Schema Therapy Worksheets

What is a Schema Therapy Worksheet?

Schema therapy is a type of integrative therapeutic treatment that borrows interventions from a range of other therapy styles. It is most often used to treat patients diagnosed with personality disorders who may be having difficulty achieving results from other forms of therapy. Schemas are negative behavioral and thought patterns that people develop if their emotional needs aren’t adequately met during childhood. Schemas can be disruptive and unhelpful, leading people to have a lower quality of life.

This type of therapy involves clients and therapists working together to identify and understand the specific schemas that a client has. Experts in schema therapy have identified a total of 18 different schemas, all of which fall into a specific domain (of which there are 5). Figuring out how to identify the presence of schemas, and consequently how to challenge these, is at the core essence of schema therapy. To help clients improve their self-awareness of schemas, we have designed a . The template is designed to be primarily used by the client, although it may be more effective for the therapist to assist them in completing it. It asks the client to consider the 18 different schemas and to determine whether or not they feel impacted by them.

How To Use This Schema Therapy Worksheet

Step One: Access the worksheet

Naturally, the first thing you need to do is access the template. We’ve included a link to the PDF worksheet on this page, along with a completed schema therapy worksheet example. Simply click on the link and the template will open in your device’s preferred PDF reader. From here, you can either print the worksheet or download it to be accessed electronically at a later date.

Step Two: Give the worksheet to your client to complete

We recommend encouraging your client to complete the schema therapy worksheet fairly early on during treatment. This will allow you to develop a greater insight into the client’s self-awareness, and begin targeting specific interventions toward treating each schema. Although the worksheet can technically be completed by the client independently, being with them while they go through it is a good idea. This is the recommended process for completing the worksheet:

1. Go over each schema: The worksheet has a section for all 18 schemas. It is likely the case that your client doesn’t have an in-depth knowledge of every single schema, so they will benefit from you explaining how each one works. It’s a good idea to give them examples of how each schema may manifest in someone.‍
2. Ask the client what they think: The point of the worksheet is to gain an understanding of how the client perceives their own schemas. It’s important to ask them whether or not they think they have a certain schema, and to write down their answer. There is a 1-10 ranking scale included on the worksheet for the client to indicate how prevalent each schema is in their life.

Who Can Use these Printable Schema Therapy Worksheets (PDF)?

This worksheet has been designed to be used by therapists specializing in schema therapy. Research has shown that schema therapy is effective for patients being treated for a range of different reasons, including:

• Personality Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Childhood Trauma
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Addictions
• Chronic Depression
• Anxiety
• Relationship Issues

Why Is This Form Useful For Therapists?

This schema therapy worksheet will have a range of uses for therapists, including:

• Organization: Keeping track of clinical documentation, including worksheets and forms, can be a time-consuming task for therapists. Fortunately, this schema therapy worksheet streamlines organization by being pre-formatted. You can elevate the organization at your practice and keep track of client documents without any extra hassle.
• Save time: Again, because the schema therapy worksheet is pre-formatted, you won’t have to spend any extra time structuring documents or data. Keep everything stored in one location, and save time without compromising the quality of your interventions. ‍
• Go paperless: Our schema therapy worksheet can be accessed, completed, and stored entirely online. In addition to being environmentally beneficial, going paperless will also eliminate costs associated with printing materials.

Benefits of Schema Therapy Worksheet Template

Fortunately, implementing the schema therapy worksheet is guaranteed to result in various advantages for you, your healthcare practice, and your clients. These include:

Gain an insight into the client’s self-awareness

As we’ve mentioned, this worksheet aims to help you obtain an insight into how well clients perceive their own schemas. The answers that they give on the worksheet will allow you to determine whether or not they are aware of their current health condition. This is extremely helpful for understanding the significance of the client’s trauma and figuring out a treatment plan.

Educate the client in a useful and meaningful way

In order for this worksheet to be effective, clients need to have a good understanding of the 18 schemas, and how these can manifest in an individual’s life. Self-awareness is an important component of challenging negative behavioral patterns, and the first step toward awareness is education. As you go through the worksheet together, you can inform your client of the different schemas and encourage them to identify whether or not they are present in their life.

Focus on developing a healthy relationship

Schema therapy often incorporates a strong relationship between the therapist and the client. It’s important that a trusting environment is developed, where the client feels safe to open up without fear of judgment. Responding appropriately to the worksheet answers will demonstrate your professionalism to your client and indicate that you have their best interests at heart.

Track client progress

Completed worksheets can also be used to develop effective treatment plans. Therapists will have a greater understanding of their client’s current health condition, and they will be able to reflect on the worksheet at a later date to determine whether the client has successfully challenged their schemas.

Develop an effective treatment plan

As I’m sure you know, treatment plans are most effective when they accurately address a client’s desired outcomes. This worksheet will inform the therapist of their client’s current mental health concerns and the specific areas that require improvement. In response to the completed worksheet, the therapist and client can collaboratively develop a treatment plan that aims to guide the client toward achieving their goals.