Schema Therapy and Neurodivergence
Continuing our therapeutic approaches series, today we're looking at Schema Therapy, an approach that goes a little deeper than some of the others we've covered so far, focusing on the ingrained beliefs and patterns that can shape what we think, feel, and do.
What Is Schema Therapy?
Schema Therapy was created by Dr Jeffrey Young in the 1980s. It brings together elements from a few different therapeutic approaches, and was created to help people change deeply rooted patterns of thinking and behaviour. Rather than focusing on surface-level symptoms, Schema Therapy looks underneath them, at the underlying "schemas" that influence our thoughts and actions in the first place.
What Actually Is a "Schema"?
Schemas are mental blueprints that filter how we see ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Most of us aren't consciously aware they're even there. For example, someone with a "failure" schema might believe that they have failed or will inevitably fail, and might struggle with low self-worth.
Schemas are thought to develop during childhood, and in adulthood, these schemas tend to influence our thoughts and actions in ways we're often not fully aware of, which can in turn affect our relationships and emotional wellbeing.
What Schema Therapy Actually Involves
In Schema Therapy, you and your therapist work together to identify and understand your schemas, and the "coping styles" you've developed in response to them. Coping styles can shift over time, even while the underlying schema itself tends to stay fairly stable.
Therapy should always start with building a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship before moving into exploring the schemas affecting you. It might involve talking, completing a schema questionnaire, and engaging in therapeutic activities both during and between sessions, all tailored to your specific experiences and goals.
Schema Therapy is typically a longer-term approach, reflecting the fact that these are long-standing, deeply ingrained patterns rather than something that shifts quickly.
Who Can Benefit From Schema Therapy?
Schema Therapy can be helpful for people dealing with a wide range of mental health issues, and it's often especially useful for people who've tried other therapeutic approaches that may not have landed as well.
Schema Therapy and Neurodivergence
Like with any theraputic approach, it should be tailored to your experiences, and goals.
Neurodivergent individuals are at a higher risk of developing what are known as early maladaptive schemes, given how much neurodivergent people experience misunderstanding, masking, and navigating environements that are not made for neurodivergent minds alike.
Finding the Right Approach for You
Schema Therapy is just one evidence-based approach among several, and it won't be the right fit for everyone or every situation. At Very Helpful Chats, our clinicians draw from a range of evidence-based modalities and tailor their approach to your individual needs and goals, rather than fitting you into a single framework.
If you feel like you've tried other approaches without the change you were hoping for, or you suspect some deeper, long-standing patterns might be at play, that's exactly the kind of thing worth talking through with a clinician.
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