Schema therapy focuses on the deeper, long-standing patterns that shape how you see yourself, others, and your relationships.

These patterns often take the form of core beliefs, like feeling not good enough, feeling too much, or believing your needs aren’t important. They can also show up as strong emotional reactions or recurring relationship dynamics that feel difficult to change.
 

Schema therapy helps us understand where these patterns come from and why they’ve been so persistent over time. Often, they develop early in life when important emotional needs weren’t consistently met.

At the same time, this approach isn’t only about understanding the past. It’s about recognising how these patterns are still operating in your present-day life, and actively working to change them.

In our work together, we identify the schemas that are most relevant for you and explore how they’re triggered. We also look at the coping responses you’ve developed, like over-functioning, self-sacrificing, or being highly self-critical.

From there, we begin to shift these patterns in a way that is both practical and emotionally meaningful. This might involve developing a more balanced and compassionate way of relating to yourself, strengthening your ability to meet your own needs, and learning how to respond differently in relationships.

Schema therapy is particularly effective for creating lasting change because it works at the core level where these patterns were originally formed, rather than only addressing surface-level symptoms.