Seeking Schema Therapy in Adelaide?
Schema Therapy in Adelaide offers a comprehensive approach to help deep-rooted patterns that may impact your relationships, self-worth, and well-being. Our experienced team of psychologists provide supportive care using evidence-based methods to help you understand and transform long-standing emotional patterns.
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Schema therapy is an integrative therapy approach that combines elements of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory, and Emotion-focused Therapy to treat personality disorders and other mental health concerns that do not always respond to other treatment options. This evidence-based approach has proven effective for individuals who have tried other therapies but continue to struggle with persistent emotional and behavioural patterns.
Understanding Schema Therapy
Schema-focused cognitive therapy works by helping you identify and understand your schemas, also called early maladaptive schemas. These are deep-rooted patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that can develop when our emotional needs aren’t fully met during childhood.
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Schemas can significantly impact how we think, feel, and interact with others throughout our lives. If left unaddressed, they can lead to unhelpful patterns, such as struggling to trust others, unfulfilling friendships and relationships, pushing yourself to exhaustion due to perfectionism, or feeling ‘never good enough’ no matter how much you achieve.
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Schema therapy helps you understand and recognise these patterns and find healthier ways to meet your emotional needs as an adult.
How Adults Benefit from Schema Therapy
Schema therapy offers meaningful benefits for adults who have struggled with long-term emotional or relationship difficulties. Unlike shorter-term therapies that focus primarily on symptoms, schema therapy addresses the underlying root causes of persistent problems.
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Adults often experience significant improvements in several key areas through schema therapy:
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Emotional Regulation: Develop healthy ways to manage intense emotions rather than being overwhelmed by them or shutting down completely. This includes learning to manage difficult feelings without regressing into unhealthy patterns.
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Relationship Patterns: Schema therapy helps adults recognise how past experiences influence them. They learn to recognise cycles of conflict and dependency that may be preventing them from forming secure, satisfying connections.
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Self-Worth and Identity: Managing feelings of inadequacy or a sense of unworthiness. Schema therapy addresses these core beliefs, helping develop a more balanced and compassionate view of oneself.
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Life Satisfaction: As they work through underlying schemas, many adults find they can pursue goals and relationships that were previously too difficult to do.
Conditions That Respond Well to Schema Therapy
Schema therapy is effective across a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to:
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Borderline Personality Disorder: Schema therapy was specifically developed to address the complex emotional dysregulation, relationship difficulties, and identity issues characteristic of borderline personality disorder.
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Chronic Depression: For individuals whose depression hasn't fully responded to other treatments, schema therapy addresses underlying beliefs and patterns that may be maintaining depressive symptoms.
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Anxiety Disorders: Particularly helpful for generalised anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorder when these conditions stem from deeply rooted fears or beliefs about safety and competence.
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Complex PTSD: When trauma occurs repeatedly or during developmental years, schema therapy helps address the complex patterns that can emerge, including difficulties with trust, emotional regulation, and self-concept.
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Eating Disorders: Schema therapy works to address the deeper emotional needs and beliefs that shape a person’s eating habits.
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Substance Use Issues: Particularly effective when substance use is connected to emotional avoidance or self-medication.
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Chronic Relationship Difficulties: If you notice recurring patterns in your relationships or emotions that seem hard to change, schema therapy can help you understand and shift these underlying themes.
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Perfectionism and Self-Criticism: For people whose perfectionism or high standards have started to feel overwhelming or unsustainable.
The Schema Therapy Process
At Adelaide Clinical Psychology, we utilise a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to schema therapy. Our process involves the following steps:
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Assessment and Schema Identification: Your caring psychologist will work with you to identify your specific schemas through detailed exploration of your life experiences, relationship patterns, and emotional responses. This phase involves understanding how your schemas developed and how they currently impact your life.
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Cognitive and Emotional Processing: Once schemas are identified, you'll work to understand them more deeply, exploring the emotions connected to these patterns and beginning to challenge unhelpful beliefs. This phase involves processing difficult emotions in a safe, supportive environment.
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Behavioural Change and Skills Development: As you develop greater awareness and emotional processing skills, the focus shifts to changing behaviours and developing healthier coping strategies. This includes learning new ways to meet your emotional needs and respond to triggering situations.
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Integration and Relapse Prevention: This phase focuses on integrating your new understanding and skills into daily life, while developing strategies to maintain progress and handle future challenges.
What Makes Our Approach Different
Our team of psychologists brings a warm, understanding approach to schema therapy. We know that exploring long-standing patterns can feel uncomfortable, and we're committed to providing a safe, supportive environment throughout your journey.
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We take time to ensure you feel understood. Our approach allows us to work at your pace, respecting your readiness for each phase of the work while encouraging growth and change.
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Each person's schema therapy journey is different, reflecting their individual experiences, patterns, and goals. We tailor our approach to match your specific needs, drawing on various techniques within the schema therapy framework to provide the most effective treatment possible.
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Taking the Next Step
If you're ready to address the underlying patterns that have been impacting your life, Schema Therapy in Adelaide offers a pathway toward lasting change. Our team of skilled psychologists are here to support you.
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Contact us today to discuss how schema therapy might benefit you and to schedule your initial appointment.