Schema Therapy in Atlanta, GA

At West Georgia Wellness Center, we understand that true healing from substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health challenges often requires looking beyond surface-level behaviors. Many struggles stem from deeply ingrained patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that developed early in life. This is where Schema Therapy offers a transformative pathway to lasting change. Developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young, Schema Therapy is an innovative, integrative approach that combines elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoanalysis, attachment theory, and gestalt therapy to address chronic, pervasive emotional and relational difficulties. It’s particularly effective for individuals who haven’t fully benefited from traditional talk therapies alone.

What is Schema Therapy? Unraveling Lifelong Patterns

Schema Therapy operates on the premise that our early experiences, particularly unmet emotional needs during childhood, lead to the formation of “early maladaptive schemas” (EMS). These schemas are deeply entrenched, self-defeating patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that continue to operate throughout our lives, often outside of our conscious awareness. They are like deeply grooved pathways in our minds, influencing how we interpret events, relate to others, and perceive ourselves. Even when these patterns cause us pain or lead to unhelpful behaviors, we often continue to repeat them because they feel familiar and predictable.

Unlike traditional CBT, which primarily focuses on identifying and changing current negative thoughts, Schema Therapy delves deeper. It seeks to uncover the origins of these patterns, tracing them back to their roots in childhood and adolescence. The therapy helps individuals understand why they developed these core beliefs and emotional wounds, and how these “schemas” perpetuate destructive cycles, including substance abuse.

Dr. Young initially developed Schema Therapy in the 1990s after noticing that many patients, particularly those with personality disorders or chronic, complex issues, did not fully respond to standard CBT. He realized that for these individuals, their problems were often tied to deeply ingrained, pervasive patterns that went beyond simple cognitive distortions.

The Five Core Domains of Maladaptive Schemas

Schema Therapy organizes these early maladaptive schemas into five broad domains, representing fundamental human needs that were not adequately met during formative years:

1. Disconnection and Rejection: Schemas in this domain relate to the belief that one will always be alone, unloved, defective, or rejected. Examples include:

   • Abandonment/Instability: The belief that significant others will emotionally or physically leave, leading to unstable relationships.
   • Mistrust/Abuse: The expectation that others will hurt, abuse, or humiliate them.
   • Emotional Deprivation: The belief that one’s emotional needs (for empathy, guidance, protection, affection) will never be met by others.
   • Defectiveness/Shame: Feeling flawed, inferior, or unlovable; believing one is inherently bad.
   • Social Isolation/Alienation: The feeling of being fundamentally different from others, not belonging to any group or community.

2. Impaired Autonomy and Performance: Schemas here reflect the belief that one is incapable of functioning independently or performing successfully. Examples include:

   • Dependence/Incompetence: The belief that one cannot handle daily responsibilities without considerable help from others.
   • Vulnerability to Harm or Illness: An exaggerated fear that disaster will strike at any time (medical, natural, criminal, financial).
   • Enmeshment/Undeveloped Self: Excessive emotional involvement and closeness with primary caregivers, leading to a suppressed individual identity.
   • Failure to Achieve: The belief that one is inherently inadequate or will fail compared to peers.

3. Impaired Limits: These schemas involve difficulties with self-control, boundaries, and respecting the rights of others. Examples include:

   • Entitlement/Grandiosity: The belief that one is superior to others and entitled to special rights or privileges, or that one shouldn’t have to follow rules.
   • Insufficient Self-Control/Self-Discipline: Difficulty with self-control and frustration tolerance, leading to impulsive actions for immediate gratification.

4. Other-Directedness: Schemas in this domain involve an excessive focus on meeting the needs of others at the expense of one’s own needs, often to gain approval or avoid conflict. Examples include:

   • Self-Sacrifice: Voluntarily meeting the needs of others at the expense of one’s own gratification.
   • Subjugation: Excessive surrender of control to others, suppressing one’s own desires to avoid anger or abandonment.
   • Approval-Seeking/Recognition-Seeking: An excessive emphasis on gaining approval, recognition, or attention from others, often at the expense of developing a secure self.

5. Over-Vigilance and Inhibition: These schemas involve an excessive suppression of spontaneity, feelings, or choices to avoid making mistakes or facing potential criticism. Examples include:

   • Negativity/Pessimism: A pervasive focus on negative outcomes and potential problems, minimizing positive aspects.
   • Emotional Inhibition: The excessive inhibition of spontaneous action, feeling, or communication to avoid disapproval or shame.
   • Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness: The belief that one must strive to meet extremely high internal standards, often leading to pressure and chronic feelings of inadequacy.
   • Punitiveness: The belief that people should be harshly punished for mistakes, including oneself.

Understanding which schemas are at play for an individual is a crucial diagnostic and therapeutic step in Schema Therapy.

Schema Modes: Our Current States of Being

Beyond stable schemas, Schema Therapy also utilizes the concept of “schema modes.” These are temporary, fluctuating emotional states and coping responses that are activated by life situations, often linked to our schemas. Imagine them as different “parts” of ourselves that emerge in response to triggers.

Schema modes can be:

• Child Modes: Representing our most vulnerable (e.g., Lonely Child, Abandoned Child, feeling lonely, misunderstood, worthless), angry (e.g., Angry Child, being impatient and frustrated at unmet needs), or impulsive (e.g., Impulsive Child, appearing spoiled, frustrated, impatient) emotional states.
• Maladaptive Parent Modes: Internalized critical or demanding voices that mirror early caregivers, such as a Punitive Parent (harsh and punishing) or a Demanding Parent (has perfectionist standards, suppresses expression of feelings).
• Dysfunctional Coping Modes: Our unhelpful strategies to avoid or manage the pain of our schemas. These include:
  • Surrender: Giving in to the schema, acting in ways that reinforce it (e.g., someone with “Defectiveness” schema might cling to abusive partners).
  • Avoidance: Trying to escape or numb the pain of the schema, often through substance use, social withdrawal, or compulsive behaviors (e.g., “Detached Protector” or “Self-Soother” modes).
  • Overcompensation: Behaving in a way that is the opposite of what the schema suggests, often appearing strong or defiant, but still driven by the underlying insecurity (e.g., “Self-Aggrandizer” or “Bully and Attack” modes).
• Healthy Adult Mode: The ultimate goal of therapy – representing the wise, compassionate, and functional part of ourselves that can meet our emotional needs, set healthy limits, pursue adult responsibilities and interests, and regulate our internal states.

In the context of addiction, Schema Therapy for addiction treatment often views substance abuse as a dysfunctional coping mode – a way to numb or avoid the pain associated with underlying schemas. For example, someone with an “Emotional Deprivation” schema might turn to substances to fill a feeling of emptiness, or someone with a “Defectiveness/Shame” schema might use drugs to escape self-critical thoughts.

How Schema Therapy Works

The process during Schema Therapy is deeply experiential and relational, extending beyond purely cognitive techniques. It’s a structured yet flexible approach that guides individuals through a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

The step-by-step guide for Schema Therapy typically includes the following phases:

1. Initial Assessment and Identification: The journey begins with a thorough assessment to pinpoint the specific early maladaptive schemas and common schema modes affecting the individual. This is done through in-depth interviews, comprehensive questionnaires (like the Young Schema Questionnaire), and a review of the client’s developmental and relational history. This crucial first step helps bring unconscious patterns into conscious awareness, laying the groundwork for targeted intervention.
2. Schema Education: The therapist educates the individual about schemas – what they are, how they develop from unmet childhood needs, and how they powerfully influence current thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Understanding these foundational concepts helps demystify the client’s struggles and empowers them to view their patterns through a new lens.
3. Emotional Exploration and Experiential Work: This is a hallmark of Schema Therapy and distinguishes it from many other therapeutic modalities. Techniques like “imagery rescripting” are used to help clients re-imagine traumatic or difficult childhood memories and, in a guided, safe environment, intervene as their “Healthy Adult” self to meet the child’s unmet needs. “Chair work” is another powerful experiential technique where clients dialogue with different schema modes or significant figures from their past, allowing them to express suppressed emotions, gain new perspectives, and challenge entrenched beliefs. This aims to heal the emotional wounds at the root of the schemas by providing a corrective emotional experience.
4. Cognitive Restructuring: Alongside emotional work, clients learn to identify, challenge, and reframe the negative thoughts and core beliefs linked to their schemas. This involves evaluating the evidence for and against their long-held beliefs, developing more balanced and realistic perspectives, and practicing self-compassion. Clients might keep a “schema diary” to track how schemas influence their daily thoughts and behaviors.
5. Behavioral Pattern Breaking: Once schemas and modes are understood, and emotional wounds are processed, the therapist guides the client in actively practicing new, healthier behaviors in real-life situations. This involves breaking old, maladaptive coping patterns (such as substance abuse, avoidance, or self-sabotage) and developing adaptive ways to meet core emotional needs. This could involve role-playing difficult interactions, gradually exposing oneself to avoided situations, or practicing new communication styles.
6. Ongoing Monitoring and Support: The therapeutic process involves continuous assessment of schema-driven behaviors and emotional states. The therapist provides ongoing support, reinforces new skills, and helps navigate challenges as they arise, ensuring that the changes are lasting and that the individual can maintain emotional regulation and well-being.

Benefits of Schema Therapy

There are many potential benefits to Schema Therapy, making it a powerful choice for individuals seeking profound and lasting change:

• Integrated Approach: It uniquely combines several effective psychotherapy techniques (CBT, psychodynamic, attachment, gestalt) into a cohesive approach, offering a comprehensive toolkit for healing.
• Tailored to Individual Needs: The therapy is highly individualized, specifically designed to address each person’s unique set of schemas and coping styles, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
• Healing Unmet Childhood Needs: A core strength is its ability to directly address and heal emotional wounds stemming from unmet childhood needs, providing a corrective emotional experience regardless of a person’s current age.
• Provides Clarity and Structure: It offers a clear framework for understanding complex psychological patterns, helping individuals make sense of their past and present struggles.
• Addresses Chronic Issues: Particularly effective for long-standing, chronic issues, including personality disorders, which can be resistant to other forms of therapy.
• Reduces Relapse Risk in Addiction: By targeting the deep emotional drivers of substance use, it helps build resilience and reduce the likelihood of relapse.
• Used in Various Settings: It can be effectively used in individual therapy, group therapy, and within comprehensive residential treatment programs.

Limitations of Schema Therapy

While highly effective, Schema Therapy also has some considerations:

• Intensity and Emotional Emergence: The process of change can involve the emergence of intense emotions and confronting painful past experiences, which some individuals may find overwhelming without adequate support.
• Length of Commitment and Potential Expense: It is a longer-term therapy, often requiring consistent weekly sessions over a year or more. This commitment can involve significant time and financial investment.
• Requires Specialized Training: Finding a truly qualified and ISST-certified Schema Therapist can sometimes be challenging, as the training is extensive.
• Limited Research in Certain Contexts: While growing, research on its effectiveness in very specific settings (e.g., some inpatient contexts where individualization is difficult) or for certain populations may still be developing compared to more established therapies for specific disorders.
• May Require More Frequent Contact: For some complex cases, therapists might suggest meeting more than once a week or providing support outside of sessions (e.g., phone calls), which adds to the intensity and commitment.

Despite these limitations, for individuals seeking deep, transformative change for entrenched emotional and behavioral patterns, Schema Therapy offers a robust and comprehensive pathway to healing.

Comparing Schema Therapy with Other Therapies

Schema Therapy is often compared to other prominent therapeutic approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). This is because it uniquely integrates elements from these diverse approaches while offering its own distinct focus.

Schema Therapy vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

The main difference lies in their depth of focus. While CBT primarily addresses current negative thought patterns and behaviors, aiming for short-term symptom reduction, Schema Therapy goes deeper. It targets the deeply ingrained schemas (core beliefs) formed in early life, focusing on the long-term transformation of these fundamental patterns that drive a person’s emotions and behaviors. Schema Therapy often uses more experiential techniques to access emotional origins.

Schema Therapy vs. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT):

No, DBT is not Schema Therapy. DBT is a specific, skills-based therapy designed primarily to help individuals manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and reduce self-destructive behaviors, particularly for those with Borderline Personality Disorder. It teaches skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. While Schema Therapy also aims for emotional regulation, its core focus is on transforming the underlying, deeply ingrained maladaptive schemas that lead to emotional dysregulation, rather than solely focusing on skill acquisition for present challenges.

Schema Therapy vs. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing):

The main difference lies in their primary techniques and goals. EMDR focuses on processing specific traumatic memories and reducing their emotional impact using bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements). It is primarily used for trauma-related conditions. Schema Therapy, on the other hand, targets deep-rooted, pervasive maladaptive schemas that encompass broader life patterns. While Schema Therapy can help process trauma through techniques like imagery rescripting, its scope is broader, addressing personality disorders and chronic emotional and relational patterns that may or may not stem directly from a single traumatic event.

Schema Therapy vs. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT):

The key difference is their central focus. Schema Therapy targets deep-rooted maladaptive schemas formed in early life, aiming to heal core emotional wounds and dysfunctional patterns across an individual’s life. EFT, in contrast, primarily focuses on improving emotional attachment and relational patterns, often used in couples therapy. EFT is designed to help individuals and couples understand their emotional needs within relationships, reduce negative interaction cycles, and strengthen emotional bonds through present-focused emotional experiences and connections.

Schema Therapy vs. Internal Family Systems (IFS):

The main difference lies in their conceptualization of the inner world. IFS focuses on identifying and harmonizing internal “parts” or subpersonalities (e.g., a “critical part,” a “vulnerable part,” a “protector part”), viewing these as distinct entities that can be guided by the “Self.” IFS emphasizes self-leadership and fostering internal harmony among these parts. Schema Therapy also recognizes different “modes” (similar to parts) but its primary focus is on addressing the maladaptive schemas (core beliefs) that underlie and drive these modes, aiming to restructure those deeply rooted schemas rather than solely harmonizing existing parts.

Is Schema Therapy Psychodynamic?

Yes, Schema Therapy incorporates significant elements of psychodynamic approaches. While it is often considered a third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy due to its emphasis on cognitive and behavioral techniques, it importantly integrates psychodynamic concepts.

This is particularly evident in its focus on:

• Early life experiences: Schema Therapy deeply explores how childhood experiences, particularly unmet emotional needs, contribute to adult patterns.
• Unresolved emotional issues: It recognizes the lasting impact of early emotional wounds and seeks to process and heal them.
• The therapeutic relationship: The concept of “limited reparenting,” where the therapist provides the nurturing and boundaries the client may have lacked, is a very psychodynamically informed aspect of the therapy, fostering a corrective emotional experience within the therapeutic relationship.

Schema Therapy uniquely bridges the gap between traditional CBT’s present-focused, symptom-oriented approach and psychodynamic therapy’s historical, insight-oriented depth.

What Conditions Can Schema Therapy Help Treat?

Schema Therapy is a highly versatile and effective therapeutic approach that has been successfully applied to a broad range of complex mental health challenges, particularly those that have been resistant to other forms of treatment. It is specifically designed for chronic and pervasive issues linked to deeply ingrained patterns.

Conditions that can benefit significantly from Schema Therapy include:

• Personality Disorders:
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Avoidant Personality Disorder
  • Dependent Personality Disorder
  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder
  • Paranoid Personality Disorder
  • Histrionic Personality Disorder
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
• Chronic Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Especially when these conditions are long-standing or relapse frequently due to underlying maladaptive patterns.
• Eating Disorders: Addressing core schemas related to self-worth, control, and emotional regulation that often drive disordered eating.
• Substance Use Disorders and Alcohol Use Disorder: As discussed, Schema Therapy helps by treating addiction as a dysfunctional coping mode, addressing the root emotional wounds that drive substance abuse.
• Complex Trauma (C-PTSD): Its focus on early experiences and emotional healing makes it particularly suited for individuals with a history of chronic or relational trauma.
• Chronic Relationship Difficulties: For individuals who repeatedly find themselves in unhealthy or unfulfilling relationship patterns.

Its comprehensive nature allows it to address the core vulnerabilities that underlie various psychological distresses.

The Process During Schema Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process during Schema Therapy is structured yet adaptive, guiding individuals through a systematic journey of understanding and change.

It involves:

1. Initial Assessment: This begins by using comprehensive tools like the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) to identify the specific early maladaptive schemas affecting the individual. This helps to map out the core beliefs and emotional patterns.
2. Schema Education: The therapist educates the individual about schemas—how they develop, their impact, and how they influence current behaviors, emotions, and relationships. This psychoeducation helps demystify the client’s struggles and empowers them with knowledge.
3. Emotional Exploration (Experiential Techniques): This is a critical component where the therapy delves into the emotional roots of schemas. Techniques like:
   • Imagery Rescripting: The client re-experiences distressing or traumatic childhood memories in their imagination and, with the therapist’s guidance, actively intervenes in the memory as their “Healthy Adult” self to meet the unmet needs of their “Child Mode.” This provides a powerful corrective emotional experience.
   • Chair Work: Role-playing exercises where the client speaks to different “parts” of themselves (schema modes) or important figures from their past, allowing for expression of suppressed emotions and a shift in perspective.
4. Cognitive Restructuring: Clients learn to challenge and reframe the negative thoughts and beliefs linked to their schemas. This involves critically evaluating the evidence for and against these ingrained patterns and developing more balanced, realistic internal narratives.
5. Behavioral Pattern Breaking: Once schemas and modes are understood, and emotional healing has begun, the focus shifts to implementing behavioral strategies in real life. This could include role-playing new ways of responding, practicing assertiveness, setting healthy boundaries, or gradually exposing oneself to avoided situations, all aimed at breaking ingrained maladaptive patterns.
6. Ongoing Monitoring and Support: The therapy involves continuous assessment of schema-driven behaviors and emotional responses. The therapist provides ongoing support, reinforces new skills, and helps the client navigate challenges in daily life, ensuring lasting change and improved emotional regulation.

Can You Do Schema Therapy By Yourself?

No, you cannot do Schema Therapy by yourself. It is not designed to be a self-help modality in its primary form. The depth of the work, which involves identifying deeply rooted schemas, engaging in powerful experiential techniques like imagery rescripting, and challenging entrenched coping mechanisms, requires the skilled guidance of a trained and certified Schema Therapist. While self-help resources like books and workbooks can provide valuable psychoeducation and complementary exercises, professional support is essential for effective schema modification, processing complex emotions, and facilitating true emotional healing. A therapist provides the safety, expertise, and “limited reparenting” relationship crucial for this transformative work.

How to Find a Qualified Schema Therapist

Finding a qualified Schema Therapist is an important step toward effective treatment. Given the specialized nature of this therapy, it requires careful consideration.

Here are key ways to find a qualified Schema Therapist:

• Check Credentials (ISST Certification): The most reliable way to ensure a therapist is qualified in Schema Therapy is to look for certification from the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST). The ISST website provides a global directory of certified therapists. Certification indicates that the therapist has undergone rigorous, specialized training and supervision in Schema Therapy.
• Inquire About Experience: When contacting a potential therapist, ask about their experience with your specific concerns. For instance, if you are struggling with a personality disorder, trauma, or substance use, inquire about their expertise in treating these conditions using Schema Therapy.
• Assess Compatibility (Consultation): Schedule an initial consultation or introductory session. This allows you to gauge whether their therapeutic approach, communication style, and personality align with your needs. The therapeutic relationship is a crucial component of Schema Therapy, so finding a therapist with whom you feel comfortable and trusting is vital.
• Consider Location and Accessibility: Determine whether you prefer in-person therapy or if online therapy sessions are more suitable for your lifestyle and geographical location. Many qualified Schema Therapists offer remote sessions, expanding your options.
• Referrals: Ask your current mental health professional, primary care doctor, or trusted friends in recovery if they have recommendations for Schema Therapists.

Finding the right therapist takes some research, but the profound benefits of effective Schema Therapy make the effort invaluable for lasting emotional healing and well-being.

The West Georgia Wellness Center Approach to Healing

At West Georgia Wellness Center, we believe in providing highly individualized care that addresses the whole person. Our drug detox, residential substance abuse treatment and residential mental health treatment programs offer a safe, structured, and supportive environment where individuals can fully engage in their healing journey.

When Schema Therapy is integrated into a treatment plan, it’s part of a broader, holistic approach that may also include:

• Medical Detoxification: For safe and comfortable withdrawal from substances.
• Individual Therapy: One-on-one sessions with a primary therapist, often incorporating Schema Therapy principles.
• Group Therapy: Providing peer support, shared experiences, and a safe space to practice new skills.
• Trauma-Informed Care: Recognizing and addressing the impact of past trauma.
• Family Therapy: Healing family dynamics and building a supportive home environment for long-term recovery.
• Psychiatric Care & Medication Management: For co-occurring mental health conditions.
• Holistic and Experiential Therapies: Such as mindfulness, yoga, art therapy, recreational activities, and nutritional counseling to support overall well-being.
• Aftercare Planning: Developing a robust plan for continued support and success post-treatment, including connections to local therapists trained in Schema Therapy and peer support groups.

Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to ensure that your treatment plan is tailored to your unique needs, addressing not just the symptoms but the underlying patterns that contribute to your challenges. If you are seeking a deeper, more transformative path to recovery and emotional well-being, exploring Schema Therapy within a comprehensive residential program may be the powerful step you need. Contact us today at 470-625-2466 or fill out our online form to get the treatment you deserve.

Schema Therapy Frequently Asked Questions

What is Schema Therapy primarily used to treat?

Schema Therapy is effective for treating a wide range of chronic and complex mental health issues, including personality disorders (like Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders), chronic depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, complex trauma, and substance use disorders.

How is Schema Therapy different from traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

While CBT focuses on identifying and changing current unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, Schema Therapy delves deeper into the origins of these patterns, often tracing them back to unmet childhood needs. It uses more experiential and emotion-focused techniques to heal deeply ingrained emotional wounds.

What are “schemas” in Schema Therapy?

Schemas are deeply rooted, self-defeating patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that develop from early negative experiences, especially when core emotional needs are not met in childhood. They influence how we see ourselves, others, and the world.

What are “schema modes”?

Schema modes are temporary emotional states and coping responses that are activated by current life situations. They represent different “parts” of ourselves, such as a “Vulnerable Child” mode, an “Angry Child” mode, or various “Dysfunctional Coping Modes” (like avoidance or overcompensation).

How does Schema Therapy help with addiction?

Schema Therapy views addiction as a dysfunctional coping mechanism for underlying emotional pain and unmet needs associated with maladaptive schemas. It helps individuals identify these root causes, heal emotional wounds from the past, and develop healthier coping strategies to reduce the drive to use substances.

How long does a typical Schema Therapy course last?

Schema Therapy is a longer-term therapy. While some progress can be seen in short-term work (e.g., 20-30 sessions), comprehensive treatment often spans several months to a year or more, depending on the complexity and chronicity of the issues being addressed.

Can Schema Therapy be combined with other types of treatment?

Yes, Schema Therapy is highly integrative and is often combined with other therapeutic modalities, such as individual counseling, group therapy, trauma-informed approaches, and medication management, especially within a residential treatment setting.

Can you do Schema Therapy by yourself?

No, Schema Therapy is not designed to be done alone. It requires the guidance of a trained therapist to safely identify and work through deep-rooted schemas and use specific techniques effectively.

Is Schema Therapy a type of psychodynamic therapy?

While Schema Therapy primarily draws from cognitive-behavioral principles, it incorporates significant elements of psychodynamic approaches, particularly its focus on early life experiences, attachment, and the therapeutic relationship as a tool for healing.

What is the difference between EMDR and Schema Therapy?

EMDR focuses on processing specific traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation. Schema Therapy targets broader, deeply rooted maladaptive schemas that influence overall life patterns and can address various chronic emotional and relational issues, including but not limited to trauma.