" The essence of self-psychology is the idea that we exist only in relation to others. Kohut’s school of thought lays out three critical pillars of human experience, all provided by relationships with people who offer reliable empathetic connection. There is no way for these foundational frameworks to be built and maintained without healthy human interaction. There is no mechanism by which a person can attain psychological well-being by going it alone. "

― Christine Montross , Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration