While at the beginning I think T's have hope for all clients, of course this can of always change. But every client comes in with different diagnoses, issues, stregnths and weaknesses. So I think the issue of "hope" is different for each client. A lack of progress could be due to a client/T mismatch, or a client who isn't ready to make the changes themselves. I wouldn't want to see a T (or, see a client) where after a long time progress is not made. But in this case a I think T's put this on the client when what's needed is a referral to a different T. That could be the "hope" that's needed but I think many therapists won't admit that. Then there are also clients who are very ill and more in need of maintence care. I wouldn't call this a hopeless case but just a fact of some mental illness'. Regardless of the style of therapy (since some are more confrontational than others), I still think it's pretty bad to tell a client you think they are hopeless.