Books / Clinical practice & common factors
The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients
Irvin D. Yalom’s collection of short reflections discusses psychotherapy and the relationship between therapist and client. The edition listed here is the 2003 Harper Perennial paperback.
Book details
Author of listed edition: Irvin D. Yalom
Edition: Harper Perennial paperback edition (2003; 1st ed. 2002)
Publisher: HarperCollins / Harper Perennial
Edition year: 2003
First published: 2002
Language and origin: English (United States)
Form and genre: Treatment Manual & Clinical Guide
Level: Introductory
Historical era: 1980–2009 · Evidence-Based, Trauma & Integrative Era
Covers: The therapeutic relationship and attention to the present moment; Therapist self-disclosure and the process of therapy; Existential concerns and the experience of being a therapist
APA 7th reference: Yalom, I. D. (2003). The gift of therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists and their patients. Harper Perennial.
What it is
The Gift of Therapy is a collection of clinical reflections by psychiatrist Irvin D. Yalom. A Japanese university library catalogue lists the Harper Perennial paperback in 2003, with a 2002 copyright date.
What it covers
The author’s contents page lists 85 short chapters, including chapters on the therapeutic relationship, attention to the present and therapist self-disclosure. In the introduction, Yalom describes an existential orientation and its influence on the therapeutic relationship.
Scope of the author’s perspective
Yalom explains that his advice draws on his own clinical practice with a particular group of patients and patterns of treatment. It should be read as his professional perspective rather than as a universal prescription for psychotherapy.
Limits of this entry
The author’s introduction and contents page were consulted; the complete book and paired chapter were not reviewed. The entry does not establish the effectiveness or suitability of any particular practice.
Paired academic and clinical scholarship
Paired work: Self-Disclosure (Clara E. Hill and Sarah Knox, 2002)
Reference: Hill, C. E., & Knox, S. (2002). Self-disclosure. In J. C. Norcross (Ed.), Psychotherapy relationships that work: Therapist contributions and responsiveness to patients (pp. 255–265). Oxford University Press.
A chapter on therapist self-disclosure. Its full text was not consulted for this entry, so it is not used to establish the effects of particular practices.
Source-mapped claims and evidence notes
Claim 1: Yalom presents the book as 85 short chapters offering suggestions for therapy. (The author’s contents page and introduction were consulted; the complete book was not reviewed.) [Source 2: Yalom, I. D. The Gift of Therapy: Contents. Author website.]
Sources and inspection notes
Yalom, I. D. The Gift of Therapy: Introduction. Author website.
Supports: Author’s introduction describes his clinical background, scope and existential orientation. The complete book was not reviewed.
Yalom, I. D. The Gift of Therapy: Contents. Author website.
Supports: Author’s contents page describes 85 chapters and lists their topics.
Supports: Catalogue search record lists Harper Perennial, 2003, copyright 2002. ISBN is omitted because a publisher record was not verified.