Book Review The Gift of Therapy by Y.D. Yalom - 2207 Words

ï ¿ ½ PAGE * MERGEFORMAT ï ¿ ½1ï ¿ ½ THE INTRODUCTION Dr. D, Irvin Yolam the author of The Gift of Therapy and over ten (10) other books, is a million copy best selling author who is a world known and recognizable therapist who has gain recognition for his contribution to the field of therapy. Having done a magnitude of work in the field of therapy, the scholar who was once a professor at the Stanford University has written and dedicated the book The gift of Therapy to his wife Marilyn for over fifty years and fellow therapist and clients, whom he tries to encourage and educate about the possible dos and donts of the profession. The book The Gift of therapy was first published in 2002 by HarperCollins publishers. Coming out of the book Irvin†¦show more content†¦The antagonists in this book are his patient from whom he elicits permission before using them. The author uses scenarios from some of his therapy sessions to evoke alertness in his audience as well as to provide a practical framework with which they can relate or be guided as therapists or future therapists. THE PLOT Irvin Yolam the protagonist in the novel The Gift of Therapy presented a series of eighty-five (85) short chapters of which twenty-seven (27) starting from chapters 31-58 will be discussed. Being the protagonist, Yolam had quite a few antagonists who were presented in the mentioned chapters as his patients from prior therapy sessions. A number of themes were identified and discuss in the twenty-seven chapters studied, these include; disclosure, death, feedback, isolation, meaning to life, and freedom among others. The themes disclosure and death will be examined to a greater extent as is presented in the book. The protagonist discussed the theme of disclosure where a patient may struggle with thoughts that he or she believes is unique to him or her and might find great difficulty in surpassing or to overcome. Yolam highlighted the fact that group counseling can be rewarding for patients suffering from a lack of disclosure where they are given the opportunity to listen to other persons with the same or