A novel. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Yalom, I. D. (2015). Creatures of a day and other tales of psychotherapy. London, United Kingdom: Piatkus.