This post explores the impact of ADHD on relationships, offering insight and practical tips to increase understanding and improve relationship functioning.
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Health & Wellness · Mar 16
Understanding the Roots of Depression Through Failure Schema
For many struggling with depression, feelings of defeat and inadequacy are more than symptoms; they can reflect deeply held subconscious beliefs that Schema-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps clients identify, reality-test, and reframe.
Educational therapy writing from the Epijennetics article archive, including reflections on schemas, boundaries, narcissism-related relationship wounds, and recovery.
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Schema Therapy and Relationship Articles
Explore Epijennetics articles on self-sacrifice schema, narcissistic abuse recovery, healing from narcissism-related relationship wounds, anxiety, depression, and the patterns that shape self-expression and connectedness.
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Browse articles from the Epijennetics WordPress blog.
Clinical note: Online education cannot diagnose a person or relationship. These articles support reflection and informed help-seeking, not labels or promises of a specific result.
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43
The Importance of Understanding ADHD Relationships: Therapist Tips for Navigating ADHD Challenges in Relationships
This post explores the impact of ADHD on relationships, offering insight and practical tips to increase understanding and improve relationship functioning.
Are You a Realist or is Negativity & Pessimism Schema Ruining Your Perspective?
This post explores the Early Maladaptive Schema of Negativity and Pessimism. Insight about the origin of the schema, the impact, and practical tips for helping to heal the schema are offered.
When Misinterpretations add Insult to Injury
This post explores how misunderstandings and misconceptions can cause undue pain and suffering in relationships. Examples of common misunderstandings in couple’s therapy are given. Practical tips for utilizing...
The Impact and Treatment of Social Isolation Schema
This post explores Social Isolation schema, one of the five Disconnection/Rejection domain schemas identified in Schema Therapy. Examples of possible formation, impact, and treatment are provided to help provide...
The Entitlement Spectrum: The Importance of Knowing Where You Fall
A schema-informed article on entitlement, self-sacrifice, accountability, and relationship patterns that can leave people feeling overextended or unseen.
Impaired Autonomy and Performance: Suffering from Chronic Feelings of Worthlessness and Inadequacy
This post explores the impact of Impaired Autonomy and Performance domain schemas, particularly Failure Schema, and how Failure Schema often underpins depression and drives feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy.
Mind-Reading: An Ineffective Way to Address Needs
This post discusses the ineffectiveness of mind-reading in relationships and explores the impact of Self-Sacrificing, Narcsissistic, and Borderline Personality characteristics on relationships.
Trauma and Parts of Self: Understanding Narcissistic and Self-Sacrificing Managers in Ourselves
An educational article exploring internal parts, trauma responses, narcissistic patterns, and self-sacrificing relationship roles through a reflective therapy lens.
Other-Directedness and Anxiety: Does Focusing on Others Help or Hurt?
This post explores the Other-Directedness domain schemas of Approval Seeking, Self-Sacrificing, and Subjugation and the impact that these schemas have on anxiety.
Change: A Million Little Things
This blog explores the many factors that contribute to growth and healing in the context of counseling and therapy.
Guilt and Projective Identification: Bait for Narcissists
A discussion of self-sacrifice schema, guilt, boundaries, and why unaddressed needs can make manipulative relationship dynamics harder to interrupt.
Combat Dread and Anxiety by Combatting Vulnerability to Harm Schema
This post explores Vulnerability to Harm schema, which often plays an integral role in provoking feelings of anxiety and dread in clients with chronic experiences of anxiety. This post provides techniques for...
Narcissism, Caregiving, and Trauma: Facing Uncomfortable Feelings Results in Healing
A reflective article on trauma, vulnerability, caregiving, narcissism-related patterns, and how facing uncomfortable emotions can support healing.
Running From Guilt and Shame Means Running Towards Narcissism and Caregiving
A therapy education post on guilt, shame, avoidance, caregiving, and how old protective patterns can shape relationships over time.
Option and Obligation: Boundaries Mean Letting Others Choose
This post explores the way that boundary problems can impact the way that we are in relationship with others. Often boundary problems cause us to attempt to read other people's minds in attempt to help them or put...
Intimacy: When Your Strength Overshadows You
This post explores the impact of the Early Maladaptive Schemas Self-Sacrifice and Emotional Inhibition in caregiver and codependent type individuals, often leading them to attract Narcissistic individuals and...
Reactivity Destroys Conversation: Success is in the Approach
This post explores the concept of Amygdala Hijacking, a physiological response to real or perceived threat, which results in loss of memory and impaired cognitive functioning. Amygdala Hijacking prevents productive...
Like It or Not, It’s All About the Relationship
This blog explores the impact of early messages from parents and the internal dialogue that we take into adulthood.
Putting the Pieces Together: ACTing to Embrace the Life You Have
This post explores Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT Therapy, and how expectations and disappointments can keep us trapped in negative cycles and prevent us from embracing the life we have.
Splitting and Gratitude
This post explores the concepts of Psychological splitting and Object Constancy and how these concepts might be useful when considering gratitude and loss, particularly during difficult seasons.
Ownership: Do You Under or Over Own in Your Relationships?
This post contrasts denial and ownership, as it pertains to self-awareness and growth, and explores relationship patterns of under-owning in narcissists and over-owning in caregivers.
Narcissism and Caregiving: Dancing around the Truth
An article examining how caregiving, boundaries, empathy, and self-absorbed dynamics can interact in close relationships.
Milestones after Midlife: Experience and Generativity
This post explores the concepts of midlife crisis and Stagnation and Generativity and assists individuals in exploring expectations and needs during midlife.
Priorities: Goalkeeping is Key
This post explores the necessity of defining priorities when setting goals and making decisions. Decision-making should be done by evaluating highest-priority goals and making choices that move us towards those goals.
Punitiveness: Moral Conviction or Self-Infliction?
This post compares the personality trait of authoritarianism to the schema Punitiveness and offers useful tips for dealing with the schema of Punitiveness.
Sexuality: The Messages We Hold Close
This post describes the benefits of exploring sexual messages by utilizing a sexual experiences time-line. Additionally, this post offers guidance for exploring sexual experiences and messages and the impact that...
Resiliency: Naming the Catalyst
This post explores the concept of resiliency and how obstacles and difficulties can actually act as catalysts for increasing resiliency and growth.
Solution Focus: Letting the Exception Rule
This post explores Solution Focused Therapy and how to look for a solution by looking at the exceptions to a problem, or by focusing on when the problem does not occur.
Orchids: The Struggle in the Bloom
This post explores the concept of resiliency by considering the fact that an Orchid often blooms by being stimulated by unfavorable conditions. Resiliency often produces growth in individuals, especially when brought...
Validation and the Walls Before Us
This post explores the impact of not receiving validation from those close to us. This post also includes steps to take to increase likeliness of receiving and giving validation.
Caveman No More: Surviving Modern Day Anxiety
This post explores the origins of the concept of anxiety and how it may be experienced in modern times. This post includes 5 techniques to practice to lessen and control anxious symptoms.
Schema: Don’t Be a Puppet at the Mercy of Your Past
This post defines schema and explores Schema Therapy and the impact of schema and narrative on how we practice owning our stories.
The Youth of a Nation: Sold to the Highest Bidder
This post explores problematic screen usage (PSU) and screen addiction in children and adolescents. This post also provides tips to parents for limiting screen usage by their children. This post interacts with...
Pieces of the Past: How Unprocessed Trauma Leads to Dissociation
This post explores dissociation in relation to previous traumatic experiences and provides theory for reintegrating parts of an individual's experience in order for healing to occur.
Expectations and Fairness: Can You Tell the Difference?
This post explores the potential to blame others when we are not intentional about differentiating between our own expectations and the perception of unfairness and fairness in actions of others.
The Starting Lineup: Addiction and Change
This post explores the concept of neuroplasticity and how neuroscience impacts additive behaviors. This post offers tips for overcoming addiction by creating new and stronger neuropathways and discontinuing usage of...
Rework the Resistance
This post considers the concept of resistance and how behavioral is often purposeful even if unconsciously. Tips for exploring the meaning of resistance in oneself and others are provided.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: Fighting Words?
This post explores Cognitive Behavioral Therapy concepts related to unhealthy thought patterns such as all-inclusive or critical statements such as "should have, could have, would have". Post offers tips for...
Heeding Warnings
This post explores an individual's tendency to not heed warnings in relationships and offers tips for seeking healthy and mutual connection.
Needing in a Time of Uncertainty
This post explores the challenges of coping with COVID or other situations which have a high level of uncertainty. Post encourages individuals to explore their feelings and needs and practice naming them...
Enmeshment and Boundaries
This post explores the Psychological concepts of Enmeshment and Boundaries and how they impact relationships. Post encourages self-reflection and offers tips for overcoming behaviors that reinforce enmeshment.
Cognitive Consistency and Schema
This post explores the Psychological principles of Cognitive Consistency and Schema and the impact they have on relationships and Mental Health.
Tolerating Disorder
This post explores the personality trait of Tolerating Disorder, a measure on the 16PF assessment. Tips are offered for owning this part of our personality and how to manage differences in this trait in those we are...
The Importance of Understanding ADHD Relationships: Therapist Tips for Navigating ADHD Challenges in Relationships
Are You a Realist or is Negativity & Pessimism Schema Ruining Your Perspective?
This post explores the Early Maladaptive Schema of Negativity and Pessimism. Insight about the origin of the schema, the impact, and practical tips for helping to heal the schema are offered.
When Misinterpretations add Insult to Injury
This post explores how misunderstandings and misconceptions can cause undue pain and suffering in relationships. Examples of common misunderstandings in couple’s therapy are given. Practical tips for utilizing...
The Impact and Treatment of Social Isolation Schema
This post explores Social Isolation schema, one of the five Disconnection/Rejection domain schemas identified in Schema Therapy. Examples of possible formation, impact, and treatment are provided to help provide...
The Entitlement Spectrum: The Importance of Knowing Where You Fall
A schema-informed article on entitlement, self-sacrifice, accountability, and relationship patterns that can leave people feeling overextended or unseen.
Impaired Autonomy and Performance: Suffering from Chronic Feelings of Worthlessness and Inadequacy
This post explores the impact of Impaired Autonomy and Performance domain schemas, particularly Failure Schema, and how Failure Schema often underpins depression and drives feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy.
Mind-Reading: An Ineffective Way to Address Needs
This post discusses the ineffectiveness of mind-reading in relationships and explores the impact of Self-Sacrificing, Narcsissistic, and Borderline Personality characteristics on relationships.
Trauma and Parts of Self: Understanding Narcissistic and Self-Sacrificing Managers in Ourselves
An educational article exploring internal parts, trauma responses, narcissistic patterns, and self-sacrificing relationship roles through a reflective therapy lens.
Other-Directedness and Anxiety: Does Focusing on Others Help or Hurt?
This post explores the Other-Directedness domain schemas of Approval Seeking, Self-Sacrificing, and Subjugation and the impact that these schemas have on anxiety.
Change: A Million Little Things
This blog explores the many factors that contribute to growth and healing in the context of counseling and therapy.
Guilt and Projective Identification: Bait for Narcissists
A discussion of self-sacrifice schema, guilt, boundaries, and why unaddressed needs can make manipulative relationship dynamics harder to interrupt.
Combat Dread and Anxiety by Combatting Vulnerability to Harm Schema
This post explores Vulnerability to Harm schema, which often plays an integral role in provoking feelings of anxiety and dread in clients with chronic experiences of anxiety. This post provides techniques for...
Narcissism, Caregiving, and Trauma: Facing Uncomfortable Feelings Results in Healing
A reflective article on trauma, vulnerability, caregiving, narcissism-related patterns, and how facing uncomfortable emotions can support healing.
Running From Guilt and Shame Means Running Towards Narcissism and Caregiving
A therapy education post on guilt, shame, avoidance, caregiving, and how old protective patterns can shape relationships over time.
Option and Obligation: Boundaries Mean Letting Others Choose
This post explores the way that boundary problems can impact the way that we are in relationship with others. Often boundary problems cause us to attempt to read other people's minds in attempt to help them or put...
Intimacy: When Your Strength Overshadows You
This post explores the impact of the Early Maladaptive Schemas Self-Sacrifice and Emotional Inhibition in caregiver and codependent type individuals, often leading them to attract Narcissistic individuals and...
Reactivity Destroys Conversation: Success is in the Approach
This post explores the concept of Amygdala Hijacking, a physiological response to real or perceived threat, which results in loss of memory and impaired cognitive functioning. Amygdala Hijacking prevents productive...
Like It or Not, It’s All About the Relationship
This blog explores the impact of early messages from parents and the internal dialogue that we take into adulthood.
Putting the Pieces Together: ACTing to Embrace the Life You Have
This post explores Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT Therapy, and how expectations and disappointments can keep us trapped in negative cycles and prevent us from embracing the life we have.
Splitting and Gratitude
This post explores the concepts of Psychological splitting and Object Constancy and how these concepts might be useful when considering gratitude and loss, particularly during difficult seasons.
Ownership: Do You Under or Over Own in Your Relationships?
This post contrasts denial and ownership, as it pertains to self-awareness and growth, and explores relationship patterns of under-owning in narcissists and over-owning in caregivers.
Narcissism and Caregiving: Dancing around the Truth
An article examining how caregiving, boundaries, empathy, and self-absorbed dynamics can interact in close relationships.
Milestones after Midlife: Experience and Generativity
This post explores the concepts of midlife crisis and Stagnation and Generativity and assists individuals in exploring expectations and needs during midlife.
Priorities: Goalkeeping is Key
This post explores the necessity of defining priorities when setting goals and making decisions. Decision-making should be done by evaluating highest-priority goals and making choices that move us towards those goals.
Punitiveness: Moral Conviction or Self-Infliction?
This post compares the personality trait of authoritarianism to the schema Punitiveness and offers useful tips for dealing with the schema of Punitiveness.
Sexuality: The Messages We Hold Close
This post describes the benefits of exploring sexual messages by utilizing a sexual experiences time-line. Additionally, this post offers guidance for exploring sexual experiences and messages and the impact that...
Resiliency: Naming the Catalyst
This post explores the concept of resiliency and how obstacles and difficulties can actually act as catalysts for increasing resiliency and growth.
Solution Focus: Letting the Exception Rule
This post explores Solution Focused Therapy and how to look for a solution by looking at the exceptions to a problem, or by focusing on when the problem does not occur.
Orchids: The Struggle in the Bloom
This post explores the concept of resiliency by considering the fact that an Orchid often blooms by being stimulated by unfavorable conditions. Resiliency often produces growth in individuals, especially when brought...
Validation and the Walls Before Us
This post explores the impact of not receiving validation from those close to us. This post also includes steps to take to increase likeliness of receiving and giving validation.
Caveman No More: Surviving Modern Day Anxiety
This post explores the origins of the concept of anxiety and how it may be experienced in modern times. This post includes 5 techniques to practice to lessen and control anxious symptoms.
Schema: Don’t Be a Puppet at the Mercy of Your Past
This post defines schema and explores Schema Therapy and the impact of schema and narrative on how we practice owning our stories.
The Youth of a Nation: Sold to the Highest Bidder
This post explores problematic screen usage (PSU) and screen addiction in children and adolescents. This post also provides tips to parents for limiting screen usage by their children. This post interacts with...
Pieces of the Past: How Unprocessed Trauma Leads to Dissociation
This post explores dissociation in relation to previous traumatic experiences and provides theory for reintegrating parts of an individual's experience in order for healing to occur.
Expectations and Fairness: Can You Tell the Difference?
This post explores the potential to blame others when we are not intentional about differentiating between our own expectations and the perception of unfairness and fairness in actions of others.
The Starting Lineup: Addiction and Change
This post explores the concept of neuroplasticity and how neuroscience impacts additive behaviors. This post offers tips for overcoming addiction by creating new and stronger neuropathways and discontinuing usage of...
Rework the Resistance
This post considers the concept of resistance and how behavioral is often purposeful even if unconsciously. Tips for exploring the meaning of resistance in oneself and others are provided.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: Fighting Words?
This post explores Cognitive Behavioral Therapy concepts related to unhealthy thought patterns such as all-inclusive or critical statements such as "should have, could have, would have". Post offers tips for...
Heeding Warnings
This post explores an individual's tendency to not heed warnings in relationships and offers tips for seeking healthy and mutual connection.
Needing in a Time of Uncertainty
This post explores the challenges of coping with COVID or other situations which have a high level of uncertainty. Post encourages individuals to explore their feelings and needs and practice naming them...
Enmeshment and Boundaries
This post explores the Psychological concepts of Enmeshment and Boundaries and how they impact relationships. Post encourages self-reflection and offers tips for overcoming behaviors that reinforce enmeshment.
Cognitive Consistency and Schema
This post explores the Psychological principles of Cognitive Consistency and Schema and the impact they have on relationships and Mental Health.
Tolerating Disorder
This post explores the personality trait of Tolerating Disorder, a measure on the 16PF assessment. Tips are offered for owning this part of our personality and how to manage differences in this trait in those we are...
What readers often search
Narcissism and self-sacrifice searches often point to a deeper need for safety, clarity, and support.
When people search the internet for narcissism, narcissistic abuse recovery, self-sacrifice schema, or treatment for healing from narcissism, they are often trying to understand why a relationship felt confusing, why boundaries feel difficult, or why caring for others became self-erasing. Epijennetics approaches these questions through therapy, not internet diagnosis.
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