Schema Therapy (ST)

ST is an integrative therapy that combines aspects of cognitive-behavioral, attachment and emotion-focused therapies to address long-standing emotional and behavioural struggles. It was borne out of the conviction that all children require certain basic needs to be met for them to go on to develop as psychologically healthy adults. Where needs were not met, the ‘lenses’ through which we come to view the world (‘schemas’) are constrained in the direction of making negative predictions about ourselves, other people and the world around us. These ‘schemas’ ultimately drive unhelpful coping such as perfectionism, avoidance, substance abuse, self-harm, dissociation, excessive anger, over control or extreme submissive behaviour.

Schema Therapy is an inherently compassionate model and your relationship with your therapist will be at the heart of the work you do.  ST aims to identify, challenge, and heal these schemas through a combination of cognitive, behavioural, experiential, and interpersonal ways of working. Your therapist will work collaboratively with you, to devise a shared formulation (essentially an overview of how your struggles intertwine with ‘parts of self’) and then over time will work with you to develop alternative ways of managing your emotional pain and getting your needs met.

Schema Therapy tends to be longer in duration than CBT, but the length of therapy will depend on the difficulties you experience, and the goals set. You and your therapist can discuss this during your assessment.

Schema Therapy might be useful for you if your struggles have been relatively long lasting or recurring, such as repeated relationship difficulties, chronic depression or anxiety, problems with anger or an unclear sense of personal identity. 

ST has a strong evidence base for individuals with ‘personality-level’ difficulties, depression, eating disorders, and other complex emotional problems.