A systematic approach to meeting your emotional needs in a healthy and positive way.
Schema Therapy is an integrative therapy which uses elements from a variety of therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), object relations therapy and gestalt therapy to create a systematic approach to treating a variety of ‘schemas’.
Schemas are negative thought patterns that some people develop during childhood if their emotional needs aren’t met. These early maladaptive schemas can be difficult to cope with as they manifest into adulthood.
If they aren’t addressed with therapy, they can develop into problematic coping methods and behaviours which negatively affect an individual’s life. The aim of schema therapy is to teach you how to meet your emotional needs in a healthy and positive way without causing you distress.
Our fully qualified and experienced psychologists offer Schema Therapy at our Brisbane northside clinic at Stafford, along with additional therapies that are backed with science, including CBT and EMDR Therapy.
Safe, comfortable schema therapy
Get the support you need from highly qualified psychologists in a safe environment.
Countering the negative effects of schemas can be traumatic for some people, which is why it’s so important to undertake schema therapy with a qualified psychologist you feel comfortable with. Should you engage in schema therapy at Brisbane Centre for Psychology, you’ll benefit from the caring, compassionate nature of our fully qualified and certified psychologists, along with a safe and welcoming environment.
Think you could benefit from sessions with a schema therapist, to help you identify and overcome the negative thought patterns which are preventing you from coping with life’s issues and living life to the fullest?
Book with a Schema Therapist at Brisbane Centre for Psychology in Stafford Heights and take your first steps on your terms.
What to expect in your schema therapy session
Starting Schema Therapy can feel like a big step, but you’ll be supported the whole way by an experienced psychologist. Sessions are designed to be a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours with guidance and care.
Each session may include:
- Building self-awareness – Gaining insight into how past experiences shape your emotions and relationships.
- Exploring coping mechanisms – Identifying patterns that no longer serve you and developing new, more effective strategies.
- Emotional work – Using techniques such as guided imagery or chair work to process past experiences in a safe, supportive way.
- Practical tools – Learning specific skills to help manage stress, improve relationships, and regulate emotions in healthier ways for your daily life.
In your sessions, your psychologist will work with you to identify patterns from your past that may still be influencing your emotional states and unhelpful behaviours today. Through a combination of cognitive strategies and experiential strategies, you’ll begin to recognise and challenge unhelpful beliefs, replacing them with healthier perspectives.
Schema Therapy is a deeply personal journey, and your sessions will be tailored to your specific needs. Over time, you’ll develop greater emotional resilience, a stronger sense of self, and the confidence to move forward in life with healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
A path to lasting change
Schema Therapy is a compassionate and structured approach designed to help individuals break free from deeply ingrained emotional patterns that may be holding them back. Developed to support people struggling with personality disorders, chronic anxiety, depression, and other life challenges, this therapy helps uncover and reshape unhelpful beliefs formed in early life.
With the guidance of experienced psychologists, Schema Therapy combines cognitive strategies and experiential strategies to bring about meaningful change. By increasing self-awareness, individuals learn to recognise how past experiences shape their thoughts, emotional states, and unhelpful behaviours in the present. This insight creates an opportunity to develop healthier coping mechanisms that support emotional well-being.
For many clients, long-standing patterns—such as emotional inhibition or self-criticism—can feel impossible to change. But with the support of our skilled clinical psychologist, schema therapy provides a roadmap for healing. It offers a safe space to explore difficult emotions, strengthen self-compassion, and build healthier relationships.
No matter where you are in your journey, Schema Therapy treatment can help clients gain a deeper understanding of yourself, reshape limiting patterns, and create positive changes that enhance a person’s life and everyday world.
Meet our SCHEMA THERAPY Psychologists
Our Team
