The term "existential psychotherapy" cannot be succinctly defined, as the existential orientation is based not on empirical foundations but on deep intuition. I will start by providing an official definition, and then throughout the book, I will present data that clarifies this definition: existential psychotherapy is a dynamic therapeutic approach that addresses concerns rooted in human existence.

My digressions into Philosophy will be brief and practical; I will limit myself to areas that can be clinically applied. A professional philosopher would not be wrong to consider me a pirate who only seizes the gems and leaves behind their intricate and valuable bindings.

Throughout the book, the voices of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Kafka, Sartre, Camus, and many other recognized masters will be heard. Great literature survives because something in the reader's soul embraces its truth, as Freud pointed out in his analysis of Oedipus Rex.

For the preparation of this book, Yalom needed ten years of studying philosophical texts to delineate and construct the philosophical foundation of existential theory in a way that could be integrated into the psychodynamic approach and applied in the daily practice of psychotherapy. The initial edition of Existential Psychotherapy has never been revised, and as Yalom himself states, it served as a source and basis for all his subsequent literary works, through which any revisions and specializations have taken place.

This very element makes Existential Psychotherapy a valuable book for both specialists and the general public. For specialists, it paves the way for understanding the contribution of existential issues to the events of psychotherapy. For the general public, it serves as a guide to gain a deeper and more complete understanding of the literary work they so love.

The division of the work into four major categories of existential issues concerning each of our lives (Death, Freedom, Meaning, Isolation), enriched with psychotherapeutic material and, where necessary, personal examples, makes this volume both a manual for psychotherapists of all theoretical orientations and a guide for life for the general public.

Drawing from clinical experience, clinical research, philosophy, and great literature, Yalom writes a broad and comprehensive book that can serve as a mental starting point for therapists in their clinical experience while simultaneously opening new avenues for exploration. Here, for the first time, the fundamental questions concerning psychotherapy intertwined with the central issues of human experience are presented.

This remarkable treatise explores the relationship between psychotherapy and the major dilemmas of existence. A product of long-term clinical experience, critically assimilated by a psychiatrist of great sensitivity, knowledge, and skill, it is an impressive achievement. It is written with clarity yet also with liveliness, ensured by the author's humorous and witty comments. The book can offer a great deal to therapists who grapple daily with human issues... but also provides a rich and unique reading experience for those who contemplate broader issues of human life.

Once again, Irvin Yalom writes an exceptionally substantial and timeless book. Here, he crystallizes the essence of existential psychotherapy. By offering numerous clinical examples and a comprehensive review of the available literature, he composes a study of the conflicts arising from man's confrontation with certain supreme anxieties: death, freedom, isolation, and the lack of meaning. It should be read by every resident psychiatrist and every training psychologist and should be present in the library of every psychotherapist.