Schema Therapy Counselling

Schema therapy helps individuals identify and change long-standing negative thinking and behaviour patterns called ‘schemas’. These patterns often develop in response to experiences of trauma or emotional neglect in the early course of our lives, and they are often unconscious or so automatic we don’t even realise we’re using a uniquely patterned way of thinking and feeling. This therapy focuses on adapting and changing our schemas, leading to transformative outcomes, including healthier coping mechanisms and improved well-being.

What is Schema Therapy?

The dysfunctional beliefs and behaviours picked up in childhood and early adolescence or ‘schemas’ can go on to influence our behaviour and emotional regulation, leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms and difficulty interacting with others. Schema Therapy aims to recognise and replace these schemas with adaptive alternatives — helping you spend more time in a balanced, rational state of mind, finding healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and interacting with others.

How does it work?

In your schema therapy sessions, you and your counsellor will explore your early life experiences to help identify and understand the events that have shaped your current behavioural patterns and emotional responses. There’s a lengthy but interesting questionnaire to complete that gives you a good starting basis to see what kind of lenses or thinking patterns you tend to rely on most, which can start the more in-depth conversations and learning you do with your counsellor on these themes. With the support of your counsellor, you’ll gain insight into how your experiences of unmet needs, neglect or trauma have impacted you. The primary goal of schema therapy is to shift and replace negative schemas with healthier, adaptive ones. After identifying and understanding the origins of your schemas, the emphasis is on healing them, fostering healthier responses and improving well-being. Many people see a seismic effect on how they manage stressful scenarios, foster relationships, and communicate to get their needs met in healthier, adult ways.

Is Schema Therapy effective?

Schema therapy can be a highly effective form of treatment for individuals presenting with deeply entrenched and sustained emotional and behavioural patterns. It can also be a great form of therapy when you’re seeking to deeply understand yourself, your personality and how you’re affected by the environments around you, and schema therapy can equip you to be more empowered with how you respond to the world's demands. It has proven to be successful in treating various conditions, including chronic depression, personality disorders and other mental health challenges.

When Can Schema Therapy be helpful?

Schema therapy is suited to clients experiencing chronic mental health conditions like depression, personality disorders, complex traumas, and even eating disorders. It is also a suitable therapy treatment when you want to explore your relationships with others, work, and stress. Our counsellors apply schema therapy techniques to address ingrained patterns and coping styles, especially those that have noticeably impacted a client's everyday functioning, relationships, and self-esteem. Our therapists work with clients to reshape and reframe their schemas, resulting in healthier coping and emotional processing styles.

What can I expect in a Schema Therapy Session?

In a schema therapy session, your therapist will encourage you to explore and understand how past experiences have influenced your present self. Expect an empathetic and supportive environment, with your first few sessions focused on your therapist getting to know you and your history. From here on, sessions will focus on exploring the origins of your schemas, learning to challenge and reframe these, and working on creating healthier processes. Your therapist will apply various experiential techniques to facilitate deep and meaningful change.

 What conditions would a Schema Therapy approach help treat? 

Schema therapy is proven to be effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions and emotional challenges, including:

• Chronic Depression
• Anxiety Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress-Related Disorders
• Addiction/Substance Abuse
• Complex Trauma
• Personality-Related Vulnerabilities (such as those with symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder)