Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom

Irvin D. Yalom is an American psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author, best known for his work in existential psychotherapy and for writing both academic texts and philosophical novels that explore the human condition. In his work, he identifies four "givens" or ultimate concerns of human existence in his therapeutic framework.

These are:

Death – The inevitability of death for oneself and others. The awareness of mortality can cause existential anxiety but can also motivate individuals to live authentically.

Freedom – The responsibility that comes with personal freedom. Unlike deterministic views, existentialism emphasizes that we create our own meaning, but this freedom can also be overwhelming.

Isolation – The unbridgeable gap between oneself and others. Even in deep relationships, there is an existential solitude that each person must ultimately face alone.

Meaninglessness – The lack of inherent meaning in life. Since there is no given purpose, individuals must create their own meaning, which can be both liberating and distressing.

We will take a look at this approach through two case studies from his book “Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy.”

Please plan to read the Prologue, Chapter 1 (Love's Executioner), and Chapter 9 (Therapeutic Monogamy).