Schema Therapy Institute Australia

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Schema Therapy Institute Australia

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Schema Therapy Institute Australia is dedicated to helping clients with their goals and achieving well-being.

Schema Therapy Institute specializes in intensive Schema based therapy training, treatment and research.

25/09/2025

Meet our newest practitioners 👉

We currently have openings for client referrals with our newest team members. Contact the clinic to book an appointment 🪴

18/09/2025

Often we may resist engaging in self-care because we believe it is self-pitying or self-indulgent. This is false! Self-care is about actively checking in with ourselves and caring for our emotional and physical wellbeing. Over time this can help us to build resilience and understand ourselves. Self-care isn’t selfish!

02/09/2025

💭 Where’s Your Energy Going?

It’s easy to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about things outside of our control (other people’s actions, the past or future). Naturally, focusing here can leave us feeling frustrated, anxious, or drained.

Shifting attention to what is within our control (our actions and responses) can help us feel more grounded and capable. Did you reach out to a friend you’ve been missing? Send that email you’ve been putting off? Take a short, refreshing walk? These small steps make a real difference in how we feel.

When you notice stress or tension building, gently ask: “Am I focusing on something I can’t change?” If so, see if you can redirect your energy to what you can influence. Practiced consistently, this simple refocus can reduce unnecessary distress. ✨

14/08/2025

Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. Challenges, setbacks, and unexpected moments are part of being human. Radical acceptance isn’t about liking these moments or pretending they’re fair. It’s about acknowledging reality as it is, without fighting it.

When we accept what we cannot change, we free ourselves from the exhausting struggle of resistance. We can then focus our energy on the things we can influence: our choices, our reactions, and how we take care of ourselves along the way.

Remember: acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means seeing things clearly, allowing ourselves to feel, and responding with intention rather than reaction.

Read these statements for gentle reminders of what reality acceptance can sound like in everyday life 🌿✨

06/08/2025

Mode Spotlight: Self-Aggrandiser

In Schema Therapy, modes are the moment-to-moment emotional states and coping responses we experience. Today, we are focusing on the Self-Aggrandiser mode.

The Self-Aggrandiser mode shows up when we cope with deep feelings of inadequacy or vulnerability by acting superior, powerful, or overly confident. In this mode, we may dominate conversations, seek admiration, put others down, or behave as though the rules don’t apply to us. It’s often loud, showy, or controlling—but underneath, there’s usually pain or shame that hasn’t been fully acknowledged.

This mode develops as a fight-type coping response, often linked to core schemas like Defectiveness/Shame, Emotional Deprivation, or Entitlement. If our emotional needs weren’t met as children—or if we were made to feel powerless or “not good enough”—we may have learned to overcompensate. The Self-Aggrandiser tries to protect us from ever feeling small again by inflating our sense of self. But in doing so, it often blocks emotional intimacy and creates disconnection in relationships.

So, what can we do instead? The Healthy Adult mode helps us slow down and connect with the vulnerable parts underneath. It reminds us that we don’t need to perform or impress to be worthy of love or respect. With practice, we can begin to listen more and relate to others from a place of authenticity—not defence.

Interested in learning more about this mode? Check out our 7-minute schema video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED7ndwkrSVI

31/07/2025

🧠 Think therapy is just talking about your feelings?
That’s the tip of the iceberg!

Yes, talking helps—but therapy is also about:
🔍 Recognising patterns
💬 Challenging unhelpful thoughts and behaviours
🧰 Practicing new skills
💥 Sitting with discomfort
✨ Processing the past
💛 Building self-awareness and self-compassion..and much more.

Therapy is active, reflective, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s not always easy—but it’s where real change begins ✨

17/07/2025

Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally shut down? Learn how the Window of Tolerance can help you understand your nervous system and improve emotion regulation 💛

Check out this months blog post here:
https://www.stia.com.au/blog/understanding-your-window-of-tolerance-a-key-to-emotional-regulation

06/07/2025

Interested in joining our growing team?

Registrars at STIA appreciate the independence, clinical variety, and professional development opportunities 🧠💛

Send expressions of interest to admin@stia.com.au

02/07/2025

Mode Spotlight: Hopeless Surrenderer

In Schema Therapy, modes are the moment-to-moment emotional states and coping responses we experience. Today, we are focusing on the Hopeless Surrenderer mode.

The Hopeless Surrenderer mode shows up when we emotionally give up and disconnect from our needs and desires. In this mode, we may feel broken, unworthy, or fundamentally flawed. We withdraw from life, avoid challenge, and lose sight of hope or possibility. This often stems from early experiences where we were made to feel like our needs didn’t matter—or that nothing we did was ever good enough. Over time, we learned to surrender to painful beliefs like “I’ll never change,” “No one could ever love me,” or “What’s the point in trying?”

While this mode tries to protect us from further rejection, criticism, or failure, it also reinforces deep shame and stuckness. We might isolate, stop setting goals, or drift through life without direction—believing we don’t deserve more.

So, what can we do instead? The Healthy Adult mode offers gentle validation and realistic hope. It helps us notice when we’re slipping into hopelessness and reminds us that change is possible—even if it’s slow. Small acts of self-care, meaningful connection, and compassionate self-talk can begin to challenge the belief that we’re too damaged to grow. Healing begins when we stop abandoning ourselves and start showing up with kindness.

Interested in learning more about this mode? Check out our 7-minute schema video about the Hopeless Surrenderer mode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1s8SPNtMw4

24/06/2025

Wisemind ACCEPTS - a DBT crisis skill

Distraction is often seen as a method to disconnect from painful emotions and it can easily turn into a form of avoidance. One TV episode meant to take our mind off things can easily turn into a whole season. However, there are times when distraction can be a useful tool to help with emotion regulation.

When can distraction be useful?
When we are in a crisis, distraction can help us avoid dangerous behaviours. This skill is meant to help us escape our present distressing situation for a moment, so that we can return to it with a better mindset (when we're back in ‘wise mind’ or our healthy adult mode). Taking a moment to distract ourselves can kick us out of a difficult emotional state or urge to engage in an unhelpful form of coping. Distraction is a helpful tool 1. When emotional pain is on the verge of becoming overwhelming and 2. When problems can’t be solved immediately. However, it is important that once we have moved through the ‘crisis’, we return to address the situation.

There are seven sets of distracting skills, today we are focusing on Sensations ✨

When emotions feel intense and hard to manage, using strong physical sensations can jolt us out of a difficult emotional state. Sensory distraction works by engaging the body’s senses, which helps to interrupt spiralling thoughts or urges and help us reconnect with the present moment. Examples include: Holding an ice cube in your hand; eating something intensely sour, spicy, or minty; Taking a cold or hot shower; Running your hand under cold water; Smelling something strong like peppermint or citrus oil.

These strong sensations can ground us, giving our minds a moment to shift gears. Using the Sensations skill is about stepping back just long enough to avoid reacting impulsively—so we can return to the situation later with more clarity, calm, and connection to our wise mind.

Next time you’re caught in emotional overwhelm, try a sensation-based distraction and notice how it shifts your emotional state. 💛

18/06/2025

As the seasons change and daylight fades, some people experience more than just the winter blues—they may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This month we explore common signs of SAD, why it occurs, and practical ways to improve mood and energy 💛

www.stia.com.au/blog/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-how-to-cope-with-the-winter-blues

11/06/2025

🧠✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined our recent Schema Therapy for BPD/Complex Trauma: Certification Workshop 2! It was an energising day of learning, connection, and skill-building—led by the dynamic duo: Dr Rita Younan and Ruth Holt.

Missed out? Don’t worry—more workshops are on the way. Check out our website for upcoming training!

Address

172 Buckley Street, Essendon
Melbourne, VIC
3040

Telephone

+61393312878

Website

https://www.stia.com.au/

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