What is Schema Therapy and what does it look like?
I have to admit, I do find it difficult to succinctly describe different therapies to my clients. There is so much too them and so many different ways to use them to help. When trying to understand something myself I first of all find it useful to think about the language used. It would make sense that schema therapy has something to do with schema’s, right?
So what is a schema?
We all have different ways of looking at the world. Different ‘oughts’, ‘shoulds’, rules and expectations. Unique core beliefs about ourselves, others and the world. Various emotional reactions and physiological responses to the things that happen around us and within us. It is all of this that comprise our schemas.
Jeffrey Young, the person who brought Schema Therapy to life, identified 18 different schemas. I'm not going to list them all here but will discuss them in future blogs. To give you a sense, schemas include such things as:
Self sacrifice: the idea that others needs are more important than your own.
Defectiveness: the belief that there is something inherently wrong with you.
Abandonment: a deep-seated feeling and belief that others will leave you.
As you can imagine, the way in which our schemas develop depend on lots of different factors. We're all born with different temperaments, different parts of our identities already influenced by our genetics. Then of course there are all the experiences we have, influenced by our culture and society, and most importantly by the family we are raised in.
Think about the language you speak, your accent and the particular colloquialisms you might use. Think about the times that you find yourself saying something that reminds you of something your mum or dad would say. Think about how you understand the world and take a moment to ask yourself, ‘where did these messages come from’?.
During schema-focused therapy I will begin by helping you understand yourself more. Enable you to understand how the way your needs were and were not met growing up has influenced your core feelings and beliefs. To support this process we (you and I) would use a range of techniques and ideas to help you make links between current difficulties in your life and earlier life experiences at both a cognitive and emotional level. We would work together to help you connect more to your your vulnerable parts, your inner child. To listen to them and understand them. Identifying the ways you learnt to cope with unhelpful schemas, feelings and situations when you were little. Although necessary when you were younger, many of these coping modes may no longer be serving you. The good news is, as an adult you have the opportunity to learn different ways to look after your inner child. Together we will help you to develop your healthy adult part, to help you truly meet your needs now in a way that can help you make the best of your life moving forward.
I aim to provide you with a safe and nurturing space to explore all of these different aspects of your life. I might ask you to fill in some questionnaires to help us begin to put the puzzle pieces together. We might also use some experiential strategies such as imagery rescripting, chair work and parts work to allow you to experience a deeper level of change within. We might integrate elements of other therapies I provide, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). At all times we will be working as a team, with a shared purpose of helping you learn healthier ways to be.
You may also be interested in the following two self-help books if you want to learn more.
Any questions or want to make an appointment?
Email me on: info@letstalkonline-psychology.com
Kristine