Schema Therapy

We learn rules for how the world works when we're young. These rules (schemas) help to keep us safe as we navigate the world. The trouble is, schemas don't update easily. We learned that someone's anger was dangerous, when we were little and know that anger won't hurt us as an adult. A deep, essential part of us holds on to the original lesson and we react as if we were still quite young. Schema therapy helps to update the very old beliefs that we have about what's safe and what isn't.

Schema Therapy is a way to identify and address maladaptive beliefs that may be causing self-sabotage and feelings of being "stuck". Trauma is a common cause of maladaptive beliefs that interfere with well-being and success in all areas of life, such as relationships, mental health, career success, etc. Scheme Therapy is a way to go beyond treating just the symptoms, and instead get to the root of the problem and address the issues that are causing the symptoms to begin with.

Schema therapy has fast become my favorite method of understanding and working through problem areas. Generally speaking, schema therapy provides us a framework for understanding how early life experiences influence the beliefs we carry about ourselves, our relationships and the world. Most often we're dealing with the schemas that have become rigid, distorted and maladaptive over time, and are getting in the way of feeling happy, safe and satisfied with our lives. Check out schematherapy.com!

ISST trained schema therapist

Schema Therapy is a Cognitive Behavioral Model that focuses on helping client meet their psychological needs. As children, when our needs go unmet, we experience pain. We then develop ways of coping with that pain that can last throughout our lives. Schema Therapy helps clients understand their needs, pain, and coping patterns. This healing allows for new ways of being that get our needs met.

With the application of Schema Therapy, one can help to better understand the "frame of lens" through which the see the world. Part of treatment will be to identify what specific schema(s) you have developed and how they impact your day to day functioning. This form of therapeutic intervention gives you the ability to build better insight and understanding about yourself and the way you interact with your environment. Which in turns helps you to approach life challenges more effectively.

Schema therapy goes beyond surface-level symptoms to uncover the root causes of your struggles. It helps you identify deeply ingrained negative patterns that have been holding you back, often since childhood. By understanding where these patterns originate, you gain insights that empower you to create lasting change.

I practice Schema Therapy to supplement CBT with a focus on attachment-based theory and experiential Gestalt theory.