Hour of the Heart

Connecting in the Here and Now

De: Irvin D. Yalom

Narrado por: Benjamin Yalom, Sean Pratt

A deeply moving and revealing chronicle of the challenges and breakthroughs that come from a wholly new practice of one-hour, one-time-only sessions, from one of the most prominent psychotherapists of our time

Facing memory loss at age ninety-three as well as the fallout from a global pandemic that moved much of daily life online, legendary psychotherapist and bestselling author Irvin D. Yalom was forced to vastly reconsider the shape of his sessions with patients. Rather than throw in the towel in the face of change, Dr. Yalom considered head-on the limitations imposed by these new realities and revolutionized his practice. Turning his focus to what might be achieved in a one-hour, one-time-only meeting between patient and practitioner, Dr. Yalom employed an even more concerted use of his “here and now” approach.

In Hour of the Heart, Yalom recounts some of these intense, life-changing sessions, exploring an array of human predicaments and his own late-career development as a therapist. In recounting these consultations, he shows how a therapist’s willingness to be open helps patients let down their own guards, leading to a deeper and more immediate connection—one necessary to achieving profound realizations in just sixty minutes. This vulnerability led Yalom to disclose details about his personal life that he might previously have kept hidden from patients, including his traumatic childhood in Washington, DC, the evolution of his thinking about philosophy and psychotherapy, and the recent death of his wife. Throughout, he pushes the boundaries of self-revelation as a therapeutic tool.

Life is precious and our time together short. Written in collaboration with his son, Hour of the Heart shows us how to relate to each other better in the moment, with more honesty and vulnerability. That hour of connection, occurring during a time of isolation and grief for so many, helped to sustain both patient and therapist, and enriched Yalom’s vision of what psychotherapy can do.

©2024 Irvin D. Yalom (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

SO happy I chose to read/listen to this!

Touching and meaningful for any clinician or just a fellow traveler! The reader's skill was warm and compelling too.

honesty

his style and approach are very important and worth hearing by a lay person

Again, yalom does not disappoint

I'm just so thrilled that Yalom keeps on writing. Whether one calls him a wordsmith or describes him as "having a golden tongue," is unimportant.
Each topic is skillfully integrated into another beautiful teaching text. I've been following him for 30 years.
I've iread most of his book at least x2.
This did not desappoint.
may the forces of universe continue toallow him to live on this earth

Great Book on connecting and aging

I highly recommend this book, especially for those who love Yalom and his existential counseling. Also, this book is wonderful about being honest about aging and losing his spouse. He’s over 90 now.

Irvin Yalom is one of my favorite writers and I really enjoyed this book about Yalom’s life and counseling. Due to his failing memory, Yalom needed to switch to one-hour sessions, but he still connected with his patients in the here and how—and helped them.

I loved how Yalom was brutally honest about his aging process—I hopefully will age with dignity like he is aging.

Great listen. The narrator and Irvin’s son Benjamin did a fantastic job reading this book.

Overall comments?
As with most of his other books, Yalom is a master storyteller. I felt I could relate to him as a counselor and the client! He is still a master at this! I was very sorry and sad at the end of the book when I found out that Yalom stopped taking patients—I had thought about hooking up with him on Zoom and started writing my letter to him... I don’t mind if he forgets, he is still the master counselor and existential therapist. I plan on purchasing his next book!

Fabulous, Vulnerable

I am a fellow Counselor My practice was founded on Yalom’s work, along with Frankl’s, May’s and others.
All of Dr. Yalom’s teachings/writings have impacted my life professionally and personally.
Thank you, Dr.Yalom for this book most all. Exploring aging and finding meaning and purpose.
The One Hour Consultations inspire me. After 37 years in this beautiful field, I am now exploring ways of finding meaning after health issues. You have opened up possibilities.
As someone who was a caregiver for a parent with dementia- your insights, struggles, your vulnerability are genuine and raw and I thank you for this.

A glimpse at the marvelous mind of Irvin Yalom as he approaches the end of

Irvin’s internal monologues about death, memory loss, and loss of his wife are bleak but some of the most fascinating of his writings

Stick with it, it’s worth it

Loved the vignettes from sessions. About a quarter through I started to get bored, but I stuck with it and definitely enjoyed it.