3.25 CE Credits Available
Irvin Yalom: Foundations of My Life and Work
by Irvin Yalom & Victor Yalom
In this poignant, intimate and in-depth interview with his son, Victor, Irvin Yalom weaves together the central ideas and key life experiences that have formed the basis for his contributions to psychotherapy.

Irvin Yalom has been widely considered one of the most influential psychotherapists in our generation. Now, for the first time, you’ll get a front row seat as Victor Yalom probes deeply into his work and life. Spanning over 60 years in the field of psychotherapy, this three-and-a-half-hour interview covers the full range of Yalom’s contributions, from his groundbreaking model of group therapy, to the development of his existentially-oriented approach, to his steadfast insistence on the importance of therapist transparency and authenticity.

Viewers will get a much deeper and more personal understanding of Yalom’s contributions, will be inspired to take risks with clients--and to encourage clients to follow suit--and to be more vulnerable in their work as therapists. You’ll learn tools for working in the here-and-now of the therapy hour, gain insights into how to introduce existential themes, and will be more empowered to use many of the riches of his ideas in your sessions immediately. The warmth between father and son yields rich stories and details about the life of one of psychotherapy’s most iconic thinkers. Add this video, along with the Irvin Yalom in Session series, to your library today!

If you’re already a Yalom fan, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to get to know Irv and his work on whole new level. And if you’re not, see why his work has had such a profound influence on therapists worldwide, regardless of their theoretic approach or the population they serve.

What therapists are saying…

“Irvin Yalom is a master story teller who holds the viewer spellbound. I never lost interest watching this dialogue between him and his son, as they discussed the intricacies of therapy. Dr. Yalom's sharp, quick mind allows him to discuss significant topics including authenticity, self-disclosure, life and death, and risk-taking in a way that is comfortable and relaxed yet profoundly thought provoking at the same time. I highly recommend the video for student therapists as well as seasoned clinicians like myself. I will use what I learned in my practice and will pass along as I supervise students.”

—Kim Lampson, PhD, Professor of Graduate Psychology, Northwest University
“Dr. Victor Yalom conducts an unprecedented and intriguing interview with his father, Dr. Irvin Yalom, during which we are treated to a thorough overview of the long career and major contributions of Irvin Yalom in his founding work in the American context of existential therapy, as well as his extraordinary innovations and applications in interpersonal group therapy. The interview organically interweaves personal (and often astonishing) anecdotes about Yalom's relationships with seminal figures such as Rollo May and Victor Frankl with the foundational and philosophical sources of Yalom's most important ideas.”

—Drake Spaeth, PsyD, Associate Professor, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
“The personal interview conducted by Yalom’s son, Victor, along with videos of Yalom working with three different clients, provide a wonderful combination of information about the history of psychotherapy from Yalom’s perspective, his existential approach to psychotherapy, and the application of his methods with real life clients.”

—Janet M. Glaes, PhD, Program Director, Master of Arts in Counseling, Spring Arbor University, MI
In Depth
Specs
Bios
CE Test
This is an in-depth, intimate interview by Irvin’s son, psychologist Victor Yalom, who perhaps knows his work better than anyone. Throughout the discussion you’ll see how Yalom’s ideas tie together. For example, you'll see how his emphasis on the here-and-now in his group psychotherapy model influenced his way of working in individual therapy, where again he found that attending closely to interactions in the session enlivens the therapist-client encounter, and sheds light on the client’s interpersonal world.

You’ll follow the arc of Yalom’s life and career, from his early interest in literature (inspired in part by his relationship and marriage with his wife Marilyn Yalom, herself an accomplished scholar and writer), to his early training as a psychiatrist, his first groups with breast cancer patients, and how he integrated ideas from existential philosophy into his work.

You’ll also learn about about Yalom’s encounters with legends in the field such as Viktor Frankl, Rollo May, and Virginia Satir. This interview, part of the series Irvin Yalom and the Art of Psychotherapy, was published just weeks after Becoming Myself: A Psychiatrist’s Memoir, and is a testament to Yalom’s immense contribution to our field.

Length of video: 3:23:03

English subtitles available

Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-537-8

Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-537-3

Psychiatrist and author Irvin Yalom, MD has been a major figure in the field of psychotherapy since he first wrote The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy in 1970 (now in it's 5th edition). Other significant contributions have included Existential Psychotherapy, and NY Times Bestseller Loves Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy. He has written four novels on psychotherapy: When Nietzsche Wept, Lying on the Couch, The Schopenhauer Cure, and The Spinoza Problem.  His works, translated into over 20 languages, have been widely read by therapists and non-therapists alike. Visit Dr. Yalom's website.


See all Irvin Yalom Videos

Victor Yalom, PhD is the founder and resident cartoonist of Psychotherapy.net. He maintained a busy private practice in San Francisco for over 25 years, but now sees only a few clients, devoting the bulk of his time to creating new training videos for Psychotherapy.net. He has produced over 100 videos, conducted workshops in existential-humanistic and group therapy in the US, Mexico, and China, and currently leads consultation groups for therapists.  More info on Victor and his artwork and sculpture at sfpsychologist.com.

CE credits: 3.25

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the many intellectual influences that shaped Irvin Yalom's career
  • List the key concepts of Yalom's approach to group therapy
  • Discuss how Yalom integrates existentialism into group psychotherapy

Bibliography available upon request

This course is offered for ASWB ACE credit for social workers. See complete list of CE approvals here

© 2017

Course Reviewed January 2024

You May Also Like…