This CBT worksheet explains the formation and role of schemas, and how they affect here-and-now perception. It is a case conceptualization (formulation) diagram which can help clients and therapists come to a shared understanding of a problem.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
A fillable version of the resource. This can be edited and saved in Adobe Acrobat, or other PDF editing software.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
Cognitive therapy focuses on three levels of cognition: automatic thoughts, conditional assumptions, and core beliefs (schemas). Our schemas develop from early or significant experiences, shaping how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. The Schema Formulation worksheet is a diagram used for case conceptualization, highlighting the schemas that influence our thoughts and feelings in the present moment. This worksheet is accompanied by a one-page explanation of schemas.
The Schema Formulation worksheet helps clients:
Connecting negative beliefs about oneself to low mood and negative automatic thoughts.
Emphasizing how schemas related to danger and vulnerability contribute to anxious thoughts and feelings.
Relating negative beliefs about self-worth to avoidance behaviors and self-criticism.
Identify a recent event that triggered the client's schema.
Ask the client to describe how they saw themselves, other people, and the world when the schema was active.
Explore how the schema influenced the client's thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and behavior.
Discuss the implications of the formulation.
Formulations, also known as case formulations, case conceptualizations, or working hypotheses, are a central component of most talking therapies and represent a key skill for mental health professionals (DCP, 2010; RCP, 2017; Sperry & Sperry, 2012). Essentially, a formulation helps to clarify an individual’s difficulties. It serves as a provisional account or hypothesis, informed by psychological theory, regarding what the individual is struggling with and why (Johnstone & Dallos, 2014).
In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), formulation is an active and dynamic process that begins at the start of treatment and continues throughout the therapeutic journey (Beck, 2011). Cognitive behavioral formulations are guided by Beck's cognitive model, which identifies three levels of cognition: automatic thoughts, conditional assumptions, and core beliefs (or schemas). Schemas develop as a result of early or critical experiences and shape our perception and information processing in the present moment.
The Schema Formulation worksheet is a cross-sectional case conceptualization diagram that provides insight into the schemas influencing clients' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present.
