The Schemas of Schema Mode Therapy

Summary

In this video, Jessica, a clinical psychologist, explains the concept of schemas, which are mental frameworks for organizing information. She highlights how schemas develop in childhood and may be adaptive or maladaptive based on early experiences. Jessica delves into the 18 maladaptive schemas identified by Jeffrey Young in schema therapy, discussing how these schemas influence beliefs about oneself and others. She covers topics such as emotional deprivation, abandonment, mistrust, failure, and entitlement, offering insight into how these schemas can impact behavior and relationships throughout life.

Takeaways

• 🧠 A schema is a mental framework used to organize and interpret information about ourselves, others, and the world around us.
• 👶 Schemas typically begin forming in childhood, as we start to categorize and make sense of our experiences.
• 😊 Adaptive schemas are developed in children who have their emotional needs met, leading to positive beliefs about themselves and the world.
• 😔 Maladaptive schemas often form when children’s needs aren't met or they experience negative events, leading to unhealthy core beliefs.
• 🔄 Temperament, which is part of a person's innate personality, can also affect schema development. Children with hypersensitive temperaments are at higher risk of developing maladaptive schemas.
• 📚 Schema therapy focuses on identifying and addressing maladaptive schemas, often looking back to childhood to understand their origins.
• 🧩 There are 18 identified maladaptive schemas, including emotional deprivation, abandonment, mistrust/abuse, and social isolation.
• ⚖️ Maladaptive schemas create rigid, inflexible patterns of thinking and behavior that persist into adulthood if not addressed.
• 👥 Some schemas relate to how individuals perceive themselves in relation to others, like dependency, subjugation, and self-sacrifice.
• 🔄 The goal of schema therapy is to help individuals modify these maladaptive schemas to lead healthier, more adaptive lives.

Q & A

What is a schema in the context of psychology?

A schema is a framework for organizing information. It acts as a blueprint for how we collect, store, and interpret information about ourselves, others, and the world. Schemas help categorize and make sense of experiences.

How do schemas develop during childhood?

Schemas begin developing in childhood as children absorb information. Kids, who start as 'blank slates,' categorize information based on their experiences, forming schemas for various concepts like animals, occupations, or themselves.

What is the difference between adaptive and maladaptive schemas?

Adaptive schemas develop when a child’s needs are met, resulting in positive beliefs about themselves, like 'I am wanted.' Maladaptive schemas develop from unmet needs or negative experiences, leading to unhealthy beliefs, like 'I am unworthy.'

How does temperament influence the development of maladaptive schemas?

Temperament, the innate aspect of personality, can influence the development of maladaptive schemas. Children with hypersensitive temperaments, who feel things intensely, are at higher risk of developing maladaptive schemas.

Can maladaptive schemas develop in adulthood, or are they only rooted in childhood?

While most maladaptive schemas are thought to develop in childhood, trauma or major negative experiences in adulthood can also trigger their development, showing that they can emerge later in life as well.

Who is Jeffrey Young, and what is his contribution to schema therapy?

Jeffrey Young is a psychologist who, in 2006, identified 18 maladaptive schemas in his work on schema therapy. His book on schema therapy practice helped shape the field, offering a framework for understanding and addressing maladaptive schemas.

What is emotional deprivation, one of the maladaptive schemas?

Emotional deprivation is the belief that one’s emotional needs will never be met by others. It often stems from early experiences of not receiving affection or support and creates a pattern of expecting continued emotional neglect.

What is the abandonment schema?

The abandonment schema involves the belief that important people in one's life will leave or abandon them. This belief often stems from early experiences of caregivers leaving and leads to fears of forming attachments in future relationships.

How do maladaptive schemas relate to core beliefs in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?

Maladaptive schemas serve as categories for core beliefs. For example, a failure schema corresponds to the core belief 'I always fail,' tying schema therapy into CBT by organizing core beliefs into broader schema categories.

What is the entitlement schema, and how does it relate to narcissism?

The entitlement schema involves a belief that one is better than others and deserves special treatment. People with this schema often exhibit narcissistic tendencies, breaking rules and expecting preferential treatment without understanding others' objections.