Schema Therapy

Have you ever found yourself repeating the same painful patterns—like people-pleasing, self-criticism, or pushing yourself to exhaustion—even when you know they’re not helping? Schema Therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps you understand where these patterns come from and how to shift them, with kindness and compassion.

At Kind Mynd Psychology, I use Schema Therapy to support clients navigating eating disorders, complex trauma, body image struggles, and the lasting effects of unmet emotional needs—often from childhood or earlier relationships. Schema Therapy is particularly helpful if you’ve tried other types of therapy before and felt like something deeper was still unaddressed.

What Is Schema Therapy?

Schema Therapy blends elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), attachment theory, and emotion-focused work to help you identify and heal “schemas”—core beliefs and emotional patterns developed early in life.

Schemas aren’t “bad” or wrong; they often formed as ways to cope or stay safe in your environment. But over time, they can become rigid and unhelpful—like a part of you stuck in survival mode.

Some common schemas include:

• “I’m not good enough”

• “People will leave me”

• “I have to be perfect to be accepted”

• “My needs don’t matter”

Schema Therapy helps you get to know these patterns, understand where they came from, and develop new, more supportive ways of relating to yourself and others.

How Schema Therapy Can Help

Schema Therapy is especially effective for people who:

• Feel stuck in long-standing emotional patterns

• Struggle with self-worth, shame, or identity

• Are recovering from eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or orthorexia

• Have experienced attachment trauma or emotional neglect

• Live with high-functioning anxiety, burnout, or perfectionism

• Identify as neurodivergent and want to understand their emotional world in a more affirming way

In therapy, we’ll work together to:

• Identify your core schemas and where they came from

• Explore the “modes” you shift into when those schemas are triggered (like the Inner Critic, Avoider, or Detached Protector)

• Strengthen the part of you that can care for yourself with compassion and clarity

• Create space for healthier boundaries, relationships, and self-trust

If you're neurodivergent (e.g. ADHD, autism), Schema Therapy can help you make sense of experiences where your needs weren’t understood or accepted. Together, we’ll explore the intersection of schemas and neurodivergence with curiosity—not pathologising—and support you to feel more at home in yourself.

This therapy is always paced around you. There’s no rush or pressure—just a safe space to reflect, heal, and grow.

What to Expect in Schema Therapy

In sessions, we’ll spend time talking, reflecting, and sometimes using experiential techniques like imagery or chair work (only if that feels right for you). It’s a collaborative process, and you’ll always be in the driver’s seat.

You might start to notice:

• Greater awareness of your emotional triggers

• More compassion for your younger self

• Less power given to the critical or perfectionist parts

• A stronger connection to your needs, boundaries, and values

Schema Therapy is a longer-term therapy, but many clients say they finally feel like they’re understanding themselves in a way that makes real change possible.

Ready to Explore Schema Therapy?

Whether you’re feeling stuck, burnt out, or just ready to understand yourself more deeply—schema therapy can be a powerful tool for healing. I offer therapy online and in-person from Brunswick and (soon!) Pascoe Vale.

If you’re curious about how Schema Therapy might support your journey, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to help you get a feel for whether it’s the right fit.

You're so welcome here.