A Case from the Clinical Practice of Irwin Yalom - Essay Example

? Abnormal Psychology Task Summary Yalom expresses his enthralling sight into the peoples wants hence telling us his real life story as he tries hard to fight-back to reconcile with human reactions as a psychiatrist, for example, he fought darkness to search illumination. When Thelma told him that she was in love, he never hesitated for even a single second to admit Thelma for the treatment. Every time when he stared at her and examined her condition, her shrunken hands kept sending signals to him that she cannot be in love with her, he wonder how could love decide to destroy and torture such kind of a body. He wondered if the intense feelings of love was hidden somewhere in paradise. Moreover, Thelma’s poor condition did not surprise him since he knew how being in love always brings about excess pain. Shockingly, her love was horribly out of control, the love had no pleasure to express and her life was in full agony. He agreed to Thelma because he was precisely sure that of what she was undergoing, he did not do it from love but for the condition that she thought they were in love. Even though he was not sure to help her but he was deceived that the fake love could ignite a trouble that would put into light the unknown love. When Thelma and Yalom first met, Thelma did not return her smile when he greeted her in the waiting room but immediately they entered the office, she did not mind much about her vicinity. She got down to the chair immediately and without mentioning any word to him or removing her heavy jacket, after sometime, she looked him straight into the eye and started her story. Yalom listened to Thelma more attentively because he believed that the first statements are always preternaturally informative. Words always allow one to get close to the other, but for Thelma’s case, it was something different. Because Thelma though Yalom was not believing the part of the story, she had to produce some pictures that she carried in her pockets to convince Yalom. Even though he did not say anything about not believing her, Thelma was guilty enough to produce some evidences; she was having an affair with her therapist. Despite all that, Yalom did not try to protest against her because there was no time for bravery and something absurd was looming in the air about this aged and love sick woman. He found out that for the past twenty years Thelma was chronically demoralized with the continuous treatment of psychiatric. Her therapy took place at a local health clinic, where her medications were taking place by series of trainees. She commenced her treatments eleven years ago with a young and handsome psychology called Mathew, due to the therapy; they had to meet weekly for the first eight months, this act continued on not exceeding another one-year. when Mathew promotion marked the end of them from seeing each other, Thelma could not bear the pain of losing Mathew and say goodbye, to her, he was the best ever therapist and she was never totally open with anyone before as she had with Mathew, he was scrupulously honest and gentle to her. Thelma talked good of Mathew for a long period, for example “he was different and caring and introduced me to spiritual and dimension found in life”. Mathew taught me several things, things like caring for all the living things generally, he helped me know my reasons of being in this world, but he was not bragging about anything. Thelma was highly vivacious, when she uttered her words off and changing directions down to the earth as well as up to the clouds as she was talking to him. He noticed she liked reminiscing Matthew. Yalom in the story loves the way Thelma was tousling with him while she was expressing herself, for example, Thelma said, “He never let me get away with anything and he always let me know of my mistakes.” Yalom in the book is depicted as a young psychiatrist man, who is ready to listen to the people problem and assist them to his best knowledge. When Thelma told him that she was hopelessly in love, He could not hesitate on anything though gave her all the necessary required treatments, being a great psychiatrist, he tried hard to fight all the evil or darkness in Thelma by seeking illumination. Since Thelma is suffering from the pain of being in love, it is conspicuous enough that falling in love vehemently could be costly. For instance Thelma’s case express how she was terribly in agony, when she was greeted in the waiting room and she did not return the smile and when she got into the office, she did not inspect the office, she just sat down and started to tell her part of the story. Moreover, she did not unbutton the heavy jacket she was putting over her jogging suit, this is again seen as someone who is being tortured mentally, and she cannot thinks straight because she does not seem to care what is happening around her, what she is thinking of specifically is her lost love. Thelma explains how Mathew showed her things of the world, this part depicts an excellent relationship between Mathew and Thelma, and she keeps on telling Yalom how good Mathew was, because of this, Thelma could not get Mathew out of her mind despite her old age. Love's Executioner Yalom states that he does not fancy working with patients who are deeply involved in love. This might be probable because he envies them and because he desires fascination and enchantment. Conceivably, it is for the reason that psychotherapy and love are principally unable to get along. On one hand, the first-rated therapist curbs darkness and looks for illumination, while on the other hand; romantic love is upheld by disintegrations and mystery upon scrutiny. The author hates to be love’s assassin. In the initial minutes of their foremost interviews Thelma, said that she had no meaning in life, thus, she was hopeless, deeply in love and not even for a single moment was Thelma uncertain to allow her for diagnosis and treatment. All he perceived in her first glimpse- her crumpled seventy-year-old expression characterized by that senile cheek shudder, her thinning, lightened, untidy yellow hair, withered blue veined hands- informed Thelma that he had to be misguided, that she could not love someone. A question is asked how possibly might love have preferred to devastate that frail, teetering elderly body, or accommodate itself in that formless polyester jogging outfit? Furthermore, where was the sentiment of love ecstasy and bliss? Thelma's endurance did not puzzle her, love being constantly tainted by hurting; but hers was gruesomely out of equilibrium—it had no bliss at all, her entire life was only an agony. Therefore, Yalom decided to diagnose her because he was certain she was in agony, not necessarily originating from love, but its origin being a unique variant that she misplaced for love. Not only did Yalom suppose that he was able to assist Thelma but was intrigued by the thought that this bogus love could be an inspiration that might lighten up some of the profound vagueness of love. During their first meeting, Thelma was distant and stiff. She had not reciprocated Yalom’s smile when saluted in the waiting area and was behind her one or two strides as she was being escorted down the hallway. On entering the office, Thelma could not even look around the surroundings for inspection but rather sat down almost immediately. Furthermore, without even waiting for remarks from Yalom or even unbuttoning her heavy jacket she had over her jogging outfit, Thelma took a sharp profound breath and started narrating that: She had a love affair with her therapist eight years ago. Form that time the therapist has on no account left her psyche. She once wanted to kill herself and considers being successful in the next time. She acclaimed that Yalom was her final hope. Yalom always listen cautiously the pioneer remarks. They are frequently preternaturally enlightening and foreshadow the kind of bond he will be capable of forming with a patient. Word usually allows a person to entangle with another’s life, but the tone of Thelma’s voice had no incitement for one to come closer. She further exclaimed that lest Yalom had a tough time believing her, perhaps these would assist. She got into a washed out ruby drawstring purse gave him two aged snaps. The initial photograph was of a juvenile gorgeous dancer in a sleek black leotard. Yalom was worried, when he gazed into the look of that dancer, to meet up Thelma's big eyes staring out at him athwart the decades. Thelma exclaimed at one of the photos when she saw Yalom turning to the next snap of a handsome sixty-year old stolid woman, which was taken approximately a decade ago. Crossing her fingers throughout her untidy hair, she exclaims that she no longer tends to her general outlook. Despite the fact that Yalom had a hard time imagining this scruffy aged woman having a thing with her doctor, he had uttered zilch about not deeming her right. Actually, he had articulated zero at all. He had strived to uphold total objectivity but she possibly might have become aware of some proof of disbelief, some diminutive cue, possibly a minuscule broadening of his eyes. Yalom chose not to object her allegation that he doubted her. This was never a time for heroism and there was something inappropriate in the thought of a scruffy seventy-year-old angered, love-ailing person. She realized that, he knew it, and she realized he knew it. Yalom quickly realized that over the previous two decades she had been constantly miserable and in Psychiatric handling almost endlessly. Largely of her therapy had been found at the neighboring county psychological health center, where a number of apprentices had diagnosed her. With reference to eleven years earlier, she commenced treatment with Matthew, a youthful, good-looking psychology apprentice, and convened every week with him for over half a year at the health center and progressed to see him in his confidential practice for an additional year. The subsequent year, when Matthew assumed a full-time place at a state health center, he had to conclude therapy with every of his confidential patients. It was with a great deal of sorrow that Thelma bid farewell to Mathew. He was, definitely, the excellent therapist she had encountered, and she had become affectionate of him, very caring, and for those years anticipated all the time to her therapy time. She had in no way been as open to some in the past as she was with Mathew and a therapist had never been so meticulously honest, on point and calm with her. Thelma remembered Mathew for a couple of minutes saying that he had so much caring and loving. She remembered other therapists who endeavored to be good, putting her at ease but attributes Mathew to being different. He cared most of the time and largely accepted her. No matter the situation and her actions, she knew he would accept her and even validate her. She says that Mathew assisted her in a therapist manner and went out of the confines to do other things. Thelma was extremely animated--she shattered her terms off and pointed towards the ground and up to the sky as she exclaimed. It could be perceived she fancied speaking about Matthew. I agreed with the treatment because it makes a doctor or rather the therapist entangle with the patient. This togetherness brings about fondness and openness, which is vital to a therapy session (Chrestman, Schechman and Foa 2008). In my case, I would not have handled the case differently and I would use the same approach. The only shocking thing is When Thelma says she had an affair with a therapist which we do not know to what extend did the therapy and the affair reach. These cases made me think differently about the sessions between the therapists and the patients because just as I mentioned earlier these sessions might lead to emotional attachments if not controlled. Whatever happens between them during the “50 minute hour” is uncertain but only imaginable (Hall & Osborne, 2009). References Edna B. Foa (Author) › Visit Amazon's Edna B. Foa Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central Chrestman, K., Schechman, E. and Foa, E., (2008). Prolonged Exposure Theraphy for PTSD Teen Workbook. New York: Oxford University Press. Hall, G. and Osborne, T. (2009). Handbook of Theraphy. South Carolina: BiblioBazaar. Yalom, I. (2000). Love is Executioner and other tales of psychotherapy. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics. Read More