The loss of innocence: Confronting class differences in the practice of psychotherapy

A young woman sought psychotherapy for complaints that initially framed her as quite troubled, presenting as an individual with a borderline personality disorder. Over the course of therapy, it became clear that she more accurately suffered from a form of status anxiety. In working with people from different class backgrounds, it is very important for the clinician to differentiate psychological problems that arise from the stressors associated with class status from those that emerge from more internal disturbance.