Irvin Yalom has steadfastly incorporated existential themes into his work, and thus is no stranger to death. With a career as a therapist, writer and educator that spans over six decades, he has helped many others grapple with issues of grief and loss. And yet never before has this topic become more personal than when, in 2019, his beloved wife Marilyn died. In this moving interview with Brazilian psychiatrist Daniel Barros, Yalom discusses the book he co-wrote with Marilyn in the final year of her life and his own deeply personal experience with mourning.
As Yalom explores this new and painful emotional terrain, he challenges us to question our own work with grieving patients by seeking deeper clarity into our own existential questions around life, death, and loss. And while he laments the unceasing forward march of memory loss, he models for us that despite growing frailty, there are fruits to harvest through ongoing intellectual endeavors and connection with loved ones. Regardless of where you are in your own life’s journey, Yalom’s reflections will inspire you to live fully with kindness and without regrets.
