Schema Therapy

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A spiraling bridge connecting to a highway crossing

Schema Therapy is an integrative, evidence-based approach that helps people understand and change long-standing patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving: the patterns that can leave us feeling stuck, no matter how hard we try.

It draws on attachment theory, cognitive-behavioural therapy, Gestalt therapy, psychodrama and psychodynamic ideas. At its heart is the understanding that when our core emotional needs aren’t met, often early in life, we develop “schemas.” These are deeply held beliefs and feelings about ourselves, other people, and the world, and they continue to shape how we experience life, long after they form.

What Schema Therapy involves:

  • Understanding your schemas. Together we identify deeply rooted patterns, such as fears of abandonment, difficulty trusting others, or a sense of being flawed or not good enough.

  • Linking past and present. We explore how these schemas show up in your life today, in your relationships, your self-esteem and your emotional wellbeing.

  • Working experientially. Techniques such as imagery, role-play and chair work help us connect with earlier experiences and the emotions attached to them, so change happens at a felt level, not just an intellectual one.

  • Working with modes. “Modes” are the emotional states or mindsets we shift between from moment to moment. Learning to recognise them helps you respond to difficult feelings with more choice and less reactivity.

  • Building healthier ways of coping. We gradually replace self-defeating patterns with ways of meeting your needs that serve you better.

Schema Therapy goes beyond symptom relief. By addressing the underlying roots of emotional and relational difficulties, it aims for lasting change. It can be especially helpful for people whose struggles feel long-standing or deeply entrenched, or who have tried other therapies without the change they hoped for.

Social, cultural and systemic influences on wellbeing

Our inner world doesn’t develop in a vacuum. I’m passionate about bringing social, cultural and systemic factors into the work, recognising how they shape attachment within families, how they influence the schemas we develop, and how they keep those schemas in place.

In therapy, we can explore the impact of experiences such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ageism, ableism and fatphobia. Together we look at how these messages may have been internalised as shame or stigma, how they affect the way you see yourself, and how to begin loosening their hold.

FAQ

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  • Schema Therapy is a medium- to long-term approach addressing deep-rooted patterns and complex challenges rather than just symptom relief. The process is tailored to individual psychological needs and can be adapted to financial circumstances.

  • Schema Therapy involves exploring early developmental experiences and attachment bonds to understand how individuals have formed core beliefs—or schemas—about themselves and the world. Using emotionally focused techniques, it helps process deep-rooted patterns and past traumas. This approach fosters lasting change within a supportive, personalized therapeutic relationship.