Anthony D. Smith LMHC, writing for Psychology Today, helps explain core beliefs for individuals living with a personality disorder:
“Core beliefs are often referred to as schema in psychology, particularly in the world of personality disorders. Personality expert Dr. Joseph Shannon (2016) explained, “A schema is an extremely-stable and enduring pattern of thinking that is learned in childhood or adolescence. We view ourselves, others, and the world around us through our schema.” Given this, it’s no surprise that disordered personalities are rooted in early maladaptive core schema (e.g., Nordahl et al., 2005; Kunst et al., 2020).
In light of the previous paragraph, the point of therapy with personality-disordered patients is to confront disruptive core schema and construct more adaptive ones. Recognizing this, psychologist Jeffrey Young developed “schema therapy” as a way to more directly confront these cognitive pillars of interpersonal turmoil, which has been notably successful (e.g., Jacob & Arntz, 2013; Dadomo et al., 2018).”
The ten schemas are listed and discussed in detail in the remainder of the article, which you can read here
