An integrative therapeutic approach used in complex psychological problems and personality disorders
Schema Therapy helps to understand and change deeply ingrained patterns of thinking, feeling, and reacting, which usually originated in early relationships and experiences.
In online therapy, we examine how these patterns affect your relationships, self-esteem, and daily decisions today, and how to build more supportive ways of treating yourself and others step by step.
Unlike classic cognitive-behavioral therapy, which often focuses on specific symptoms (e.g., panic attacks, insomnia, social anxiety), schema therapy focuses on deeper patterns related to relationships, self-image, and emotional regulation.
This holistic approach is very valuable for complex emotional and cognitive problems, including: recurrent depression, chronic anxiety, personality disorders (borderline, narcissistic, dependent personality, histrionic personality) and experiences of single and complex trauma.
The main goal is to weaken early maladaptive schemas that form in childhood and adolescence. It is important to reach the child’s needs and work on satisfying emotional needs in adulthood. Therapeutic work interrupts the vicious cycle, allowing you to stop and not repeat painful emotional states.
The goals of therapy that distinguish schema therapy from traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy are the focus on emotional needs. Much greater emphasis is placed on working with emotions, using a range of interventions aimed at this area. Techniques are used to process difficult, negative emotions.
The therapist introduces you to the main concepts of schema therapy, gets to know your maladaptive schemas, modes, as well as the triggers for difficult situations.
In the next stage, we work on changing dysfunctional patterns by applying specific interventions related to changing ways of thinking, behaving, and emotional reactions.
In individual therapy, the strong importance of the therapeutic relationship can be highlighted in the context of achieving therapeutic goals. The relationship is a significant factor influencing change.
I am committed to high-quality psychotherapy services and providing professional assistance. I work within the cognitive-behavioral and schema therapy approaches. I hold recommendations from the Polish Society for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (PTTPB), as well as from The International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST). Read more about me: Katarzyna Maruszewska
Schema therapy at Nowe Widoki is conducted exclusively online – in the form of real-time video meetings.
Sessions typically last 50 minutes and take place once a week. If you want to read more about how to prepare for a session, how we ensure the security and organization of the process, visit the sub-page – online psychotherapy. If you live in Germany, check out the offer for schema therapy for Poles in Berlin.
If you are considering starting schema therapy, I invite you to 1–2 initial online consultations.
During these meetings, we will discuss your situation, experiences, and expectations for therapy, as well as how our collaboration might look within this approach. You can find consultation dates in the online calendar – you can choose a convenient day and time and book a session through the form – book a session
The relationship in schema therapy is a key value. The therapeutic alliance is formed between the therapist and your healthy part against negative schemas. The therapist often acts as a good adult, providing necessary emotional support, using limited reparenting. The entire therapy process, despite addressing difficult issues, is intended to be a safe experience for you. The therapist conducts therapy in a stable and balanced manner. I adopt an attitude of openness, being non-judgmental, empathetic, authentic, while simultaneously setting appropriate boundaries.
Early maladaptive schema is a pervasive dysfunctional pattern of emotions, thoughts, and sensations, formed as a result of difficult experiences in childhood and youth, e.g., psychological abuse of a child, conditional love, an overcontrolling parent, emotional inhibition of loved ones, excessively high standards, excessive parental involvement in the child’s functioning.
Early experiences influence the development of schemas, which are very often reinforced in adult life. A schema is formed under the influence of interactions with other people, upbringing, and culture. It is present in every mental disorder, but it can also function without a specific assigned disease entity. It has varying intensity; the more severe the schema, the greater the number of situations that will trigger it. Schemas have a key influence on how we think, what we feel, and what relationships we enter into in our adult lives.
In schema therapy, we work not only with beliefs themselves but also with so-called modes, which are states you enter under the influence of strong emotions.
This can be, for example, the Vulnerable Child mode (intense shame, feeling of loneliness), the Compliant Surrenderer mode (you easily give up on yourself to avoid losing a relationship), or the Detached Protector mode (you emotionally detach, escape into work, TV shows, the Internet).
The goal of therapy is to gradually strengthen the Healthy Adult – the part of you that can recognize your needs, protect yourself, set boundaries, and build more secure relationships.
In schema therapy, we utilize cognitive, behavioral, and experiential techniques. We work on changing dysfunctional beliefs and building alternative beliefs that can be used to combat schemas.
We employ behavioral techniques to modify behavioral patterns and reactions that reinforce negative schemas. We use experiential techniques (such as imagery work, chair work) to help process our experiences emotionally in a more adaptive way. Read more
Schema therapy is usually a longer process, as we work on the patient’s early schemas, which they have most often functioned with throughout their lives. Sessions are usually held once a week. There is no predetermined number of sessions; however, therapy most often lasts from six months to two years.
Online work has the same therapeutic value as in-person work. Some patients see additional benefits in online therapy such as: comfort, accessibility, and flexibility.
Schema therapy is intended for individuals dealing with persistent, recurring psychological problems and is not recommended for working with acute clinical symptoms.
