David Viscott

David Viscott – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life, work, and enduring wisdom of David Viscott (1938-1996), a pioneering American psychiatrist, radio/TV personality, and self-help author. Learn about his methods, legacy, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

David Steven Viscott (May 24, 1938 – October 10, 1996) was an American psychiatrist, author, media personality, and counselor known for bringing therapy to the public via radio and television. He popularized short-term psychological insight on the airwaves, giving advice, diagnosis, and emotional support to callers. His books and quotes continue to be cited in self-help, counseling, and motivational circles.

Early Life and Education

David Viscott was born on May 24, 1938, in Boston, Massachusetts. Dartmouth College, graduating in 1959, and then pursued medical training at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Early in his career, he taught medicine/psychiatry at the University Hospital in Boston.

Career and Achievements

Move to Los Angeles and Media Work

In 1979, Viscott moved to Los Angeles, where he became a professor of psychiatry at UCLA. Viscott Center for Natural Therapy with branches in Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, and Pasadena.

By 1980, Viscott had begun hosting a full-time radio talk show (on KABC), in which he took caller calls and offered psychological counseling, often diagnosing the emotional core of callers’ problems in a short time.

Beyond radio, he hosted TV programs:

• In 1987, his syndicated talk TV show “Getting in Touch with Dr. David Viscott” aired alongside his radio work.

• In the early 1990s, he had “Night Talk with Dr. David Viscott” on KNBC in Los Angeles, airing after Saturday Night Live.

His style was known for being direct, diagnostic, and attempting to reach the emotional heart of people’s issues quickly.

Writing & Self-Help Work

Viscott was a prolific author. Some of his best-known books include:

• The Making of a Psychiatrist (autobiography)

• The Viscott Method

• Risking

• The Language of Feelings

• Emotionally Free

• Finding Your Strength in Difficult Times

• Emotional Resilience

His autobiography was a bestseller, chosen as a Book of the Month Club selection, and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Viscott’s books generally fall in the self-help / personal growth space, offering psychological insight, emotional guidance, and tools for self-examination.

Later Years & Death

By the mid-1990s, Viscott’s popularity began to wane. He experienced health setbacks, separation from his wife, and less media presence.

He died on October 10, 1996, in his home in Studio City, Los Angeles, reportedly of heart failure aggravated by diabetes.

At the time of his death, he was living alone.

Legacy and Influence

• David Viscott is often credited with popularizing therapy in mass media, bringing psychiatric and emotional discourse into radio and TV, and making psychological insight accessible.

• His method of quickly cutting to emotional truths resonated with many, though critics sometimes questioned the depth or risks of doing therapy in broadcast formats.

• His books remain in print and widely quoted, especially in self-help, counseling, and motivational contexts.

• Some characters in popular culture paid homage to him: for example, the Simpsons character Dr. Marvin Monroe is said to have been modeled on Viscott.

His legacy lies in bridging professional psychiatry and popular counseling, emphasizing emotional honesty, and encouraging people to examine and articulate their feelings.

Personality, Style & Approach

Viscott was known for his presence, clarity, empathy, and ability to articulate emotional pain in accessible language.

He combined his medical and psychiatric knowledge with emotional sensitivity, often dedicating radio segments to answering medical or pharmacological questions as well as psychological ones.

Because Viscott worked in media, there was sometimes tension between therapeutic depth and broadcasting constraints. Nonetheless, his style was less clinical distance and more direct emotional engagement.

Famous Quotes of David Viscott

Here are several widely cited quotes by David Viscott that reflect his philosophy on growth, truth, emotion, and self-discovery:

“The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.” “To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” “If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.” “You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.” “In the end, the only people who fail are those who do not try.” “Tell the truth. Most of your problems come from not telling the truth … A strong person says what he or she means.” “To fail is a natural consequence of trying. To succeed takes time and prolonged effort …” “People now feel time accelerating. Lists allow them to feel some sense of accomplishment.” “Though all afflictions are evils in themselves, yet they are good for us, because they discover to us our disease and tend to our cure.” “The highest love a person can have for you is to wish for you to evolve into the best person you can be.”

These lines communicate Viscott’s beliefs in authenticity, risk, emotional awareness, growth, and the power of truth.

Lessons from David Viscott

1. Emotional honesty as a path to growth.
   Viscott emphasized facing feelings, telling truth, and not suppressing inner conflict.

2. Courage to begin and risk.
   Many of his writings encourage starting before perfect preparation—and trusting that growth comes through action.

3. Helping others through your gifts.
   His idea that life’s purpose is to discover one’s gift and give it away connects vocation with service.

4. Truth-telling as freedom.
   He viewed lies (even small ones) as burdens, and truth as central to integrity and self-respect.

5. Therapy is not just insight but living differently.
   For him, psychological work is not only understanding the past but making new choices in the present.

Conclusion

David Viscott’s life bridged professional psychiatry and popular counseling, bringing psychological insight into everyday life through media, books, and conversation. His work continues to resonate because he spoke about the human heart in accessible language and urged us toward authenticity, courage, and emotional growth.

Though he died in 1996, his legacy endures in his books, his media imprint, and countless quotes that people continue to share in times of struggle or self-reflection.