Training and Certification in Schema Therapy

Schema Therapy is an important integrative therapy bringing together, CBT techniques with strategies drawn from object relations, psychodynamic, interpersonal, experiential and person-centred therapies. In a major study, a high percentage of patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) treated with schema therapy were either cured or achieved major reduction in all symptoms, with a very low drop out rate (Giesen-Bloo et al 2006). Schema therapy expands on CBT by placing much greater emphasis on exploring early experiences, childhood and adolescent origins of psychological problems, upon emotive techniques, upon therapist-patient relationships and on maladaptive coping styles.

Schemas are extremely stable and enduring patterns made up of cognitions, memories and experiences that develop during childhood and are elaborated throughout life. Schemas are accepted by individuals without question, such that they view the world through their schemas.

We provide training and certification for experienced, licensed practitioners (counsellors, psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists etc). Training at certificate level will develop competency using the basic schema model to:-

• Understand the usefulness of changing central schemas i.e. Emotional Deprivation, Defectiveness, Abandonment, and Entitlement schemas.
• Increase the dominance of a person's healthy mode.
• Identify and reduce detachment/avoidance, compliant, aggressive, punitive, overcompensating and compulsive responses
• Conceptualize cases and build collaboration to achieve best outcomes.

Giesen-Bloo, J., van Dyck, R., Spinhoven P., van Tilburg W., Dirksen, C., van Asselt, T., Kremers, I., Nadort, M.,; and Arntz, A. (2006) Outpatient Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: a randomized trial of Schema focused therapy versus Transference focused therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 63, No. 6, pp.649-658