Ben Yalom

Ben Yalom is a coach, psychotherapist, and the author of The Hour of the Heart, a work that explores the complexities of human relationships and personal transformation. In addition to his therapeutic work, Ben is the founder and artistic director emeritus of foolsFURY Theater Company in San Francisco, where he directed numerous acclaimed productions, including the world premieres of Port Out, Starboard Home and Monster in the Dark. He has also directed the U.S. premiere of Fabrice Melquiot’s The Devil on All Sides and worked with notable theater companies such as A.C.T., the Magic Theatre, and the Playwrights Foundation.

Through foolsFURY, Ben created the FURY Factory, a biennial festival that has become a West Coast hub for ensemble and devised theater, presenting groundbreaking new works from across the country. A respected teacher, he has taught at institutions like Stanford University, UC Riverside, and Loyola Marymount University, and designed a theater program at the United Nations International School.

With a BA in Political Science from Stanford and an MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Ben’s fiction and essays have appeared in publications nationwide. He is also a translator of French playwright Fabrice Melquiot’s works. The Hour of the Heart reflects his deep engagement with storytelling, creativity, and the therapeutic process.