What is Schema Therapy?

- Hey everybody.

Today we're gonna talk
about schema therapy.

Before we jump into that,
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creating educational

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But now, let's get into
today's topic, schema therapy.

What is it, and why would a therapist

recommend it for you?

Now, schema therapy is a therapy style

that was developed to
tackle pervasive patterns

in our lives.

Pervasive just means, it's like
running through everything,

it's just always hangin' out there,

and what schema therapy
does is it helps us identify

and uncover schemas or
themes that we formed

in response to early experiences

of unmet emotional needs, okay?

I know that's a lot,
but just hang with me.

What that really means in short

is that when hurtful or
bad things happen to us,

we try, you know, to make sense of it

by believing that it's
either like our fault,

we did something, or we create

an unhealthy or negative story about it

to kinda tell ourselves
why that thing happened.

And this type of therapy
seeks to help us learn

how to operate in a healthy
mode or state of being,

as we learn to get our
core emotional needs met

in everyday life.

Now, before we go any further

into why someone could
benefit from schema therapy,

let's talk a little bit
about the origin of it.

Now, schema therapy is a type of therapy

that was developed in the mid 1980's.

A man named Dr. Jeffrey Young
was working with patients

at the Center for Cognitive Therapy

at the University of Pennsylvania,

and while he was seeing a lot of success

through cognitive therapy, he also noticed

that with patients who seemed to have

more pervasive patterns of dysfunction

or personality disorders,
he really wasn't seeing

much lasting change, and that's why

he began to develop schema therapy.

He wanted to take the strengths

from multiple therapeutic techniques,

you know, like I kinda do in my practice.

He wanted to pick and choose
from the ones that existed

and combine them into
one integrated approach,

and that's how schema therapy was born.

Schema therapy helps to navigate patterns

that developed out of our childhood

that now permeate our
lives, and it does this

by borrowing from multiple theories,

just like I was talking about.

For example, psychodynamic theory

explores childhood
relationship experiences

with the mindset that
insight into the past

can in and of itself, help
us navigate the present.

Cognitive therapy takes a
more present day approach,

seeking to identify thought patterns

taking place in specific situations,

and focusing on how we
can shift our narrative.

Schema therapy integrates both approaches

by exploring elements,
as well as borrowing

from some attachment theory,
object relations theory,

and emotion-focused therapies and more.

Okay, now let's talk a little bit about

some of the key components
of schema therapy.

Now schema therapy has
four key conceptions.

Number one, emotional needs,

number two, early maladaptive schemas,

number three, maladaptive coping styles,

and four, schema modes.

Now I know that sounds like a lot,

but don't worry, we'll break it down.

Okay, so let's get into each
of these concepts a little more

so that you can just
better understand them,

and the first, the core emotional needs.

Schema therapy proposes that you and I

have some basic emotional
needs when we're children.

We've kind of talked about this

when it comes to, you know,
childhood emotional neglect,

and some, maybe abuse that
we sustained as children.

We all have emotional needs,
and when these are not met,

we develop early maladaptive schemas.

That really means a faulty
story or belief about ourselves,

and these are damaging themes or patterns

that we developed in our childhood,

and then continued to add
to throughout our lives.

For example, one of these might be,

I'm not worth loving, or
everyone always leaves me.

Now schema therapy has
categorized our schemas

into 18 themes, that can result

from a perceived lack of core
emotional needs being met.

I'm not gonna go through all 18.

You can look it up if you want more.

Of course, our brains have lots of schemas

they form in our childhood, and even

into adulthood, but
early maladaptive schemas

have a few things in common, and this

is our second one if you don't remember.

The second component of schema therapy

is early maladaptive schemas.

Okay, so they have a
lot of things in common,

and the first is that

they have broad pervasive
themes or patterns.

Two, they're comprised
of memories, emotions,

cognitions and bodily sensations,

and three, they involve
the way we see ourselves

or our relationship with others.

Four, they have developed
during childhood or adolescence,

and were five, deepened and extended

throughout our lifetime, and six,

and finally, they create
a significant degree

of dysfunction in our lives.

Pretty much what we're saying
is these maladaptive schemas

we've created started in our childhood,

they're not helpful,
they actually hinder us,

and they kind of hang out
and permeate our entire life.

Now from these schemas, we then develop

what they call coping mechanisms,

which you know a lot about.

I am always talking about coping skills,

and that's really what these are.

For a child in a rough
situation growing up,

these coping strategies make sense.

They were our way to, you
know, try to protect ourselves,

and they can help us get
through really tough things.

You know how I've mentioned that like,

self- injurious behavior
or even dissociation

can help us get through
a really tough time,

but what makes them
maladaptive coping styles

is when we hang on to
those coping mechanisms

past the point that they're helpful.

I've talked about this before,

like our self-injury is
no longer serving us,

and so that's when they kind of move in

to this maladaptive realm.

Now these are different for
every individual, obviously,

which can explain why we are
different from our siblings,

even though we could grow up
in the exact same environment.

Coping mechanisms can be
shaped by our temperament,

or just from watching and or
imitating someone around us.

Coping mechanisms can be a
variety of different things,

but they tend to fall in
to one of three categories,

and I found this really fascinating.

The first category is surrender,

which means we're repeating our
schemas over and over again.

For example, if our
schema makes us feel weak,

we might have a coping strategy

of over-dependence on
others, which really lines up

with that schema or that narrative

that we are weak or unable.

The second category is avoidance.

Now these strategies are the ones

that help us avoid or escape our schemas.

For example, you know, addictions,

or seeking some kind of stimulation

that can make us completely avoid

all the stuff that we maybe
think or feel about ourselves,

and the third category
of coping mechanisms

is over-compensation.

Now these strategies are the ones

that lead us to do the
opposite of our schema.

So if our schema makes
us feel out of control,

we might end up coping
with obsessive disorder

or extreme planning, or maybe
even eating disorder behavior.

Okay, we talked about all three

of the main concepts in schema therapy,

and I know that was a lot, remember

they were core emotional needs,

early maladaptive schemas,
and maladaptive coping styles,

and the last concept that's
important in schema therapy

is what's known as schema modes.

Now, this really refers to the modes

or states that our mind goes into

when we're triggered, okay?

Modes are a combination of our schemas

and our coping mechanisms,
and it's out of that

that flow these patterns

that we see playing out in our lives.

You know, when you kind of find yourself

like in the same type of relationship

or having the same kind
of relationship issues.

A mode is not simply a narrative we have

or a coping behavior, or a
feeling that's triggered.

It's really when all
those things come together

so consistently and repeatedly

that our brain kind of has
a mode it now goes into

when we're triggered.

Does that make sense?

It's kind of like our brain gets so used

to thinking and doing the same thing

every single time it's triggered

that it either acts responsibly

to get us out of the situation,

or it possibly dissociates or, you know,

has us engaging in some
kinda unhealthy coping skill,

and the mode that we
go into really depends

on our coping skills, and those early,

unhealthy schemas that
we kinda talked about

that we developed as a child.

Does that make sense?

When it comes to these modes,

schema therapy identifies and addresses

10 different kinds of
them, and it's designed

to tackle those 10, and if any of this

doesn't make sense, or you want

more clarification, just let me know

in those comments down
below, and I'm happy

to follow up, either in a
comment or in another video.

So we've talked about the key concepts,

but what actually happens
when we walk into the office

of a therapist who
specializes in schema therapy?

The primary goals of schema therapy

are to first unpack and identify

those four concepts in our lives.

What experiences did
we have of unmet needs?

What schemas have we developed,

and what coping mechanisms
go along with these

to make up the modes that
we're operating out of?

I know that sounds very therapisty,

but I hope you kinda understand.

It's like, what emotional
needs weren't met,

then what do we do to
deal with the feeling,

or that unmet need, and then how

do we act as a result?

And moving on to the second thing

a schema therapist will do, is that

they'll wanna know how
we get our needs met,

and how we can access a healthy mode

that operates out of adaptive schemas.

So they're gonna help you
create these adaptive schemas

and healthier coping mechanisms,

so it can help us in our
relationships and our lives.

Like, if we could rise to the
occasion when we're triggered,

and not let that old way of thinking

cause us to relapse or dissociate,

they're gonna help build
up those coping skills,

also challenge some of those thoughts

or beliefs you have about
yourself in your past

so that we can feel more
confident and empowered

to make healthy decisions.

Often schema therapy involves
a period of assessment.

Therapists may ask us to
take some kinda Q and A,

or may use techniques to
help us identify schemas

that are impacting our lives.

As schema therapy is such
a multi-theory approach,

remember, we're kinda picking and choosing

from different therapies,
we'll likely experience

a number of different
types of therapy styles.

Our therapist may utilize
cognitive techniques

or emotion-focused techniques,

which can involve more
techniques like chair work.

If you ever done like
Empty Chair Technique

where you talk to someone

that you're havin' a hard time with

and pretend that they're in that chair,

or you could role play to
explore different schemas,

like, almost like taking that
eating disorder voice out

and talking to it, like,
why are you doing that,

and I know it sounds kinda crazy,

and I know a lot of you don't like that,

but it can help us uncover

some, maybe other schemas or other issues

or coping skills that
we may be dealing with.

Now the therapy relationship
may also be utilized

in schema therapy by exploring any modes,

remember, those ways we act out,

that are triggered in sessions,

which, really is just
a fancy way of saying

that we'll talk through and work through

any transference that might come up.

And behavioral techniques
can also be used,

helping us press in to
new coping strategies

and try out new behaviors to help us

feel more confident and able to act out

in a healthier mode, instead of,

you know, going back to
that old unhealthy one

that's really been holding us back.

Okay, now let's talk a little bit

about who can benefit from schema therapy,

and the truth is, the key concepts

of schema therapy could
probably help most of us.

I know when I was researching
this, I thought that,

that it could really, really help me,

and many of us have emotional needs

that we really felt were unmet as children

or adolescents, and we
all likely formed schemas

or unhealthy coping skills out of that,

and all of that can lead
us to having behaviors

or patterns in our
lives that we don't like

and we maybe wanna change.

So how do we know if this therapy

is the best fit for us?

How do we know when we should
be pursuing schema therapy

or something more commonly
available, like CBT?

Well, schema therapy was developed

specifically to provide options

and help for patients who
have patterns in their life

that are so pervasive and
deeply entrenched within them

that typical forms of therapy

can leave them feeling discouraged

at their inability to go deeper

than tackling just the
symptoms they're feeling.

It's commonly thought to be
one of the more helpful tools

for those of us who are struggling

with chronic psychological disorders

like borderline personality
disorder or narcissism,

and it's also been known to work well

with those who find they're struggling

with lifelong patterns
that are really hindering

their quality of life, like
eating disorders or addiction.

There are a lotta different kinds

of therapies out there,
and it can be hard to know

which one's best for you, but I hope

this just gives you a
little bit more information

about schema therapy,
and if you're not sure,

always chat with your therapist,

and ask for their take on this.

You know, what type of therapy

might be the most helpful for you.

And if you're watching this and
you've tried schema therapy,

or have had any thoughts on it,

please share in the comments down below,

and I will see you next time.

Bye.