Irvin Yalom is a name you may not know, but he is a well-known name in the world of psychiatry. He was influential in the field of existential psychotherapy, and some of his principles and ideas are still being taught today. Using his principles may be able to help others get the assistance they need through therapy. Take a look at this article to learn more about this significant man.

What Is Existential?

This term refers to being concerned with being human and what takes place in your life. In other words, it takes a look at the big happenings in life. Existential psychology looks at these greatevents and how they may cause you challenges, as well as what you can do about them. Existentialism is a school of thought that was included in a number of books by various philosophers, including Sartre and Nietzsche.

Facts About Irvin Yalom

Here is a look at six facts about this influential psychiatrist, and how he contributed to specific psychological principles.

1. He was born in Washington, D.C. Yalom was born in 1931 and lived in Washington, D.C. with his parents, who owned and ran a grocery store.
2. Yalom attended George Washington University. He also attended Boston University Medical School for his medical degree and spent time at Mount Sinai Hospital and atPhipps Clinic. He began his teaching career with Stanford University.
3. He published The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, which is still relevant today. Group therapy is still utilized, for several different conditions. It involves having more than one person in a therapy session at once. To learn more about Yalom and his work with group therapy, you can refer to this article: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/irvin-yalom-group-therapy-perspectives-and-principles/.
4. He is considered a key player in the field of existential psychotherapy. Existential psychotherapy involves being honest about what a human being can accomplish and looks at life and problems in life, using somewhat of a philosophical approach.
5. He went on to write more than five books, some of which have been published in the 21st century. He not only wrote books that revolved around topics in the field of psychotherapy, but he also wrote multiple fiction books.
6. You can see him in a documentary he appeared in. Yalom appeared in a documentary called Flight from Death in 2003. There is also a 2007 documentary that is based on one of his books entitled When Nietzsche Wept, and a film about his life from 2014 called Yalom’s Cure.

The 4 Principles

Even though Yalom was not the only psychiatrist that is talked about when existential psychology is discussed, his four principles are still used and considered the norm when it comes to this type of psychology. These include death, meaning, isolation, and freedom.

How Does Existential Psychotherapy Help?

If a person is experiencing anxiety or other feelings concerning the principles discussed above, existential psychotherapy may be prescribed in order to help them. A therapist will talk you through what you should expect from yourself and what is not reasonable to expect. They may also help you celebrate what you have done and change how you think about life in general. A therapist can even talk to you about group therapy in relation to existential psychotherapy, since it may be able to do some good. When you can work with others who are experiencing similar things, you may be able to get additional perspectives that can help you adjust how you feel about your life. If you feel overwhelminganxiety for any reason, you should seek out help when you need it. There are many types of therapy that may be able to help you.

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

Author: Marie Miguel

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