Schema Therapy in Melbourne
Are you struggling to manage big emotional responses to thoughts you know not to be true, but still can't help feel impacted by? Are unhelpful patterns keeping you stuck in your relationships and daily life? Have you tried CBT and found it wasn't quite going deep enough for you? Then Schema Therapy might be right for you.
​
If you struggle with chronic or long-standing difficulties with your mental health and relationships, our skilled therapists can help you unlearn old coping mechanisms and develop healthier patters of behaviour using evidence-based Schema Therapy.
What is Schema Therapy?
Schema Therapy is a type of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that was developed for people who didn't respond to traditional CBT. Schema Therapy can help alleviate difficult and long-term symptoms of a range of mental health conditions and relationship patterns, such as:
-
relationship issues
-
substance use
-
disordered eating
-
personality disorders
-
and more
​
Schema Therapy works by building awareness of unhelpful core beliefs (a.k.a. schemas) by identifying core early memories, emotions, bodily sensations, thoughts, and coping styles. Once aware of these patterns, Schema Therapy helps you to become less reactive, and more in control.​
How Schema Therapy differs from CBT
Schema Therapy is a type of CBT, but has some important differences
1 /
More importance placed on the relationship between the therapist and client
2 /
More emphasis on feeling a change, rather than just changing your thinking
3 /
More focus on childhood experiences (e.g., working with your inner child)
4 /
Less focus on symptom reduction, more focus on entrenched patterns
5 /
Easily integrated with other techniques (e.g., psychodynamic, mindfulness, somatic)
6 /
Can expand to longer-term and deeper work
It's time to reach out for help if:
-
Your challenges are long-standing or chronic
-
You've tried standard CBT with little success
-
You notice the effects of CBT wear off after a while
-
You're interested in understanding the impacts of your early childhood experiences
-
You're ready to go under the surface
-
You're ready for profound change
You and your Schema Therapist will conduct an assessment to identify your schemas (core beliefs). Examples of some common schemas include:
-
People are unavailable or will leave me
-
People will harm or take advantage of me
-
People won't care for me
-
I'm not good enough or am unloveable
-
I'm a perfectionist
-
I cannot cope without others
-
I have failed, or will inevitably fail
-
I'm a people-pleaser
-
I care so much about being liked that I don't know my real self
-
Terrible things will happen to me
Our Locations
We offer face-to-face Schema Therapy across two convenient locations in Melbourne and online therapy via telehealth Australia-wide
Schema Therapy FAQs
We're here to answer any questions you have about Schema Therapy
If you have a question that is not answered below, shoot us an email
01
Who is Schema Therapy suitable for?
Schema Therapy is suitable for individuals dealing with a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship concerns. It's particularly helpful for people with more complex, long-standing or entrenched difficulties and is effective for personality disorders
03
How long does Schema Therapy take?
It’s hard to say exactly how long Schema Therapy takes, as everyone is different. The number of sessions will depend on a range of factors, including whether you have something else you’re struggling with (e.g., another diagnosis or history of trauma), and how well your environment supports you to change
02
When is Schema Therapy helpful?
Schema Therapy is a great option to consider if you:
-
found standard CBT to have limited or short-lasting effects
-
prefer longer-term, deeper work from a CBT perspective
-
notice patterns of difficulty in your work or relationships
-
are aware of childhood difficulties affecting your current life
-
prefer therapy to focus more on emotions, somatic experiences, and attachment patterns
04
Do I need a referral for Schema Therapy?
You don’t need a referral to do Schema Therapy. However, if you wish to receive Medicare rebates (with eligible clinicians), you should speak to your GP about getting a Mental Health Treatment Plan