EVERY DAY GETS A LITTLE CLOSER: A Twice-Told Therapy

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 1974

A not quite ""unique"" presentation -- Dewald's The Psychoanalytic Process (1972) was also a two-way history of an analysis with essentially clinical commentary by the doctor. This is less exhaustive, more intimate, and gives a his-and-hers view of the therapy (is anyone else's really interesting?); the chapters alternate and on the whole Ginny expresses herself both more freely and attractively. She had been loosely tagged as ""schizoid,"" responded poorly to group therapy, and agreed readily to record her sessions in exchange for Yalom's treatment. At first, while living with Karl, she was lifeless, directionless; Yalom says sloppy but ""fetching."" The encounters (not necessarily set down by both each time) find her ""fluid"" or close or elusive or just ""dawdling"" -- doing a ""minuet"" in the transference/counter-transference situation. There's a certain amount of filler as there is in all existence. But at the end, acknowledging his own ""heavily sublimated affair with Ginny,"" Yalom feels it has been a satisfactory experience or as Ginny says -- ""As often as I curled up, you uncurled me."" Whatever conjectural value the book has for others, it does show the osmotic-catalytic process in action.

Pub Date: Nov. 8, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Basic Books

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION