This Special Interest Group focuses on promoting the practice of Schema Therapy in the United Kingdom, as well as supporting research.
Focus areas
- Create a forum to discuss Schema Therapy for complex psychological problems across mental health settings.
- Promote wider recognition of Schema Therapy within the CBT community.
- Offer training in Schema Therapy and encourage best practices.
- Support research and the empirical foundation of Schema Therapy.
- Participate in conferences and workshops.
- Develop a strong UK network while fostering international collaboration in Schema Therapy development.
Contact us
Contact the SIG committee by emailing schematherapy-sig@babcp.com
Join us
BABCP members can join the SIG here (login required)
What Is Schema Therapy?
Schema Therapy is a form of therapy designed for individuals with personality disorders and long-standing mental health issues. It focuses on ‘schemas,’ which are long-lasting patterns of thoughts, memories, feelings, and behaviours shaped by unmet childhood needs.
Schemas develop from unmet emotional needs in childhood, leading individuals to make choices that perpetuate those needs into adulthood. Everyone has schemas to some extent, but some carry stronger, maladaptive ones that significantly impact their lives.
For example, one person may feel deeply rejected due to a sense of disconnection, while another may prioritise others’ needs at the expense of their own.
Developed by Jeffrey Young, Schema Therapy integrates elements of Cognitive Therapy with a greater focus on schemas and relational, experiential techniques. Arnoud Arntz, in the Netherlands, expanded this therapy to include processing childhood trauma for Borderline Personality Disorder.
Numerous RCTs have demonstrated Schema Therapy’s effectiveness in treating Borderline Personality Disorder (Nadort et al., 2009; Arntz et al., 2015), chronic depression (Renner et al., 2016), anxiety disorders (Cockram et al., 2010), eating disorders (Farrell et al., 2009), and forensic populations (Bernstein et al., 2012). There is growing evidence supporting its effectiveness for clusters B and C personality disorders (Bamelis et al., 2014).
Schema Therapy is increasingly used in UK NHS services across various settings, including:
- Personality disorders
- Forensic care
- Eating disorders
- Primary care
Its rising recognition is reflected in its selection as a keynote topic at BABCP conferences in 2010 and 2017.
Teaching resources
If you are interested in available teaching and resources for Schema Therapy, the Committee will be considering establishing a set of resources and to build a network for trainers to share ideas while offering Schema Therapy training courses in the UK. Please feel free to contact us for further information at schematherapy-sig@babcp.com
