Author; Senior Scholar, Clayman Institute for Genetic Research; Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Stanford

Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death

Irvin D. Yalom is a widely respected psychotherapist, educator, and author whose writings explore his existential approach to psychotherapy: he believes that much of the anxiety people experience stems from the basic human fears of death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. He has produced several highly acclaimed textbooks, including The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (1970), Existential Psychotherapy (1980), and The Gift of Therapy (2002). He is also the author of stories and novels related to psychotherapy, including Love’s Executioner (1989), When Nietzsche Wept (1992), Lying on the Couch (1996), Momma and the Meaning of Life (1999), and The Schopenhauer Cure (2005). His latest non-fiction book is Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death (2008).