What is Schema Therapy?
A schema is a deeply ingrained "blueprint" for how we see ourselves and the world. These patterns develop during childhood when our environment fails to meet our core needs. Schemas are often adaptive and accurate ways of seeing the world at the time, but become less adaptive as you get older and are in different environments.
According to the Schema model, every child requires five core needs to met, to grow into a healthy adult. When these needs are neglected , they map directly onto clusters of schemas:
Secure Attachment - When safety, stability, or nurturance is missing, it leads to the Disconnection and Rejection domain which involves feeling fundamentally alone, unseen or unlovable. Example schemas: Abandonment, Defectiveness.
Autonomy and Competence - If you weren't allowed to develop an independent identity, you may fall into the Impaired Autonomy domain…you may doubting your ability to function without help from others, compare a lot to others and seek a lot of reassurance. Example schemas: Failure, Dependence.
Realistic Limits - Without healthy boundaries or self discipline in childhood, the Impaired Limits domain develops, making it hard to respect boundaries or practice self-discipline. Example schemas: Insuffiicent Self Control, Entitlement.
Freedom to Express Emotions - If your feelings were suppressed or punished, you likely developed Other-Directedness. This involves prioritising others' needs to gain approval or avoid conflict. Example schemas: Approval Seeking, Self Sacrifice.
Spontaneity and Play - A lack of joy and creativity leads to the Inhibition domain, often manifesting as unrelenting standards, self criticism or emotional inhibition. Example schemas: Unrelenting Standards, Punitiveness.
While schemas are the internal blueprints, Modes are the moment-to-moment emotional states we drop into when we feel vulnerable. We typically survive the distress through three types of Coping Modes:
Surrender: You accept the schema as truth. If your schema is ‘Failure’ you might stop trying altogether because you believe the outcome is inevitable.
Avoidance: You try to numb or escape the pain. This might look like workaholism, substance use, or social withdrawal….anything not flare up the schema.
Overcompensation: You fight the schema by acting the complete opposite. A person who feels ‘Defective’ might become hyper-perfectionist or arrogant to mask their underlying vulnerability.
The goal of Schema Therapy is not just to talk about your past, but to strengthen what’s called your Healthy Adult Mode. You’re often in your Healthy Mode (e.g. paying bills, communicating effectively). By recognising these patterns as they happen, you can learn to meet your original emotional needs in a way that is functional, compassionate, and lasting.
Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash
My name is Rebecca Anderson and I am a clinical psychologist and Schema & EMDR therapist in Sydney, Australia.