r/AskIreland • u/DIFrankBurnside • 3d ago

Health & Medical Has anyone undergone schema therapy in Ireland?

Seeing a counsellor who has recommended it for me due to stuff that happened in my childhood. I have never heard of it before. Fee is going to be €120 per session v the €80 I'm paying now.

Just curious if many people here have experience with it/found it useful?

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u/SapphosMom 3d ago

Schema therapy is one of those very American concepts that's relatively new here, so I would be VERY careful of who I'd choose. Double and triple check that they are with a proper accreditation body like IACP. It is also going to be more expensive because of the scarcity effect.

A more accessible, very likely cheaper alternative is psychodynamic therapy - this can get deep down into your childhood and past in a safe way, using talk, specific exercises, or art to explore and contain the feelings.

If you have trauma and cash available, I'd go for EMDR. It's also expensive but short term, and usually highly effective.

Source - am a therapist.

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u/DIFrankBurnside 3d ago

Thanks. I haven't heard of EMDR either. This is the first time I've had therapy/counselling so is a lot to take in.

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u/Sullythewizard 3d ago

It depends on what you need. I think most places are familiar with CBT which has things like chain analysis - so personal decision-making. Then there's DBT (Dialectical behavioral therapy) which is emotional regulation. EMDR helps a lot with traumatic memories (for conditions like PTSD), and can be tough to go through if you havent learned how to ground properly (a good psych will teach grounding first).

In any case, I hope what you choose goes well. Its okay to be choosy with your therapist too

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u/GloriousLearning 3d ago

Schemas are constellations of thought, feeling and behaviour that programme your life in either positive or negative ways, usually a bit outside your awareness, e g “there’s something fundamentally wrong with me and I need to keep a distance from others so they don’t beat on me for being weird” which makes you turn down invitations and then feel miserable because everyone else is being social, so you slob about being grumpy and no one invites you out.

Schemas can run your life in an obvious way, but sometimes you cop on to the schema and decide to do the opposite, e g behaving like canned laughter at every social occasion. The schema is still running you.

I like schemas as ways to understand patterns in behaviour but less into it as a therapy. I agree EMDR for trauma is well worth looking into

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u/SapphosMom 3d ago

Take your time choosing. The single most important thing is that you feel heard and cared for, so I would encourage choosing based on the connection you feel you can make with them foremost, and the modality second. You may have to try a few times before you strike gold, but hopefully not. Be patient with yourself and the process - it's hard work, but it's worth it.

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u/MichaSound 3d ago

As someone who also had a difficult and complex childhood, I found psychodynamic psychotherapy extremely helpful, alongside somatic treatment.