★★★★★ 5
Don't miss out!
Format: Kindle
Though I knew of Irvin Yalom's books, I somehow missed reading any of them before, during or after my licensure as a mental health professional. "Creatures of a Day" is my first Yalom book, but with certainty, I can say that it won't be my last. For if his previous books are half as good as this one... they'll all be worth reading.
Creatures of a Day contains ten "portraits" of clients and Yalom's work with them. Portraits is the right word since the descriptions are so vivid and compelling that one might actually feel they're in the room watching Yalom and the clients do the dance of therapy. The topics of death and meaning in life connect the stories as one might expect from a humanist/existentialist therapist. More than one of the stories were sadly sweet and brought tears to my eyes as I read... yet I could not put down the book and read it within just a few sessions.
As a therapist, who also eschews diagnosis and manualized treatments, seeing a master therapist at work was invaluable. And surprisingly, Yalom doesn't gloss over the "mistakes" he makes or focus only on his expertise. This book more than anything shows the power of moments that matter, the healing connection that can happen when one person fully meets another where they're at.
All therapists should read this book, but it shouldn't be limited to professionals. Everyone will relate to these stories and the people they depict so humanly well... Don't miss out on Yalom's work, especially "Creatures of a Day."
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Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2015