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Originally Posted by Wonderfalls
I've enjoyed all of Yalom's books. I don't remember this particular one, but I'm guessing it's the one with the client who makes up all her history--one among many other accounts. I don't think he was accusing you of lying. It seems very unlikely he was accusing you of going through some long elaborate ruse to no purpose. I certainly didn't think Yalom was making jokes about people in dire situations. And I happen to believe there's at least something humorous about pretty much all of the things we get ourselves into, but of course you're not obliged to agree with that.
You don't say he berated you for not reading the book at the time. Can't it just have been he was recommending a book he enjoyed and thought you might like it too, as a psychotherapist patient?I don't see counter transference issues. Anyway it sounds like he's long gone and you have found a new therapist you like. I don't think brooding about it is useful.
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I agree that it isn't useful. It was just that he was the one that stopped the cycle of mania by not reintroducing antidepressants so in a way he was some kind of hero to me.
I just don't like that he'd suggest a book about a psychiatrist getting sexually involved with a patient as if he was saving her for I met him in full mania and displayed hypersexuality and everywhere people say
to avoid triggers at all costs. If anything, the doctor should be the first one to wish not be misunderstood. There are more parallels to the characters on the book to myself that I found unsettling, like the doctor being responsible for the girl picking her life up, going back to college, "better with him", or another character that has the history of being involved w/another psychiatrist around my age at that time.
And his sudden change of tone, from supportive to passive aggressive, belittling my
minimal accomplishments, me having to excuse myself for starting to live my life, feeling the smallest hints of pride, trying to regain my confidence(that had been destroyed over the years).
Yep, this is the book in which one client lies to take revenge at the doctor pretending to be interested, seducing him so he'd fall for her and she could sue him and ruin his life. But by the end she decides to be honest and they become friends and keep working together.
Honestly I'm glad I didn't read it back then. He's not my hero anymore, and yep, I know this sort of idealization isn't good. So anyways there's something positive about it.