Perhaps you have carried certain feelings for as long as you can remember.

 

For example: 

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The need to please others

A harsh self-critical voice

A fear of being abandoned

A sense of not being good enough  

 

These feelings can be more than fleeting moods. When they are deeply ingrained, we call them “schemas”.  

 

Think of schemas as very old, well-worn pathways in your mind, lain down in childhood. These old pathways continue to shape how you look at yourself, other people and the world.  

 

You might find yourself reacting in ways you don’t understand, or repeating patterns that leave you feeling hurt, frustrated, misunderstood or alone.  

 

Schemas are the mechanisms that keep longstanding problems going. They show up in all sorts of ways, such depression, anxiety, low self-esteem or feelings of disconnection.  

 

Schema therapy offers energetic, effective ways to understand and overcome the roots of these patterns.  

 

Imagine feeling less controlled by your emotions.  

Becoming more self-compassionate and connected to others.  

Imagine healing old wounds and building a stronger sense of self.  

 

Schema therapy deals with the deep-seated origins of your difficulties so you have opportunities to create change that lasts. It provides  

 

• Emotional techniques to revisit the past in safe and controlled ways and process emotions 

• Cognitive techniques to identify and challenge negative thought patterns  

• Behavioural techniques that interrupt unhelpful patterns to help you develop new, healthier ways of being and relating  

 

Ultimately, the goal of schema therapy is to help you  

• nurture your vulnerable self 

• dial down your critical inner voice 

• overcome old patterns of coping  

• practice new strategies that work better to get your emotional needs met, sometimes for the first time