Schema Therapy

This chapter examines how schema therapy seeks to reduce negative schemas and schema modes but also the significant role of the therapy in seeking to enhance positive schemas and positive schema modes. It shows how schema therapy could be considered as making a contribution to the development of positive clinical psychology. Young described the concept of early maladaptive schemas. The term schema originates from information processing theory highlighting the storage of information in a thematic way. The chapter discusses three broad schema coping styles, namely schema surrender, schema avoidance and schema overcompensation. The goals of group schema therapy incorporate a positive approach from the outset with the initial aim being to develop a positive therapeutic alliance, and to increase their emotional awareness. Schema therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach and thus draws on numerous techniques and approaches to support the therapeutic process of change for patients.