Psychotherapy is a well known type of counseling which is associated to psychoanalysis popularized by Sigmund Freud and other behavioral theorists whose work focused on behavioral analysis. Existential Psychotherapy came out in the work of four psychiatrists, they are: Karl Jaspers in Germany (1951, 1964), Ludwig Binswnger (1946, 1963), Medard Boss (1957, 1962, 1979), and Victor Frank. Emmy Van Deurzen in her article entitled “Existential Psychotherapy” explained that existential psychotherapy can only be truly existential if it involved the cultural, social, political and ideological context of a person’s existence. Deurzen noted that existential approach is a holistic approach examining the human condition and tries to figure out and investigate the individual’s experienced (Deurzen). Hans W. Cohn noted that most of the forms of psychotherapy “keep within a framework derived from psychoanalytic concept” (Cohn, p. 1). Cohn pointed out that Sigmund Freud’s suggestion that the core of these psychoanalytic assumptions is the ‘instinctual’ wishes “which are experienced as threatening and unacceptable are repressed into an unconscious area of the psyche” (Cohn, p. 1). Cohn identified these instinctual wishes as various forms of disturbed behavior which attempt to re-enter consciousness that when they do, they appear as dreams and as symptoms, and as various forms of disturbed behavior (Cohn, p. 1). Cohn’s therapeutic process is an exploration of the client world design in its various dimensions – the physical, social and psychological (Cohn, p. 1). Yalom was born in Washington, D.C. [1] About fifteen years prior to his birth in the United States, Yalom's Jewish parents emigrated from Russia (though their country of origin was Poland or Belarus) and eventually opened a grocery store in Washington DC. Yalom spent much of his childhood reading books in the family home above the grocery store and in a local library. After graduating from high school, he attended George Washington University and then Boston University School of Medicine.

Dr. Helmut Jelem and Peter Shutz pointed out some similarities between neuro- linguistic psychotherapy and the psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic theory. According to them, both the existential psychotherapy and psychodynamic and neuro linguistic psychotherapy placed the importance attached to relation. Both the NLP and the existential psychotherapy and psychodynamic could see fundamental power of un- conscious process. Both therapies’ approaches are aimed at self-recovery and for the patient to be able to face his or her problems and not to avoid it by turning to some escape goat habit. The two therapies engaged in modern technique of dealing with patients.

Bateman, A. Pedder, J., 2000. Brown, D. Introduction to Psychotherapy: An Outline of Psychodynamic Principles and Practice. Routledge Jalem, Helmut & Schutz, Peter. Neuro-Linguistic Psychotherapy (NLPt). http://www.nlpzentrum.at/nlptarteng.html But, as the Preface accurately foreshadows, there is nothing boring about LOVE'S EXECUTIONER, because my friend is right-- the four issues described in the Preface do indeed define the human condition. Shahar, Asaf Rolef Ben. “Comparative Evaluation and Criticism of Neuro-Linguistic-Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis.” NLP & NLP Psychotherapy,

I loved Love's Executioner. Dr Yalom has learned something that fiction writers learned years ago - that people's mistakes are a lot more interesting than their triumphs' Joanne Greenberg Irvin D. Yalom is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. As well as an award-winning psychiatrist and psychotherapist, he is an extremely prolific author. His many other works include The Gift of Therapy, Staring at the Sun, When Nietzsche Wept, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychiatry, The Schopenhauer Cure, Lying on the Couch, Momma and the Meaning of Life, Existential Psychotherapy, I'm Calling the Police, Inpatient Group Psychotherapy, Every Day Gets a Little Closer and The Spinoza Problem. It's genuinely disappointing, because Yalom is a huge part of my therapy home. His ideas - the idea that therapy is a relationship (and works for that very reason), that authenticity and genuineness are key... these are the things I learned from reading his books and seeing him speak when I was a brand new baby therapist. Anthony Bateman, Jonathan Pedder and Dennis Brown noted that psychodynamic is based on the provision of a setting in which a person may begin to reconcile with this disowned aspects of himself, his experience (Bateman, Pedder and Brown, p. 63). They pointed out that the setting for this process is the relationship with the therapist, which without it, psychodynamic therapy cannot begin. They confirmed Cohn’s findings that dynamic psychotherapy had begun with Freud and psychoanalysis (p. 96), which utilizes three different meanings and functions. First, it is technique for investigating unconscious psychic life; second, it refers to theoretical body of knowledge built up on the basis of such observations; and third, it is used to describe an intense method of psychotherapeutic treatment. Dr. Irvin Yalom breaks through that uncertainty to a patients ultimate truth-to the fear of death, say, behind the life denying nostalgia of Thelma, the elderly patient of the title story who is possessed by a long past love affair; or behind the macho behaviour of Carlos, a middle aged man compulsively lustful in the face of his fatal cancer.

the fear of death is always greatest in those who feel that they have not lived their life fully. A good working formula is: the more unlived life, or unrealized potential, the greater one’s death anxiety. (c) The Research Report Yalom mentioned at the end of therapy with Thelma paints a positive picture where it depicts Thelma as being “improved significantly”. It states she is less depressed and no longer seen as a suicide risk. Her self-esteem has improved and also her anxiety, hypochondriacal tendencies and her tendency for obsession and psychotic behaviour. It also states that Thelma was very secretive about the therapeutic process. It could be said that Thelma is well capable of duping the Research Group. That leads the reader to wonder was it the therapeutic process/alliance that improved Thelma’s state of mind or was it the fact that she was meeting Matthew once monthly for a coffee and a chat, after she finished therapy i.e. just two people having coffee and chatting, no other agenda. Is this all she wanted and possibly used Yalom to facilitate the three-way meeting with Matthew so she could perhaps arrange these regular meetings at a different time? Regardless of what the Research Report stated at the end of the 6 months therapy sessions, Thelma it seemed still had trouble connecting to “reality”, but how can we the reader, judge what her reality is? She was still with her husband Harry as far as the reader knows, but yet yearning for a relationship with Matthew, but this marriage filled a need in both Thelma and Harry as they stayed together. People deserve understanding and acceptance because they are human (Cully and Bond 2004). When, during the therapy process, Thelma became aware of her obsession with Matthew being a problem and the illusion was striped away, she did feel anger but then used that as an excuse to end therapy as her losses were too great. She did commit to the therapy process for the six months which also indicates to the reader that the therapeutic process was working for Thelma. In the Beginning Stage of therapy, we saw a working relationship being established, problems defined and clarified, an assessment made by Yalom (i.e. willing to work with Thelma) and a contract was negotiated. In the Middle Stage we saw Thelma being assisted in reassessing her problems and concerns, which helped to shift the process from problems to solutions and the End Stage typically in concerned with planning for and taking effective action and focuses on ending the Counselling relationship. (Cully and Bond 2004). Thelma ended the therapy herself. Carl R. Rogers, 1967, On Becoming a Person, a therapist’s view of psychotherapy, U.K., Constable & Robinson Ltd.