Schema Therapy
for Social Work Practice
A clinically rigorous, scope-aware introduction to schema therapy — built specifically for licensed and pre-licensed social workers. Leave with a working command of schemas, modes, and schema-informed conceptualization you can apply Monday morning.
A model built for clients
who haven't responded to standard work.
Developed by Jeffrey Young, schema therapy emerged for the clients who don't fully respond to traditional CBT — those with chronic, characterological, and relational difficulties. It honors how unmet emotional needs in childhood produce understandable adult patterns, and provides structured tools for change. For social workers, it aligns naturally with the person-in-environment perspective central to our profession.
By the end of today, you will be able to recognize early maladaptive schemas and schema modes in your clients, build a schema-based case conceptualization, and apply core cognitive and behavioral schema interventions within your scope of practice.
By the end of the day, you will be able to —
Describe the theoretical foundations of Schema Therapy
Including its development from cognitive, behavioral, attachment, and psychodynamic traditions.
Identify the 18 EMS, five domains, and 11 core emotional needs
From which all early maladaptive schemas develop in childhood and adolescence.
Apply schema-focused assessment tools and interview skills
YSQ-R and SMI administration, scoring, and integration into a schema-based case conceptualization.
Distinguish the three coping styles and the 10 core schema modes
Surrender, avoidance, and overcompensation — and how each shows up in clinical work and the therapeutic relationship.
Implement core cognitive and behavioral schema interventions
Schema dialogues, evidence logs, pattern-breaking strategies, and schema diaries in ongoing practice.
Apply ethical and scope-of-practice principles
Schema-informed care across licensure levels, with clear guidance on what requires additional training and supervision.
Five segments. One coherent arc.
From theoretical foundations through assessment, modes, intervention, and ethics — built as a single integrated training, not a tour of disconnected topics.
Schema Therapy Foundations
- Origins, theory, and integration with CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic models
- What is a schema; adaptive vs. maladaptive
- The role of attachment in schema development
- The 11 core emotional needs
- The five domains and all 18 EMS
- Clinical vignette: case recognition
Assessment & Case Conceptualization
- The Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-R)
- The Schema Mode Inventory (SMI)
- Schema-focused clinical interview skills
- Building a schema-based conceptualization
- Presenting the formulation to clients
Schema Coping Styles & Modes
- The three coping styles: surrender, avoidance, overcompensation
- How coping perpetuates the schema
- The 10 core schema modes and their clinical signatures
- Modes in the therapeutic relationship
Clinical Application
- Introducing the schema model to clients collaboratively
- Cognitive techniques: schema dialogues, evidence logs, reframing
- Behavioral techniques: pattern-breaking, experiments, homework
- Schema diaries & psychoeducation handouts
Ethical Considerations & Next Steps
- Common client reactions and how to meet them
- Working through resistance and rupture
- Ethics & scope-of-practice across licensure levels
- What requires additional training
- Pathways for continued development
A full clinical toolkit to take home
- Schema Domain Reference Guide
- Schema Mode Cheat Sheet
- Case Conceptualization Worksheet
- YSQ-R Scoring Key
- Certificate of completion (4.0 CE hours)
A full day,
built around 240 minutes of instruction.
CE hours reflect instructional time only. Registration, breaks, lunch, post-test, and certificate distribution are not included in CE hour calculations, consistent with ASWB standards.
Schema Therapy Foundations
Assessment & Case Conceptualization
Schema Coping Styles & Modes
Clinical Application
Ethical Considerations & Next Steps
Designed for social workers at every stage.
With explicit scope-of-practice guidance throughout — so you know exactly what you can do, what requires supervision, and what requires further training.
LCSWs & LISW-CPs
Add a powerful, evidence-based modality to your independent clinical toolkit.
LMSWs
Build schema therapy competence under supervision with explicit scope guidance.
Pre-Licensed Practitioners
Learn the model early — with clear guidance on what requires supervision and additional training.
Clinical Supervisors
Gain fluency in schema therapy to better support supervisees working within the model.
Everything you need to plan.
Accreditation
This course is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) for 4.0 Clinical CE hours. Approval is recognized by social work licensing boards in participating states. Course ID 6740.
Completion Requirements
Full attendance is required to earn CE credit. Participants must complete a 20-item post-test and the post-training evaluation. Certificates are issued at the close of the training.
Cancellation & Accessibility
Refunds available up to 7 days before the training. Reasonable accommodations available on request — please contact us at least 14 days in advance so we can prepare appropriately.
Common questions.
Do I need prior training in schema therapy to attend?
No. This course is designed as a foundational introduction. It's appropriate whether you've never encountered schema therapy before or have done some reading and want a structured, clinically grounded overview. All licensure levels are welcome.
Will this course teach me imagery rescripting or chair work?
No — and that's by design. The experiential techniques at the heart of schema therapy (imagery rescripting, chair work, limited reparenting) require additional supervised training and are deliberately not covered in a 4-hour introduction. What you will leave with is a working command of schema-informed assessment, conceptualization, and core cognitive/behavioral interventions you can apply within your scope of practice. Segment 5 includes clear pathways for continued development.
Is this accepted by my state social work board?
This course carries ASWB approval, which is recognized by social work licensing boards in participating ASWB-affiliated jurisdictions. We recommend confirming with your specific state board that ASWB-approved hours satisfy your renewal requirements.
What if I miss part of the training?
Per ASWB standards, full attendance is required to earn the full 4.0 CE credit. Participants who arrive late or leave early forfeit credit for the missed portion. Please plan to attend the full session.
Will the materials be available afterward?
Yes. Every participant receives a complete handout packet including the Schema Domain Reference Guide, Schema Mode Cheat Sheet, Case Conceptualization Worksheet, and YSQ-R Scoring Key — designed to be used in real clinical work after the training.
Ready to bring schema therapy
into your practice?
Join social workers across the region for a single day of clinically rigorous, scope-aware training — and leave with tools you'll use in your next session.