Jeffrey Young: The Father of Schema Therapy

If you’re at all interested in psychology, then you’ve probably heard of Jeffrey Young. He’s the father of schema therapy, and his work has helped countless people overcome their psychological difficulties. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at schema therapy and find out what makes it so effective. We’ll also explore Jeffrey Young’s life and career, and his thoughts on Schema Therapy. So if you’re ready to learn more about Jeffrey Young, keep reading!

Are there many differences between cognitive behavioral therapy and schema therapy?

There are a few main differences between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and schema therapy. The first is that CBT is a time-limited treatment, whereas schema therapy is not. The second main difference is that CBT focuses on the present, while schema therapy also considers past experiences. Finally, schema therapy focuses on identifying and correcting maladaptive schemas, which are unhelpful ways of thinking about oneself and the world, while CBT does not specifically target schemas.

Both therapies are effective in treating a range of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. However, schema therapy may be more effective than CBT for people with borderline personality disorder or narcissistic personality disorder.

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Who Is Jeffrey Young?

Jeffrey Young is a psychologist who has developed schema therapy, which aims to assist people in overcoming mental obstacles. He was born on March 9, 1950, in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of the Schema Therapy Institute. A licensed psychotherapist, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Cognitive Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Aaron Beck and continued on as Director of Research and Training.

Schema therapy is a cognitive-behavioral treatment approach that is based on the idea that people have basic, underlying emotional needs that are not always met in their early life experiences. These unmet needs can cause problems in how people think, feel, and behave as adults.

In schema therapy, the therapist works with the patient to identify these unmet needs and to understand how they have been trying to meet them throughout their life. The therapist then helps the patient to find new ways to meet these needs in a more positive way.

Schema Therapy According to Jeffrey Young:

The most significant distinction between ST and other therapies is that it is fully integrated. Many other treatments, on the other hand, just utilize a few modalities. ST is a more comprehensive framework, both in terms of ideas and methods. ST is comparable to psychoanalysis in that it aims to access feelings and ideas that are out of the client’s awareness.

It does, however, in a much more active manner and employs many more techniques. The ST approach is more organized in terms of how we evaluate the patient and direct the therapist to fundamental issues. Reparenting in ST satisfies a number of the needs of the patient, as opposed to the typical analyst, who is much more detached and interprets demands.

In terms of technique, CBT is more mechanical. As with cognitive therapy (CT), it focuses on the ideas rather than feelings themselves. The main difference between them is that CT is largely “rational” in nature and aims to teach clients to control or get rid of their unpleasant emotions. When working with long-term patients in ST, we try to elicit emotion in the sessions and attempt to figure out where it comes from.

ST also goes a lot further: what we refer to as schemas aren’t nearly as “core” as what is known in CT as core beliefs. Attachment theory is at the heart of our focus on childhood needs, which differs significantly from any CT notion. In my opinion, ST has a developmental model and CT does not.

Jeffrey Young’s Thoughts on Similarities and Differences between CT and ST:

My background is in CBT, so it’s still present in ST, although it may not be as obvious. The active approach of the therapist, which aims to bring about transformation via effort, has a lot in common with the whole CBT movement. We utilize emotive techniques to explore the origins in the beginning of treatment, but after the examination, we employ a variety of cognitive and behavioral techniques throughout the remainder of therapy.

We provide them with suggestions, such as assisting them in examining evidence, giving advise, and proposing new behaviors. CBT tactics are utilized in a less organized way than this. I don’t always request patients to document automatic thoughts. I use labels, such as “abandonment,” to illustrate how this is causing the patient to misunderstand what’s going on in his relationships or therapy. When necessary, we utilize more emotive approaches during therapy, and the therapeutic relationship is much closer than it is in CBT.

What Role Did Jeffrey Young’s Personal Experiences Play for Developing Schema Therapy?

According to Jeffrey Young, the turning point was when he had personal difficulties. He saw a very excellent CBT therapist while working with Dr. Beck, but he couldn’t figure out where his problems with loneliness and intimacy were coming from. So a friend of his, who is now a schema therapist, said that he was seeing a great Gestalt therapist who was really helping him. In a year with the Gestalt therapist, Young said he had learned more about himself than he had in ten sessions of Cognitive behavioral therapy with the CBT therapist.

According to Young, his main insight was that most of us have significant problems we are unaware of. When it comes to intimacy or relationship concerns, they go well beyond the surface. The majority of us are ignorant as to why we’re having these issues or how to resolve them. This is why, in my opinion, CT isn’t effective for characterological concerns.

Source: An Interview with Jeffrey Young by Eckhard Roediger.

Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by Lucas Berg

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