Who Is Irvin Yalom & What Are His Contributions To Psychology?

Irvin Yalom is one of the most influential psychiatrists and educators in the modern age, and his work has been relevant for decades. This article will discuss Yalom’s background, his significance in psychiatry and psychotherapy, and how his teachings can potentially benefit your life.

Yalom was born in Washington D.C. to parents of Russian background, where he spent much of his time reading and would frequently make trips to the local library since reading was his “refuge” due to the condition of the neighborhood that he grew up in. 

While he did enjoy non-fiction and consumed what his library had to offer, Yalom found non-fiction more inspiring, and according to his biography, some of his favorite authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy would influence his career plans. Instead of going into business, he would embark on the path to medical school to become a psychiatrist because he believed that this was closer to what these authors did. 

Education

After receiving his bachelor's degree from George Washington University in 1952, Yalom attended the Boston University School of Medicine and obtained his doctor of medicine degree in 1956. He would then complete internships and training at Mount Sinai Hospital and John Hopkins Hospital by 1960.

Following his service in the army, Irvin Yalom joined Stanford University as a faculty member, and in 1968, he became a tenured professor. It was during this time, he would contribute to scientific journals and write books, particularly on the practice of group therapy (which you can read about here); however, he also wrote and developed his own model of existential psychotherapy, which is perhaps what he is best known for.

Existential Psychotherapy

According to Yalom, many people’s mental health issues can stem from struggles with their existence. In Yalom’s concept of existential psychotherapy, there are four main aspects or ultimate concerns of the human condition:

• Mortality
• Isolation
• Freedom
• Meaninglessness

People can respond to these ideas in positive and productive ways, but many people don’t, and instead, experience a great deal of stress and anxiety towards them.

For example, it’s very common for people to experience a fear of dying. The thought of no longer existing is something that can create a tremendous amount of fear, and therefore, people will often go to great lengths to try to control or ensure their chances of surviving by trying to avoid harm at all costs, but this can make people feel trapped.

Isolation is another common concern that people have; humans inherently have a need for a sense of belonging. While people can have a fear of dying, many people fear dying alone more and people may feel more vulnerable when by themselves. 

On the other hand, there is also an innate desire for freedom and to have a sense of control and independence over our own lives. It’s normal for people to fear being taken into captivity and losing their freedoms, and many people have valued freedom more than their own lives, as history has shown.

Lastly, people also want to have meaning and a sense of purpose in their lives, and if they feel like their life is not going anywhere, or even pointless, this can lead to many mental health issues and negatively affect a person’s decision making and other choices in life.

In many ways, these four ultimate concerns coined by Yalom are intertwined, and if you’re experiencing troubles with any of these, the assistance of a psychotherapist is highly recommended to help you sort out your thoughts. With support from others, you can find a sense of purpose and learn how to live life to the fullest without worrying about things that can’t be controlled.

Conclusion

Irvin Yalom is still practicing to this day and is one of the greatest contemporary psychologists of all time. He continues to teach psychotherapy techniques and has written fictional novels and stories to try to better illustrate the concepts of existential psychology. These books will teach up-and-coming mental health professionals for years to come and add to his legacy.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)