What is Schema Therapy?
Schemas are ways that we have come to understand ourselves, others, and the world. Schemas become maladaptive when our needs that are universal (e.g., needs for safety and belonging; needs for emotional validation and understanding) are not consistently met in childhood and adolescence. Because they begin early in life, schemas become familiar and therefore comfortable and we engage in behaviours that reinforce the schemas. Schemas may remain dormant until they are activated by situations relevant to that particular schema. We then engage in different behaviours that "help" us deal with the triggers. Although the intention of these coping behaviours are to help, sometimes these ways of coping end up perpetuating the schema (see example below) and lead to additional problems in our life.
Schema therapy is an integrative therapy that combines elements from cognitive behavioural therapy, attachment and object relations theories, and Gestalt and experiential therapies. Schema therapy assists you to understand your schemas, what behaviours (“coping modes”) you use to protect yourself from these schemas occurring, and, how these coping modes may no longer be serving you in your life currently. Schema therapy does this by working on cognitive and behavioural strategies for change, as well as closely focusing on experiential activities to enact emotional change and healing.
Research has shown schema therapy to be effective in treating high prevalence disorders (such as depression and anxiety) as well as low prevalence and persistent disorders (such as personality disorders, chronic mental health difficulties, and relationship issues) and developmental trauma.
Schema therapy is an integrative therapy that combines elements from cognitive behavioural therapy, attachment and object relations theories, and Gestalt and experiential therapies. Schema therapy assists you to understand your schemas, what behaviours (“coping modes”) you use to protect yourself from these schemas occurring, and, how these coping modes may no longer be serving you in your life currently. Schema therapy does this by working on cognitive and behavioural strategies for change, as well as closely focusing on experiential activities to enact emotional change and healing.
Research has shown schema therapy to be effective in treating high prevalence disorders (such as depression and anxiety) as well as low prevalence and persistent disorders (such as personality disorders, chronic mental health difficulties, and relationship issues) and developmental trauma.
Below is an example of one maladaptive schema and the coping modes that might occur with this mode.
Jaz has experienced recurrent episodes of depression since she was 15 and has found therapy helpful. Even outside of depressive episodes Jaz consistently feels like she can’t do anything right and that she will never succeed. Jaz recalls being behind in primary school. She has dyslexia and remembers being picked on by teachers and peers for being slow. She also felt inferior to her brothers who were popular, smart, and good at sports - nothing she did seemed to match up to them. Her parents never said anything explicitly, but she always felt like a disappointment to them. She got some learning support and in secondary school and university she performed strongly. Nonetheless, she couldn’t shake this feeling that she was failing relative to other people.
Now in her 30s, Jaz has a successful work role, but she feels like it will slip away from her at any point. At work she says she presents so differently - she is an absolute perfectionist - but whenever someone compliments her achievements she is quick to dismiss them. Jaz has a partner who is semi-famous and well-liked; this just makes her feel like she’ll never live up to her partner’s success. She feels that at any point her partner will leave for someone good enough. The reason she is coming to therapy is because she keeps putting off a seemingly simple training course that would lead to a promotion and big pay-rise at work.
Jaz has a “failure” schema. A failure schema comes from a core belief that you will inevitably fail, or, you are fundamentally inadequate relative to one’s peers in areas of achievement. The failure schema can involve beliefs that one is: stupid, inept, untalented, lower in status, or less successful than others. Jaz has learned to cope with these beliefs and feelings in different ways. She has developed a “helpless surrender” side where she gives in to the belief that she is not as good as others and focuses on others' successes and how she does not live up to them. This protects Jaz by “getting in first” before someone else calls her inept and hopeless like her teachers and peers did when she was younger. The downside of this coping mode is that Jaz is no longer surrounded by people who insult her in the same way she was put down as a child but she is still applying the same coping mode. Jaz has also learned to cope with feeling like a failure by developing a “perfectionistic over-controller” where she focuses on being in control of getting everything right at work to try and minimise the times that she feels like a failure. The downside of this is that Jaz never feels like anything is enough to not feel like a failure - she doesn't know when to stop. Finally, Jaz has learned to cope by avoiding failure by not trying. This “avoidant protector” side is what is making it hard for her to complete a relatively simple task at work, it protects her from having to take on a promotion where she may feel like a failure if she doesn’t succeed (avoiding the task doesn’t trigger her failure schema).
Although we can understand each of these “coping modes”, these coping modes keep Jaz stuck and maintains this feeling that she is a failure. Working to understand these coping modes (where they come from and how they operate) begins the shift towards healing the underlying schemas.
Jaz has experienced recurrent episodes of depression since she was 15 and has found therapy helpful. Even outside of depressive episodes Jaz consistently feels like she can’t do anything right and that she will never succeed. Jaz recalls being behind in primary school. She has dyslexia and remembers being picked on by teachers and peers for being slow. She also felt inferior to her brothers who were popular, smart, and good at sports - nothing she did seemed to match up to them. Her parents never said anything explicitly, but she always felt like a disappointment to them. She got some learning support and in secondary school and university she performed strongly. Nonetheless, she couldn’t shake this feeling that she was failing relative to other people.
Now in her 30s, Jaz has a successful work role, but she feels like it will slip away from her at any point. At work she says she presents so differently - she is an absolute perfectionist - but whenever someone compliments her achievements she is quick to dismiss them. Jaz has a partner who is semi-famous and well-liked; this just makes her feel like she’ll never live up to her partner’s success. She feels that at any point her partner will leave for someone good enough. The reason she is coming to therapy is because she keeps putting off a seemingly simple training course that would lead to a promotion and big pay-rise at work.
Jaz has a “failure” schema. A failure schema comes from a core belief that you will inevitably fail, or, you are fundamentally inadequate relative to one’s peers in areas of achievement. The failure schema can involve beliefs that one is: stupid, inept, untalented, lower in status, or less successful than others. Jaz has learned to cope with these beliefs and feelings in different ways. She has developed a “helpless surrender” side where she gives in to the belief that she is not as good as others and focuses on others' successes and how she does not live up to them. This protects Jaz by “getting in first” before someone else calls her inept and hopeless like her teachers and peers did when she was younger. The downside of this coping mode is that Jaz is no longer surrounded by people who insult her in the same way she was put down as a child but she is still applying the same coping mode. Jaz has also learned to cope with feeling like a failure by developing a “perfectionistic over-controller” where she focuses on being in control of getting everything right at work to try and minimise the times that she feels like a failure. The downside of this is that Jaz never feels like anything is enough to not feel like a failure - she doesn't know when to stop. Finally, Jaz has learned to cope by avoiding failure by not trying. This “avoidant protector” side is what is making it hard for her to complete a relatively simple task at work, it protects her from having to take on a promotion where she may feel like a failure if she doesn’t succeed (avoiding the task doesn’t trigger her failure schema).
Although we can understand each of these “coping modes”, these coping modes keep Jaz stuck and maintains this feeling that she is a failure. Working to understand these coping modes (where they come from and how they operate) begins the shift towards healing the underlying schemas.