Print Schemas are beliefs, memories, emotions, and attitudes about yourself, others, or the world around you. Schemas arise from an interaction between your biological predisposition, your upbringing, and all the experiences you have accumulated in your life. These schemas can be either positive or negative, influencing aspects such as your self-image, interpersonal relationships, and perspective on the world or the future.
Schemas develop in a healthy manner when your basic childhood needs are adequately met, enabling you to navigate challenging situations or interact with others with more confidence. If you struggle with ‘unhelpful’ schemas, you may have a more negative perception of yourself, others, or the world, leading to increased sensitivity, jealousy, or distrust, for example.
Origin of Unhelpful Schemas
To develop resilience and emotional well-being, certain basic needs must be fulfilled during your childhood. A child’s fundamental needs include:
- Safety and connection
- Exploring the world independently
- Fair rules and boundaries
- Expressing emotions
- Spontaneity and playfulness
- Autonomy
Repeated failure to meet one or more of these basic needs in your youth, perhaps due to inadequate care, violence, abuse, bullying, or overprotective parenting, can result in the development of unhelpful schemas. Through recurrent unpleasant experiences, you draw conclusions about the world and yourself, forming beliefs such as “This is how it is now, so it will always be this way.” These schemas from the past can be activated in your current life in situations reminiscent of those earlier experiences, essentially becoming ‘ingrained patterns.’ While they may have offered a form of protection in the past, they can now act as an obstacle in your daily life. In your treatment, you will explore and identify the schemas you currently have.
Schema Domains
There are 18 different schemas, categorized into 5 domains:
- Disconnection and rejection
Arises from insufficient safety, protection, and nurturing during childhood, leading to a lack of connection or safety with others. - Impaired autonomy and performance
Originates from unmet needs for independence and autonomy in childhood, possibly due to a lack of trust, space, or encouragement, or conversely, being overburdened. - Impaired limits
Develops when few (realistic) boundaries are set, or boundaries are highly inconsistent. Being excessively indulged, feeling superior to others, or oscillating between complete freedom and strict boundaries can lead to Impaired Limits. - Other-directedness
Emerges from being accepted only when meeting specific conditions. Expressing one’s own feelings and needs becomes challenging, as behavior conforms to the needs of others. - Excessive vigilance and inhibition
Arises when there is little room for enjoyment and spontaneity, suppressed by (self-imposed) rules or expectations. Striving for perfection and achievement is rewarded, while expressing needs is punished or at least inhibited.
Types of Non-Helpful Schemas
Within the 5 domains, 18 schemas are described. You can find them here.
Sources
Vereniging voor schematherapie: https://www.schematherapie.nl/schematherapie
Boom: https://platform.boompsychologie.nl/
