Dr Emma Newton: Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Psychological Services,
Court Hospital
Heatherwood
Heatherwood Court Hospital
Heatherwood Court offers multidisciplinary treatment and rehabilitation for people with complex mental health needs and forensic histories.
❖Chepstow Ward- Male Low Secure
❖Cardigan Ward- Female Low Secure
❖Caerphilly Ward- Female Low Secure
❖Caernarvon Ward-Female Locked
Rehabilitation
Heatherwood Court Hospital- The HUB
Cinema Room Pool
Theme Days
Art Room
Sensory Room
Café
People’s Council
Multi Faith Room
Therapy Rooms
Animal Encounters
Heatherwood Court- Psychology Department
Assessment>Formulation>Intervention>Evaluation
Group/individual models utilised include:
❖ DBT/DBT Skills
❖ CBT/TF-CBT
❖ CFT
❖ MBT
❖ Schema Therapy
❖ Psychoeducation
❖ Readiness to change
Why Schema Therapy?
❖“Many clients who begin schema therapy have sometimes spent years in other types of therapies, gaining valuable insight, but often frustrated by their lack of progress. These clients typically had long-standing, self-defeating patterns or themes in thinking and feeling (and consequently in behaving or coping.”
❖“Schema therapy enables changes in clients who feel hopeless about their self-destructive patterns, because these problematic behaviours may seem so entrenched that they appear to be part of their very identity”.
❖“Schemas or ‘negative life beliefs’ can lead to low self-esteem, lack of connection to others, problems expressing feelings and emotions and excessive worrying about basic safety issues”.
❖“Beginning with a series of assessments clients learn to recognise which schemas and problematic coping styles affect them the most, understand the origins and learn how to make lasting changes”.
Key features of schema therapy
Early Maladaptive Schemas
Schemas are consistent patterns of thoughts and feelings internalised during early in life experiences of having or not having core emotional needs met. When negative experiences and patterns are reinforced throughout a person’s lifetime these thoughts patterns can become increasingly entrenched.
Schema Modes
Schemas can drive and inadvertently be perpetuated by various potential coping styles labelled as schema modes. These reflect in the moment emotion and coping responses.
Coping modes are generally triggered by specific situations relating to a personal vulnerability and potential resulting in an unhelpful response.
