Understanding Schema Therapy
What Is Schema Therapy?
Schema therapy is a type of therapy that combines different ideas from other therapies like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychoanalysis, and attachment theory. It was developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young in the 1990s. The goal of schema therapy is to find and change deep patterns, called "schemas," which often start in childhood and can affect how we think, feel, and act as adults.
Who Might Benefit from Schema Therapy?
Schema therapy can help people who are stuck in long term patterns of thinking or acting, that haven’t improved with other therapies like CBT. It’s often used to treat:
Chronic depression and anxiety.
Complex trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Relationship problems (with friends, family, colleagues, or in romantic relationships/dating).
Substance abuse or addiction issues.
Eating disorders.
Personality disorders, like borderline personality disorder (BPD).
How Does Schema Therapy Work?
Schema therapy helps people understand their negative schemas—patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours—that usually started early in life. These schemas can be triggered by certain situations, causing stress and unhelpful coping methods.
The Four Main Parts of Schema Therapy:
Assessment: Figuring out which schemas are affecting the person’s life.
Awareness and Understanding: Helping the person become aware of their schemas and where they came from.
Cognitive Techniques: Changing the thoughts and beliefs tied to these schemas.
Experiential Techniques: Using exercises like imagery and role-playing to help the person emotionally connect with and heal from early experiences that shaped their schemas.
What to Expect in Schema Therapy
In schema therapy, you can expect to:
Explore Early Life Experiences: Learn how past experiences contributed to your schemas developing to begin with.
Identify Triggers: Recognize situations that activate these schemas.
Learn Healthy Coping Strategies: Find new ways to think and behave that are healthier and more beneficial.
Engage in Experiential Exercises: Take part in activities with your therapist, which can help to process the past experiences which contributed to your schemas.
Therapy sessions are structured, and the therapist works with you as a guide to help you navigate your schemas and develop better ways of thinking and acting.
Is Schema Therapy Right for You?
If you’ve had long-term emotional or psychological problems that haven’t improved with other therapies, schema therapy might be a good choice. It’s especially helpful for people who want to deeply understand and change their patterns of thinking and behaving.
Schema therapy can be a good option if you’ve tried CBT but still feel stuck. It was developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young as a way to build on CBT, adding deeper exploration of early life experiences and emotional patterns (Young, Klosko, & Weishaar, 2003).
Taking the First Step
If you think schema therapy could help you, consider reaching out to a clinical psychologist who has trained in this method. Feel free to contact me to set up an appointment if you think Schema Therapy might be a good fit for you, or would like to learn more about how it compares to other therapy styles I offer. I offer Schema Therapy in Sydney CBD, as well as telehealth Schema Therapy.
