Victor Yalom Life and Legacy

Victor Yalom (October 5, 1959 – February 26, 2026) was a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, artist and educator whose work helped reshape how psychotherapy is taught and learned. He died last month at his home in San Anselmo California. He was 66.

The son of Irvin and Marilyn Yalom, Victor grew up in Palo Alto, California, where his entrepreneurial spirit was evident at an early age. His early business ventures include performing as a magician at local events, running a vinyl repair business, and contracting with the state to restore Bay Area trails. He was continually developing new ideas and bold endeavors.

After earning a PhD from the California School for Professional Psychology, he founded the company for which he most remembered, Psychotherapy.net. What began as an effort to record and preserve the work of his mentor, James Bugental, grew into a pioneering platform that transformed clinical education. Starting with VHS tapes he packed and shipped himself, Victor built the company step by step – sourcing rare recordings of master therapists at work, producing original content, and eventually guiding the company through the transitions to DVD and then streaming.

As a producer, Victor had a gift for finding treasure where others might not look, often searching far beyond the obvious to find overlooked recordings of legendary therapists and bring them into wider circulation. He also had a propensity for recognizing contemporary luminaries in the field and worked tirelessly to shine a light on the art of good therapy. 

Victor believed deeply that psychotherapy is best learned not only through theory, but through observation – watching how skilled clinicians listen, respond, and relate in real time. Through Psychotherapy.net, he made that kind of learning accessible to students and practitioners around the world. He was a dealmaker and a problem solver, someone who preferred forging his own path over following established ones.

Outside of his professional life, Victor was a maker in the fullest sense of the word. He was a cartoonist, regularly creating psychotherapy-themed cartoons that blended humor and insight; a painter and sculptor working in wood and metal; an aspiring saxophonist; a chess enthusiast; table tennis player and, by many accounts, a funky dancer. He wore many hats—literally and figuratively—and brought a playful, quirky spirit into much of what he did.

He was married to Marie-Helene Yalom in 2005 in Los Barriles, Mexico. Marie-Helene became a critical partner in expanding Psychotherapy.net, as well as muse, explorer, and fellow artist.

He is survived by his wife, Marie-Helene, to whom he was devoted; his children, whom he adored and whose growth he relished witnessing and supporting, Lenore and Jason (from an earlier marriage to Noriko Yalom); his siblings, Eve Yalom, Reid Yalom, and Ben Yalom; and an extended family who will miss him deeply.

Those who knew Victor will remember not only what he built, but how he lived: as a dreamer and a maker, drawn to creativity, possibility, and the small, human moments that give life its texture.

In honoring his memory, his family invites others to hold one another close, and to remember all that he brought into the world.

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We recognize that this news may bring up many difficult feelings, especially within a community dedicated to psychological well-being. Please be gentle with yourselves and with one another.

Help is always available and there are alternatives for easing suffering; you do not have to navigate things alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling, we encourage you to reach out to:

988 suicide in crisis lifeline: call or text 988 in the USA

Crisis text line: text HOME to 741741

We hold Victor's memory and honor his life with love and gratitude for what he offered us personally and at Psychotherapy.net.