Dr Jo White
Clinical Psychologist & Advanced Certified Schema Therapist/Supervisor
I am passionate about developing the reach of schema therapy in the UK and across international communities, firstly to build the confidence of psychologists and therapists who feel overwhelmed by the complex difficulties their clients experience. And secondly, to improve outcomes for individuals who may not have benefitted from CBT or skills-based interventions, and as a result experience stigma in mental health services and find themselves labelled as ‘untreatable’.
As a newly qualified clinical psychologist I felt out of my depth trying to offer interventions for people who had complex pasts, with relational trauma, where the dynamic in the therapy room felt tricky. I could offer a validating formulation, but I couldn’t make sense of the significant shifts in mood and behaviour, I wasn’t sure how I should ‘be’ in the room aside from compassionate and I certainly didn’t know what I could do that would help!
I am so thankful to my colleague and now close friend Kate Williams who introduced me to schema therapy and encouraged me to invest in the training. Schema therapy training transformed the psychological therapy I offered.
Schema Therapy gave me a framework to conceptualise the complex process issues that presented themselves in the therapy room. I had the limited reparenting stance, that allowed me to develop emotionally connected and reparative relationships with my clients. And finally, the powerful tools of imagery re-scripting and chair work to help clients connect deeply with their emotional needs and process their trauma.
I no longer sat and talked to my clients session after session, hoping that cognitive insights would bring about emotional shifts and not knowing how to facilitate the processing of complicated feelings.
During my 15 year career in the NHS, I experienced the most joy and satisfaction from working with people who had chronic and complex difficulties, individuals who had often been diagnosed with ‘personality disorder’. I really resonated with the shame and self-criticism they struggled with, and it was and still is a privilege to work in such a connected way using schema therapy.
Individuals who have experienced chronic attachment trauma, often experience stigma in mental health services, which leaves me feeling both angry and deeply sad. The therapeutic skills needed to support change are not taught during standard mental health practitioner training and as a result I believe clinicians project their feelings of overwhelm and failure onto the people they struggle to help.
Schema therapy is an evidence based psychological therapy, demonstrating efficacy even for those with the most chronic and complex difficulties. It provides hope and a framework for change. I want to improve attitudes towards people who have been diagnosed with ‘personality disorder’ by promoting schema therapy in the UK and giving practitioners the skills to work effectively, therefore preventing overwhelm and feelings of failure.
If you are looking to have therapy with me please visit my website
