Schema therapy is increasingly attracting the attention of therapists and consumers. This is partly based on the good effects reported by various studies, and partly on its appealing basis in the idea that children require fundamental needs to be met in order to develop in a psychologically healthy way. The integration of insights, methods, and techniques derived from a range of schools, including attachment theory, cognitive behavior therapy, and experiential therapies into a comprehensive model formulated in terms of the most prominent current psychological paradigm, the cognitive model, also plays a role. The promise of schema therapy that it can deal with psychological problems largely ignored by mainstream cognitive behavior therapy, such as recurrent problems in intimate relationships and the processing of troublesome memories and patterns from childhood, is attractive. Finally, the finding that schema therapy contributes to real recovery, defined not only by a reduction of symptoms, but by the creation of a life that is satisfying and of high quality, is undoubtedly appealing.

In teaching the model, methods, and techniques, we felt that a book presenting the practical basics of schema therapy for those that want to learn it as a generic method, and not in a specialized form for one disorder, was missing. We therefore decided to write such a book. This book does not compete with other publications on schema therapy, as it doesn’t focus on theory or on a specific disorder. It aims to present the basics of the schema-therapy model based on the relatively new schema mode concept. It is basically an extension of our work with schema modes in almost all personality disorders. As we felt that the mode approach could also have application in some axis-I problems, and in milder personality issues, we decided to present the model, methods, and techniques in a generic way, and to use case examples of various disorders and problems.

The book is divided into two parts. The first deals with case conceptualization and consists of three chapters: Chapter 1, “Basics,” summarizes the original schema approach by describing schemas and schema coping through the use of case examples; Chapter 2, “The Mode Concept,” describes the schema mode concept in general terms, then goes on to provide descriptions of the specific mode models for various personality disorders that have been developed so far; finally, Chapter 3, “Communicating the Mode Concept to the Patient,” explains how an individual mode model can be introduced in therapy.

The second part deals with treatment, in six chapters. Each chapter is devoted to one group of modes and is subdivided into sections on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral interventions and the therapeutic relationship. Chapter 4, “Treatment Overview,” summarizes the central treatment goals and strategies of schema therapy based on the mode concept. Chapter 5, “Overcoming Coping Modes,” describes how to deal with coping modes. It covers avoiding (detached protector, avoiding protector, etc.), surrender, and overcompensating coping modes (self-aggrandizer, bully & attack, etc.). Chapter 6, “Treating Vulnerable-child Modes,” describes how to deal with vulnerable-child modes. It contains a long section on imagery rescripting and discusses the caring part of the therapeutic relationship in depth. Chapter 7, “Treating Angry and Impulsive Child Modes,” describes how to deal with angry, enraged, impulsive, undisciplined, and obstinate child modes. Chapter 8, “Treating Dysfunctional-parent Modes,” describes how to deal with both demanding-and punitive-parent modes. It contains a long section on chair dialogues as a therapeutic technique. Chapter 9, “Strengthening the Healthy-adult Mode,” summarizes how the healthy adult mode is explicitly and implicitly developed in schema therapy. It also addresses how the treatment should develop when completion is near, and how to relate with the patient after formal completion of treatment.