Schema therapy is different to other forms of evidence based therapy in that it works to understand the individual as a collection of ‘schemas’ (patterns of thought) that have been developed from an early age in response to our environment. These schemas colour our perception of the world and can either serve us well or create problems for us in how we respond to challenging situations later in life.

Schema therapy is a relatively new form of therapy but evidence shows it is particularly promising at dealing with personality disorders, it has also been shown to work well with feelings of depression and anxiety. It is a structured, phased approach to therapy with defined objectives based on goals set by the client. It can draw from techniques like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance styles of therapy but unlike those approaches, it places emphasis on “Limited Reparenting”, providing an environment of support and understanding through which we can understand our schemas, how they might have developed and what we can do to take control of our responses rather than default to unhelpful patterns.

For example, an person exposed to too much criticism early in life might grow up to have an excessive desire for approval as an adult, this would be classed as a maladaptive (unhelpful) schema. While all people desire approval to some degree, to desire approval too strongly can lead to unhealthy boundaries with the people around us or lead us to form relationships with people that don’t have our best interests at heart. These sorts of unhelpful relationships can go on to reinforce feelings that we are inadequate as adults. The ‘limited reparenting’ approach used in schema therapy can help us to put these feelings and relationships in context so that we can see where this might be the case and encourage us to put healthier boundaries in place.

One of the strengths of schema therapy is its focus on early experiences and their impact on our psychology. By addressing the underlying schemas that are driving a person’s problems, schema therapy is able to achieve lasting change that goes beyond surface-level symptoms. This is particularly important for people with personality disorders, as these disorders are often resistant to other forms of therapy.