World-famous psychotherapist Irvin Yalom despises the formal approach. He argues that an individual method should be invented for each patient, because each of them has his own unique story.
“…It is impossible to know for sure how psychotherapy will work. We psychotherapists are so passionate about certainty in our work and try to be regulated empiricists, trying to put the broken elements in our patients’ stories right or put everything in a logical sequence. However, the reality of our work does not fit into this model, and we often improvise as we, along with our patient, stumble on the road to recovery. It used to take away my strength, but now, in my golden years, I mentally whistle in admiration for the complexity and unpredictability of human thought and behavior. Now, instead of being bothered by uncertainty, I realized that it is pure arrogance to claim that anything is unambiguous. Now, the only thing I know for sure is that if I can create an authentic and caring environment, then my patients will find the help they need, often in surprising ways that I could never have predicted or imagine».
- Irvin Yalom: «I don’t want to keep my distance»