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WHAT IS SCHEMA THERAPY?

Schema therapy is an integrative form of psychotherapy that integrates methods and techniques from interpersonal, experiential and psychodynamic therapy to effectively treat personality disorders and/or persistent anxiety- and depressive disorders . Research has shown that most personality disorders can be treated successfully with Schema Therapy.
A schema therapist makes use of cognitive, behavioural and experiential techniques, influencing the patient through three channels: feeling (experiential), thinking (cognitive) and doing (behavioural).
In addition to these three channels there are four distinctive focal points in the therapy: life outside the therapy, events within the therapy setting (primarily the therapeutic relationship), experiences from the past, and the future.
Schema therapy focuses on changing dysfunctional schemas/modes into more flexible and less extreme schemas/modes and developing adequate coping strategies so that patients develop a more positive image of themselves and others as well as a more nuanced view of the world around  them.

COURSE CONTENT

• Assessment: Exploring schemas, coping strategies and schema modes, including the use of questionnaires, the downward arrow technique, and imagery. Summarising information using a case conceptualisation form and creating a case conceptualisation model or mode model.
• The therapeutic relationship
  Limited reparenting, emphatic confrontation, setting limits and dealing with the schemas of the therapist.
• Specific cognitive techniques
  Schema diary, multi-dimensional evaluation, pie chart and flashcards.
• Experiential techniques
  Imagery rescripting, historical role play, and chairwork.
• Behavioural Change Strategies and homework assignments
  Role play, training skills, and behavioural experiments.

This course will teach you how to apply all of the techniques when treating personality disorders or therapy resistent syndrome disorders. In addition to the theory, significant attention will be given to the practical application of skills.

ASSESSMENT

Acquired knowledge and skills in this course will be assessed by making a case conceptualization and a mode model

The teachers will review these case conceptualizations in order to assess if the participant is proficient enough to work with the concepts used in schema therapy. Participants will receive extensive written feedback on how the therapist processes all the information in terms of needs, schemas and coping styles and modes. In case the case conceptualization is not yet sufficient, the participant will receive specific suggestions how to make improvements.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Knowledge
At the end of the course, the participant will have acquired knowledge about essential elements of schema therapy:

• The concepts used in schema therapy (core emotional needs, schemas, coping styles, modes)
• The therapy relationship of Limited Reparenting
• The use of cognitive-, emotion focused- and behavioral techniques

Skills

At the end of the course, the participant is able to apply these elements from schema therapy sufficiently when treating clients with a personality disorder. For a more detailed description of these skills, we refer to the syllabus, ‘Assessment’ and the Schema Therapy Competency Rating Scale that will be one of the materials participants can download from the website. A mean rating of ‘4’ will be seen as sufficient for what can be expected as the level of competence after the course.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Therapists who work with clients suffering from a personality disorder and/or persistent, therapy resistant depressive- or anxiety disorders.

PREVIOUS TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

This training course is certified by both the Dutch Society for Schema Therapy (VSt) and the International Society for Schema Therapy (ISST). Although both societies share most of the requirements for certification, there are however, some differences as well.
Below, we will describe the requirements of both societies. We will then discuss the practical implications for participants who want to sign up for this course.

Dutch Society for Schema Therapy (VSt)

Those participants who have a BIG-registration as a Mental Health Psychologist (GZ-psycholoog), Orthopedagogue (Orthopedagoog generalist), Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychologist or Psychiatrist, members of specialist psychological societies or occupational therapists (RVB), who work with clients with a personality disorder and/or persistent, therapy resistant depressive- or anxiety disorders are allowed to participate in this course. Also, those in training to become one of the previously mentioned registrations are allowed to participate. One condition for participation is to have some knowledge and skills from cognitive behavioral therapy.
Others, e.g. basic psychologists, pedagogues or people following a HBO education other that occupational therapy, are only allowed to join the course, when they collaborate closely with colleagues who are registered schema therapists.
Did you follow an education that is not mentioned above, please contact us via the ‘Contact’-page.

International Society for Schema Therapy (ISST)
To qualify for certification in Schema Therapy a person must fulfill the following two qualifications:
1. Academic training: Hold at least a master’s degree in psychology, clinical social work, psychiatric nursing or a counseling area that leads to licensing; or medical degree with psychiatric residency (or residency equivalent if it is defined differently in that country). 

2. License or certification for practice: In countries that certify or license the above professions, a person must be certified or licensed by either the government body or professional organization which grants this. If no such control exists in a country, the standard of one of the national or international professional psychotherapy organizations must be met to fulfill this requirement. 

If you belong to another group that is licensed or certified to practice psychotherapy in your country, please submit this information with your academic qualifications to be considered for certification application. Some countries have described in detail how the ISST qualifications need to be applied for their country. The UK is one example of this and for exception requests these standards are used.

With the above-mentioned requirements, this training course is open for participation for anyone fulfilling one of the 2 societies requirements. 

CERTIFICATES

At the end of the course, the participant will receive a certificate of participation on the condition that the participant has attended the meetings and has sufficiently passed the exams in this course (case conceptualization).The kind of certificate participants will receive, depends on whether they fulfill the requirements of the 2 schema therapy societies. There are  3 options:

• Those fulfilling the requirements of the ISST, but not the requirements of the VSt, will receive an ISST certificate.
• Participants fulfilling the criteria for the Dutch society (meaning that they have a BIG-registration or are in the process for such a registration, or are member of a specialized psychotherapy society), will receive both an ISST-certificate and a VSt-certificate.
• Participants not fulfilling the requirements for the VSt, will not receive a VSt certificate but will receive an ISST certificate. However, when this participant starts the process of obtaining a BIG-registration, they can contact the teaching institute in order to receive a VSt certificate after all.

HOURS OF STUDY LOAD

Preparation per training day (practice homework assignments of the previous session, reading literature, chosing case for the next training day): maximum of 4 hours.
Forming a case conceptualization: maximum 5 hours.
The above mentioned hours are a broad assessment in order to prevent a higher study load than anticipated.

ACCREDITATION

The following accreditations have been assigned or are submitted for accreditation (previously they have been accredited):

• ISST
• Vereniging voor Schematherapie (VSt)
• VGCt: Advanced course
• FGzPt: herregistratie KP
• Register Vaktherapeutische Beroepen
• NVvP: accreditation will be submitted when requested by the participant

PRESENTERS 

• Remco van der Wijngaart, MSc
• Chris Korevaar, MSc

LITERATURE

Arntz, A., van Genderen, H. (2020). Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder. United Kingdom: Wiley.

Arntz, A., Jacob, G. (2012). Schema therapy in practice: An introductory guide to the schema mode approach. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Genderen, H. van, & Jacob, G.  (2015). Breaking negative thinking patterns.

Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A practitioner’s guide. New York: Guilford.

PROGRAM

Day 1

Introduction into schema therapy

• Core emotional needs, schemas and coping styles

Case conceptualization

Identifying schemas

• Diagnostic imagery, demonstration and exercise
• Questionnaires

Therapy relationship of Limited Reparenting:

• Offer care
• Offer guidance

Day 2

Schema modes and mode models

Therapy relationship of limited Reparenting:

• Empathic Confrontation
• Setting Limits

Schema interaction therapist-client

Day 3

Formulating a therapy plan

Cognitive techniques

Emotion focused techniques

• Imagery Rescripting
• Chairwork

Day 4

Integrating different components of ST, applied to Borderline Personality Disorder:

Detached protector

Inner Critic

Vulnerable Child mode

Healthy Adult

DATES, COSTS AND SUBSCRIPTION

The costs for this 4-day training course are €1095, including reader, training materials made available on the website and lunch. Books and audiovisual training material are excluded. You will receive an invoice around 2 months prior to the start of the course.

• You can register here.