‘After some six decades of therapeutic practice and writing, I learned in a new and meaningful way how we humans – whether we’re in the cool, distanced medium of Zoom, or in the heat of real life – can create a startlingly honest and heartfelt connection that in a single hour can change one’s life.’ What does ‘the father of group therapy’ do at the age of 90, when he is still advising patients in the therapy sessions that have been his life’s work, and yet must face his increasing frailties and even his own mortality? Rather than melt into retirement, Dr Yalom develops another revolutionary approach. In Hour of the Heart , Dr Yalom captures profound moments with his patients that happen in the span of just one hour, with people he will never see again. Taking place over two years before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, and amid Dr Yalom’s grief over losing his wife, these sessions would, as Dr Yalom writes, ‘help to sustain my client and would profoundly alter my vision of what psychotherapy can do’. For any fans of Dr Yalom’s work, and for therapists and for those in training, Hour of the Heart is a collection of deeply moving personal stories that will tap into how powerful authentic human connection can be. While these one-hour sessions are, in many cases, just the start of these patients’ journeys, Dr Yalom’s insights, and his willingness to open himself up to his patients in a way rarely seen in therapy, are truly illuminating. Praise for A Matter of Death and Life -‘For over half a century, the eminent psychiatrist Irvin Yalom has dazzled the world with his stories of the human psyche packed with wisdom, insight, and humour. Now, with stunning candour and courage, he shares with us the most difficult experience of his life- the loss of his wife and steadfast companion since adolescence. Partners to the end, including in the co-writing of this book, they share an indelible portrait of bereavement – the terror, pain, denial, and reluctant acceptance. But what we are left with is much more than a profound story of enduring loss – it’s an unforgettable and achingly beautiful story of enduring love.
