Специфика психотерапевтического дискурса в произведениях И. Ялома

Abstract

The aim of the study is to identify the specific features of the psychotherapeutic discourse in I. Yalom’s stories. I. Yalom’s discourse is compared with the professional psychotherapeutic discourse described in the academic literature on psychological counselling. The characteristic features of I. Yalom’s psychotherapeutic discourse integrated into fiction are singled out, which explains the novelty of the re-search. Based on the analysis of the material, the paper presents similarities and differences in functioning of the professional psychotherapeutic discourse and psychotherapeutic discourse integrated into fiction. The similarities include the emotional intensity of the characters’ speech, the allegorical and metaphorical nature of the discourse, the higher proportion of the client’s speech in contrast to the therapist’s speech. The therapist’s speech is neutral, non-judgmental, logical, and persuasive, which is expressed in the lan-guage by modality and the subjunctive mood, the use of professional clichés, and a special structure of conducting a conversation. The distinctive features of I. Yalom’s discourse include the psychotherapist’s inner speech used to explicate the character’s feelings and construct a text.