Asad Ul Lah
Consultant, 1-2-3 Working Together, UK
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Purpose: Schema therapy has gone through various adaptations, including the identification of various schema modes. This paper suggests there may be a further dissociative mode, the frozen child mode, which is active for some patients, particularly those that have experienced extreme childhood trauma. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is participant observer case study which is based on the personal reflections of a forensic patient who completed a treatment programme which includes schema therapy. Findings: The proposed mode, frozen child, is supported by theoretical indicators in the literature. It is proposed that patients develop this mode as a protective strategy and that unless recognized and worked with, can prevent successful completion of therapy\ Research Limitations: Based on a single case study, this concept is presented as a hypothesis that requires validation as the use of the case study makes generalization difficult. Practical Implications: It is suggested that if validated, this may be one of the blocks therapists have previously encountered that has led to the view that people with severe personality disorder are â??untreatableâ?. Suggestions are made as to how patients with this mode, if validated, can be treated with recommendations as to the most appropriate processes to potentiate such therapy. Originality/Value: The suggestion of this potential new schema mode is based on service user initiative, arising from a collaborative enterprise between service user and clinician, as recommended in recent government policies.
