Schema therapy: breaking through persistent patterns

Do you find yourself repeatedly falling into the same traps? For example, you always put others first and forget about yourself, or you quickly assume that people are abandoning you? Schema therapy focuses on such deeply rooted patterns and helps you recognize and change them.

What are schedules?

A schema is a fixed pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that often developed in childhood when certain basic needs were not met properly. Think of the need for safety, recognition, or space to be yourself. As an adult, those patterns can still determine your reactions, even if the situation has long since changed.

Who is schema therapy suitable for?

Schema therapy was developed by Jeffrey Young for people for whom shorter treatments were not sufficient. It is used, among other things, in the following cases:

personality issues, such as borderline or avoidant patterns
recurring depressive or anxiety symptoms
constantly getting stuck in relationships or work
low self-esteem and strong self-criticism

How does it work?

Together with the therapist, you identify which schemas are playing a role in you and where they come from. Then you work with conversations, exercises, and experiential techniques, such as imagination and role-playing. In this way, you learn to look at yourself in a new way and to take better care of your own needs. Schema therapy can take place individually or in a group and often lasts longer than a short-term treatment.

Substantiation

Schema therapy has been extensively researched in the Netherlands, including in borderline personality disorder. Several studies have shown good results, even in the long term. It is an accepted treatment within the healthcare system.

Choosing a schema therapist

Check whether the therapist is trained in schema therapy, for example through the Association for Schema Therapy. Within the healthcare system, treatment is often reimbursed by the basic health insurance; ask about this at the practice and your health insurer.

Curious about whether schema therapy is right for you? View therapists who offer schema therapy.