BOOKS ON SCHEMA THERAPY

David Edwards September 2020

This list of books was prepared by the Schema Therapy
Institute of South Africa. It only lists books in English. Many of
them have been translated into other languages.
There are also original books on schema therapy in other
languages, particularly Dutch and German.
Most books can easily be located on Amazon sites. For
example, for books in German go to https://www.amazon.de/
and search for “Schematherapie”
For books in Dutch go to https://www.amazon.nl/ and search
for “Schematherapie”
For books in Italian go to https://www.amazon.it/ and search
for “Schema therapy”
Etc. …
 Part 1 Books on schema therapy – Part 1: For therapists Page 1

Books for therapists

Young, J. E., Klosko, J., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A

practitioner's guide. Guilford.
A comprehensive account of schema therapy and its development
from Jeff Young and colleagues. It provides the theoretical foundation
for schema therapy as well as how to do it in practice. Available in
hardback or paperback.

See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Practitioners-Jeffrey-Young/dp/1593853726

Arntz, A. & Jacob, G. (2012). Schema Therapy in practice. Wiley-

Blackwell.
A practical guide to working with schemas and schema modes. An
excellent introduction to the practical application of the schema mode
model with many case examples from a range of personality disorders
as well as anxiety, depression and OCD.

See it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Practice-Introductory-Approach/dp/1119962862/
 Books on schema therapy – Part 1: For therapists Page 2

Rafaeli, E., Bernstein, D. P. & Young, J. (2011) Schema Therapy

(The CBT Distinctive features series). Routledge.
A brief well organized introduction that covers all the important
concepts.
See it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-CBT-Distinctive-Features/dp/0415462991/

Roediger, E., Stevens, B. A., & Brockman, R. (2018). Contextual schema

therapy: An integrative approach to personality disorders, emotional
dysregulation, and interpersonal functioning. New Harbinger.
Drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other
approaches, the authors show how important concepts and
interventions, such as mentalization, mindfulness, acceptance,
metacognition and human values, can be integrated into the basic
schema therapy model. Indeed, many of them are already explicit or
implicit in it. In addition to showing the integrative power of the
schema therapy model, this book offers a fresh and readable account
of its central ideas as well as rich clinical examples of their application,
all well-grounded in the current academic and clinical literature.

See it at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Contextual-Schema-Therapy-Dysregulation-Interpersonal/dp/1684030951/

Or at: https://www.amazon.com/Contextual-Schema-Therapy-Dysregulation-Interpersonal/dp/1684030951/
 Books on schema therapy - Part 1: for therapists Page 3

Heath, G., and Startup, H. (Eds). (2020). Creative methods in

schema therapy: Advances and innovation in clinical practice.
Routledge.
This up to date account of clinical practice in schema therapy
highlights many of the creative aspects of the approach. 20
chapters by leading exponents of schema therapy include an
update on central aspects of the theory that underpins the
practice, as well as valuable insights and practical guidance
on assessment, case conceptualization, a range of
applications of imagery and chairwork, using somatic
focusing to deepen access to emotion, working with the
therapeutic relationship, empathic confrontation,
strengthening the Healthy Adult, working with couples, and
therapist’s work with their own schema activation.

See it at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Methods-Schema-Therapy-Gillian/dp/0815398824/
 Books on schema therapy – Part 1: For therapists Page 4

Simpson, S. and Smith, E. (Eds) (2019). Schema

therapy for eating disorders: Theory, practice and
group treatment manual. Routledge.
Schema therapy has been applied to eating disorders
for some 20 years and there are many articles in the
academic literature. This book is an up to date
clinicians guide based on what has been learned by
schema therapists working with eating disorders. It
provides a theoretical understanding of case
conceptualization in eating disorders and the
prominent schema modes that are encountered. It is
rich in clinical examples and a source for the kinds of
interventions that are most helpful. Also provides
guidelines for a group treatment approach as well as
for individual therapy. New: August 2019.

See it at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Eating-Disorders-Group-treatment/dp/0367272407/

 Books on schema therapy - Part 1: for therapists Page 5
Simeone-DiFrancesco, C., Roediger E., and Stevens, B. (2015). Schema
therapy with couples: A practitioner’s guide to healing relationships.
Wiley-Blackwell.
An in depth presentation of the schema therapy approach to working
with couples. An international collaboration between authors from the
USA, Germany and Australia that draws on their own experiences as
well as insights from discussions with an international online group of
schema therapists pioneering the application of schema therapy to
couples’ therapy.
See it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Couples-Practitioners-Relationships/dp/1118972678

Loose, C., Graf, P., Zarbock, G. and Holt, R. A. (2020). Schema

therapy for children and adolescents: A practitioner’s guide.
Pavilion Publishing and Media.
The schema therapy approach can be used to address
psychological problems in children and adolescents at all ages. This
book explains the basic principles of how to conceptualize cases for
different ages, how to adapt interventions appropriately to each
developmental stage, and how to incorporate work with parents
and families.
See it at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Children-Adolescents-ST-CA/dp/1912755823/
 Books on schema therapy – Part 1: For therapists Page 6

Farrell, J.M., Reis, N., & Shaw, J. (2014). The schema therapy
clinician’s guide: A complete resource for building and delivering
individual, group and integrated schema mode treatment
programs. Wiley-Blackwell.
Full of clinical examples that provide readers with a grounded and
accessible sense of what schema therapy is all about and how to
put it into practice. There is a clear structure and a wealth of
resources for its implementation including worksheets and scripts
for therapists to use at different stages or for different purposes.
See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Clinicians-Guide-Delivering/dp/111850917X

Farrell, J. M. & Shaw, I. A. (2012). Group schema therapy for

borderline personality disorder: A step-by-step treatment
manual with patient workbook. Wiley-Blackwell.
Joan Farrell and Ida Shaw developed group schema therapy, a
very distinctive form of group therapy for patients with
borderline personality disorder. This manual provides
guidelines on how to do it.

See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Borderline-Personality-Disorder/dp/1119958296

 Books on schema therapy – Part 1: For therapists Page 7

Farrell, J. M. and Shaw, I. A. (2018). Experiencing schema

therapy from the inside out: A self-practice/self-reflection
workbook for therapists. Guilford.
Like most forms of psychotherapy, schema therapy is not
just a set of techniques applied to patients by therapists in a
mechanical way. Therapy depends on building a personal
relationship with clients and that calls for the schema
therapists to develop their own self-awareness, openness to
experience, and capacity to identify and work with their
own psychological issues. This workbook provides a useful
practical guide to this. There’s a clear account of the
schema therapy model and how to work with modes.
Therapists who use this book will learn more about
themselves in a way that they can directly apply to their
work with clients.

See it at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Experiencing-Schema-Therapy-Inside-Psychotherapists/dp/1462533280/

or: https://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-Schema-Therapy-Inside-Psychotherapists/dp/1462533280/
or: http://www.loot.co.za/product/joan-m-farrell-experiencing-schema-therapy-from-the-in/kdcn-4975-g6a0
 Books on schema therapy - Part 1: for therapists Page 8
van Vreeswijk, M., Broersen, J. & Nadort, M. (2012).The Wiley-Blackwell
handbook of schema therapy: Theory, research and practice. Chichester:
Wiley.
Over 600 pages and over 40 chapters covering the spectrum of theory and
practice. There’s a chapter by myself and Arnoud Arntz on the history of schema
therapy and chapters on a wide range of topics from case conceptualization to
imagery and chairwork, to depression, eating disorders, OCD, and various
personality disorders including narcissistic and antisocial. There are several
chapters on incorporating mindfulness meditation, on group schema therapy
schema therapy for couples and the current evidence base for the effectiveness
of schema therapy.

See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wiley-Blackwell-Handbook-Schema-Therapy-Research/dp/047097561X

Van Vrieswijk,M., Broersen, J., Schurink,G. (2014). Mindfulness and

Schema Therapy: A Practical Guide. Wiley-Blackwell
Provides a basic guide to the steps of mindfulness practice and
how the practice can help with the identification of schema modes
and therapeutic work with them.

See it at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-Schema-Therapy-Practical-Guide/dp/1118753178/

 Books on schema therapy - Part 1: for therapists Page 9

Arntz, A. & van Genderen, H. (2009). Schema Therapy for

Borderline Personality Disorders. Oxford: Wiley/Blackwell.
Based on methods developed for the Dutch clinical trial of
schema therapy, this book describes the basic concepts and many
practical and useful techniques that can be incorporated into
schema therapy.

See it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Borderline-Personality-Disorders/dp/0470510803/

Young, J. E. (1999). Cognitive therapy for personality disorders: A

schema-focused approach. (3rd ed.) Sarasota FL: Professional Resource
Press.
Third edition of Jeffrey Young’s first book on schema therapy (first
edition published in 1989). Still worth reading as the concepts are built
round a very clear case study. Much of the material has been
incorporated into Young, Klosko & Weishaar (2003).

See it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cognitive-Therapy-Personality-Disorders-Schema-Focused/dp/1568870477
 Books on schema therapy - Part 1: for therapists Page 10

Riso, L. P. du Toit, P. L., Stein, D. J. & Young J. E. (Eds.)

(2007). Cognitive schemas and core beliefs in psychological
problems: A scientist-practitioner guide (pp. 139-175).
American Psychological Association.
A research resource, not exclusively on schema therapy.
There are good chapters on schema based
conceptualization for a range of clinical problems including
depression, OCD, PTSD, substance abuse, eating disorders,
psychosis and discord in couples.

See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cognitive-Schemas-Beliefs-Psychological-Problems/dp/1591477824

Part 2: Bibliotherapy Books on schema therapy - Part 2: Bibliotherapy Page 11
for clients
Jacob, Gitta, van Genderen, Hannie., & Seebauer, Laura. (2015).
Breaking negative thinking patterns. Wiley-Blackwell.
A bibliotherapy resource for clients. Provides a very clear
introduction to the schema therapy approach and shows how
the basic concepts relate to client’s everyday experience. There
is a very clear explanation of the mode model and many useful
practical exercises.

See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Negative-Thinking-Patterns-Self-Help/dp/1118877713

Young, J. E. & Klosko, J. (1994). Reinventing your life. New York:

Plume
The classic bibliotherapy for clients. It focuses on several of the
prominent EMSs and shows how coping patterns create
“Lifetraps” and how schema therapy helps to overcome them

See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reinventing-Your-Life-Breakthrough-Behaviour/dp/0452272041

 Books on schema therapy: Part 1 Bibliotherapy page 13

Behary, W. (2013). Disarming the narcissist. Surviving and

thriving with the self-absorbed (2nd ed). New Harbinger.
New edition of a helpful book for therapists and clients who
have to deal with narcissistic individuals. An excellent and
accessible account of the schema therapy approach this kind of
personality.
See it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Disarming-Narcissist-Surviving-Thriving-Self-
Absorbed/dp/1608827607

Love, C. V. (2012). No more narcissists! How to stop choosing self-

absorbed men and find the love you deserve. New Harbinger.
Presents an understanding of narcissists within the schema therapy
framework showing how lifetraps (as presented in Reinventing your
life) and early maladaptive schemas contribute to individuals falling
prey to self-centred and exploitative partners. Very practical with a
focus on steps to take to bring about meaningful change, including the
practice of mindfulness meditation.

See it at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-More-Narcissists-Choosing-Self-Absorbed-ebook/dp/B0197SJPWY/
 Books on schema therapy: Part 2 Bibliotherapy Page 14

Skeen, M. (2014). Love me don’t leave me: Overcoming fear of

abandonment and building lasting, loving relationships. New
Harbinger.
A self-help book that focuses on primary Vulnerable Child
schemas: Abandonment, Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse,
Defectiveness and Failure. Takes the reader through the process of
triggering, learning to be aware and mindful, developing self-
compassion and replacing dysfunctional coping with more mature
behaviour. Foreword by Wendy Behary, former ISST President.
See it at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Dont-Leave-Abandonment-Relationships/dp/1608829529/

Skeen, M. (2011). The critical partner: How to end the cycle of criticism
and get the love you want. New Harbinger.
A schema therapy perspective on a critical partner and the early
maladaptive schemas that may be driving his or her critical behaviour.
Also looks at the partner on the receiving end of the criticism and the
early maladaptive schemas he or she is likely to have. Understanding
this can lead to a plan to make meaningful changes.

See it at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disarming-Critical-Partner-Cycle-Criticism/dp/1608820270
 Books on schema therapy: Part 2 Bibliotherapy Page 15

Louis, J.P. & Louis, K. M. (2015). Good enough parenting. Morgan

James.
A wonderful summary of current attachment theory-informed parent
training framed within the schema therapy approach. For parents
who want to understand how to effectively parent their children. For
clients who were misparented to help them understand what went
wrong and what they still need. And for schema therapists to remind
us what is involved in offering reparenting to clients.
See it at
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Enough-Parenting--Depth-Exasperation/dp/1630474061/

Bruce Stevens and Eckhard Roediger E. (2016). Breaking negative

relationship patterns: a schema therapy self-help and support book.
Wiley-Blackwell.
An introduction to the schema therapy approach to working with
couples. This very practical book shows how schema therapy concepts
are applied in understanding conflicts in couple relationship and how
they provide helpful ways of thinking about what is needed to bring
about meaningful and lasting change.

See it at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Negative-Relationship-Patterns-Self-Help/dp/1119162823
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McKay, M., Lev, A., & Skeen, M. (2012).

Acceptance and commitment therapy for
interpersonal problems: Using mindfulness,
acceptance and schema awareness to
change interpersonal behaviors. New
Harbinger.

A self-help book that focuses on how self-

defeating ways of coping with early
schemas undermine interpersonal
relationships and how to become more
self-aware and bring about meaningful
change using methods from acceptance
and commitment therapy and schema
therapy.

See it at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acceptance-Commitment-Therapy-Interpersonal-Problems/dp/1608822893/
 Books on schema therapy: Part 2 Bibliotherapy Page 17

Bennett-Goleman, T. (2001). Emotional alchemy: How your mind can

heal your heart. London: Rider.
A self help book that incorporates concepts from schema therapy
and mindfulness meditation

See it at: http://www.takealot.com/emotional-alchemy/PLID35140438

Bennett-Goleman, T. (2013). Mind whispering: A new map to

freedom from self-defeating emotional habits. London: Rider.
Tara Bennett-Goleman’s more recent self help book that
incorporates further concepts from mindfulness meditation,
neuroscience and schema therapy (including schema modes).

See it at:
http://www.takealot.com/mind-whispering-ebook/PLID37277543
(eBook version)