Existential Psychotherapy(Isolation) by Irvin Yalom (Deep Session)

This month we will be reading:
Existential Psychotherapy — Isolation (Irvin Yalom)
We are only reading part 3, chapters 8 and 9.

Format: Deep Session (operate via waitlist approval)
This session is part of our Deep format: small group (max 6 participants), slower reading, and sustained discussion of dense primary material.
It will require either prior attendance or a brief note indicating recent philosophical reading or interest in the session.

About
In the “Isolation” section of Existential Psychotherapy, Yalom explores one of the fundamental existential givens: the irreducible separateness of human existence.
Existential isolation is not loneliness in the everyday sense. It refers to the structural gap between self and world — and between self and others — that no relationship can completely erase.
Key themes include:

• The difference between interpersonal loneliness and existential isolation
• Love as bridge — and its limits
• Dependency, fusion, and avoidance
• The therapist’s encounter with irreducible separateness
• Whether connection can coexist with existential clarity

Connections to Previous Discussions

Camus — The Myth of Sisyphus
If the universe is silent and meaning is not given, what does that do to human intimacy?
Yalom translates cosmic absurdity into relational reality.

Freud — Civilization and Its Discontents
Freud examined tension between instinct and society.
Yalom examines tension between self and other.

Dostoevsky — Notes from Underground
The refusal of connection as a defense against vulnerability finds psychological articulation here.

Note
To maintain discussion quality and minimise no-shows, Deep Sessions operate via waitlist approval.
When requesting a spot, please include one of the following:
• You’ve attended previous sessions regularly
OR
• A brief note (1–2 sentences) including:
– A philosophical or psychological book you’ve read recently,
OR
– What particularly interests you about this Deep session.
Requests without a note may be declined to prioritise committed participants.