Schema Therapy

Understanding Schema Therapy

Some patterns run deeper than habits. They run all the way back to who you had to become to survive.

Evidence-BasedTrauma-InformedFor Adults

What is Schema Therapy?

Schemas are core beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world — beliefs that took root early in life and still quietly shape how we think, feel, and relate to others today.

1They form early. Schemas develop through our experiences and innate temperament, leaving a lasting imprint on how we think, feel, and relate to others.
2They feel true. Schemas activate in times of stress and — while false — feel deeply real: that you’ll always be abandoned, that you’re fundamentally flawed, or that you’re never truly safe.
3We learn to cope. Avoidance, people-pleasing, overthinking, shutting down — survival strategies that once served a purpose, but over time reinforce the very beliefs we’re trying to escape.

Schema Therapy is an evidence-based psychological treatment that works at this deeper level — healing the unmet emotional needs beneath these schemas, breaking self-defeating cycles, and building a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

Who Schema Therapy can help

Schema Therapy may be particularly helpful if you’re experiencing:

Complex or developmental trauma
Deep-seated shame or feelings of not being good enough
Anxiety and emotional overwhelm that feels hard to explain
Relationship patterns that keep repeating
Attachment difficulties — fear of abandonment, difficulty trusting, or feeling chronically disconnected
A persistent sense of emptiness or not quite belonging

Is Schema Therapy right for you?

That’s something we explore together. In our early sessions, we’ll take time to understand your history and what you’re hoping for — and from there, we’ll determine whether Schema Therapy, or a combination of approaches — such as EMDR — is the right fit for you at this time.

Understanding where your patterns began is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a different one.

Get In Touch

Client and clinical psychologist in a warm therapy session for Schema Therapy