Table 11.2 Therapist schemas in the therapeutic relationship

Schema	Assumptions
Demanding standards	I have to cure all my patients. I must always meet the highest standards. My patients should do an excellent job. We should never waste time.
Special, superior person	I am entitled to be successful. My patients should appreciate all that I do for them. I shouldn’t feel bored when doing therapy. Patients try to humiliate me.
Rejection sensitive	Conflicts are upsetting. I shouldn’t raise issues that will bother the patient.
Abandonment	If my patient is bothered with therapy, they might leave. It’s upsetting when patients terminate. I might end up with no patients.
Autonomy	I feel controlled by the patient. My movements, feelings or what I say are limited. I should be able to do or say what I wish. Sometimes I wonder if I will lose myself in the relationship.
Control	I have to control my surroundings or the people around me.
Judgmental	Some people are basically bad people. People should be punished if they do wrong things.
Persecution	I often feel provoked. The patient is trying to get to me. I have to guard against being taken advantage of or hurt. You usually can’t trust people.
Need approval	I want to be liked by the patient. If the patient isn’t happy with me, then it means I’m doing something wrong.
Need to like others	It’s important that I like the patient. It bothers me if I don’t like a patient. We should get along – almost like friends.
Withholding	I want to withhold thoughts and feelings from the patient. I don’t want to give them what they want. I feel I am withdrawing emotionally during the session.
Helplessness	I feel I don’t know what to do. I fear I’ll make mistakes. I wonder if I’m really competent. Sometimes I feel like giving up.
Goal inhibition	The patient is blocking me from achieving my goals. I feel like I’m wasting time. I should be able to achieve my goals in sessions without the patient’s interference.
Self-sacrifice	I should meet the patient’s needs. I should make them feel better. The patient’s needs often take precedence over my needs. I sometimes believe that I would do almost anything to meet their needs.
Emotional inhibition	I feel frustrated when I’m with this patient because I can’t express the way I really feel. I find it hard to suppress my feelings. I can’t be myself.

Source: Leahy, 2001.