According to Kohut, when a psychotherapist labels a client as psychotic or borderline, the therapist

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According to Kohut, labeling a client as psychotic or borderline can be seen as a failure of empathy on the part of the therapist, who is not willing or able to understand the client's subjective experience. This is because Kohut believed that these diagnoses often stem from a lack of responsiveness in early childhood relationships, and that the therapist's role is to provide the empathic mirroring and validation that the client did not receive in their early environment. Therefore, if a therapist labels a client as psychotic or borderline, it suggests that they are not able to provide this kind of empathic attunement, and may not be a good fit for the client.

According to Kohut, When a Psychotherapist Labels a Client as Psychotic