Reginald suffers from borderline personality disorder. His therapist tells him that his problem stems from a failure of separation-individuation while he was growing up. His therapist's
Conceptualization of the problem is most like that of ______.
A) Kohut
B) Kernberg
C) Mahler
D) Millon

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The therapist's mention of separation-individuation as the root of Reginald's BPD indicates a conceptualization similar to that of Margaret Mahler. Mahler's theory focused on how the infant develops the ability to separate from their primary caregiver and form their independent identity. This process could go awry, leading to pathological developmental outcomes, such as BPD. Kohut and Millon had their distinct theories and Kernberg is associated with the borderline personality organization.

Reginald Suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder