What is Schema Therapy?
Schema Therapy is an innovative psychotherapy developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young for personality disorders and other so called “treatment resistent” psychological disorders. Schema Therapy is an integrative therapy which includes elements of cognitive, behavioural, gestalt and object relations therapy in one unified systematic approach to treatment.
An Early Maladaptive Schema is defined as a stable and enduring theme which develops during childhood and/or adolescence and are elaborated throughout ones lifetime. Schemas are deep unconditional beliefs about oneself, one’s relationship to others and one’s relationship to the wider environment; it is the unconditional nature of these beliefs that distinguishes them from ordinary cognitive distortions found in traditional Cognitive Therapy.
The main types of clinical interventions used in Schema Therapy are divided into four groups: Interpersonal, Cognitive, Emotion Focused and Behavioural. Schema Therapy is a moderate to long-term therapy.
Individual & Group Schema Therapy (GST)
Schema Therapy can be delivered in an individual or group setting. Both methods have been empirically validated with a number of diagnostic populations.
In the individual setting Schema Therapy has found to be clinically effective in forensic populations, addictions, eating disorders and other chronic psychiatric conditions. In a study by Arntz et al. Schema Therapy was found to be effective with Cluster C personality disorders as well as Histrionic, Narcissistic and Paranoid Personality Disorder. To read more about this study please visit: RCT CLUSTER C PDS.
GST developed by Professor Joan Farrell & Ms Ida Shaw uses Yalom’s therapeutic factors and limited “family” re-parenting to provide patients with a corrective emotional experience. GST expands the traditional “limited re-parenting” found in Individual Schema Therapy to a group “family” to gain missed attachment opportunties from their childhoods. GST has been proven to be particularly effective with Borderline Personality Disorder , where at six month follow-up patients in the treatment group no longer met criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.
At STI Australia Schema Therapy treatment is offered in both individual and group settings. GST for Borderline Personality Disorder is offered at STI Australia with accompanied individual sessions in a systematic package through Medicare with little out of pocket costs. To learn more about the treatment offered please contact us.
Training in both Individual and GST is offered at STI Australia. To learn more about training pathways please make an enquiry.