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Schema-focusedtherapy forborderline personality disorder(BPD) is a type ofpsychotherapythat focuses on identifying and changing specific unhealthy ways of thinking. The therapy includes some elements that are traditional parts ofcognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) but also includes some elements of other types of psychotherapy.

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Childhood Needs and Maladaptive Schemas

The theory underlying schema-focused therapy presumes that when our basic childhood needs (such as needs for safety, acceptance, and love) are met inadequately, we develop unhealthy ways of interpreting and interacting with the world, which is called maladaptive early schemas.

Schemas are broad and pervasive patterns of thinking and behavior. These are more than just beliefs; schemas are deeply held patterns that are closely related to our sense of self and view of the world.

Schema theory proposes that schemas are triggered when events happening in our current life resemble those from our past that were related to the formation of the schema. If we have developed unhealthy schemas because of difficult experiences in our childhood, we will resort to unhealthy ways of thinking and behave in response to this new situation.

Examples

In order to understand how schema therapy works, it is helpful to look at some of the unhealthy early schemas people may have and the issues they may later cause.

A few examples of maladaptive schemas include:

Not everyone responds to early schemas in the same ways. Schema therapy suggests that there are three primary coping styles that people use to deal with these beliefs.

Goals

The initial goals of schema-focused therapy for borderline personality disorder are to identify the patient’s relevant schemas and to link these schemas to past events and current symptoms.

Research Support

While there has not yet been extensive research on schema-focused therapy, one study has been published to date which suggests that patients randomly assigned to receive schema-focused therapy had significantly larger reductions in borderline personality disorder symptoms than those assigned to receive psychodynamic therapy. While this is preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of schema-focused therapy, it suggests that this therapy shows promise in treating BPD.

In addition, an analysis of multiple research studies on psychological therapy for borderline personality disorder also concluded that schema-focused therapy appears effective, but the authors also said more research is needed.

How to Find a Schema Therapist

The International Society of Schema Therapy also provides adirectory of therapists, or you can utilize the American Psychological Association’stherapist finderto look for providers in your area.

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3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tan YM, Lee CW, Averbeck LE, et al.Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of patients' perceptions.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(11):e0206039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206039Schema-focused therapy appears effective for BPD treatment. American Psychological Association. March 2007, Vol 38, No. 3.Stoffers JM, Völlm BA, Rücker G, Timmer A, Huband N, Lieb K.Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2012;(8):CD005652. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005652.pub2

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tan YM, Lee CW, Averbeck LE, et al.Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of patients' perceptions.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(11):e0206039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206039Schema-focused therapy appears effective for BPD treatment. American Psychological Association. March 2007, Vol 38, No. 3.Stoffers JM, Völlm BA, Rücker G, Timmer A, Huband N, Lieb K.Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2012;(8):CD005652. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005652.pub2

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Tan YM, Lee CW, Averbeck LE, et al.Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of patients' perceptions.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(11):e0206039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206039Schema-focused therapy appears effective for BPD treatment. American Psychological Association. March 2007, Vol 38, No. 3.Stoffers JM, Völlm BA, Rücker G, Timmer A, Huband N, Lieb K.Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2012;(8):CD005652. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005652.pub2

Tan YM, Lee CW, Averbeck LE, et al.Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of patients' perceptions.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(11):e0206039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206039

Schema-focused therapy appears effective for BPD treatment. American Psychological Association. March 2007, Vol 38, No. 3.

Stoffers JM, Völlm BA, Rücker G, Timmer A, Huband N, Lieb K.Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2012;(8):CD005652. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005652.pub2

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