Therapy approach
Schema Therapy
An integrative approach that focuses on understanding and changing patterns of feeling, thinking and relating (schemas) that form in childhood and repeat in adulthood.
- Long-standing, recurring patterns
- Abandonment, defectiveness, unrelenting standards
- Mode work and imagery
What is a schema?
Schemas are deep beliefs about ourselves and the world that form when our core emotional needs in childhood (safety, attachment, autonomy, limits, self-expression) are not sufficiently met. Beliefs such as “The people I love will leave me”, “I'm not good enough” or “I must always be strong” may once have protected us, but in adulthood they can strain our relationships and our bond with ourselves.
How does schema therapy work?
Developed by Jeffrey Young, schema therapy combines cognitive behavioural therapy, attachment theory and experiential techniques. In therapy we first notice together which schemas and modes (the emotional states we are in at a given moment) are active. Then, with techniques such as imagery, chair work and mode dialogues, we go to the roots of these patterns and learn to respond to unmet needs in the present.
When is it used?
- Long-standing, recurring patterns in relationships and emotions
- Fear of abandonment, jealousy, excessive dependence or keeping your distance
- Intense self-criticism, perfectionism and unrelenting standards
- Depression and anxiety that haven't changed enough with short-term approaches
- Difficulties related to personality patterns
What should you expect?
Because schema therapy works with deep-rooted patterns, it is usually a medium- to long-term process. The therapeutic relationship itself is an important part of the process: building new experiences within a safe relationship helps old patterns loosen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between schema therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy?
Schema therapy grew out of CBT, but it focuses more on deeper, long-standing patterns, their roots in childhood and emotional experience.
This page was written by Zeynep Hilal Çelik and last reviewed on 27 October 2026.
