Schema Therapy in Wollongong
Transform long-standing emotional patterns by understanding & healing the roots of your responses.
If you are carrying the weight of long-standing emotional pain or feel stuck in repetitive, painful loops, you are not alone. It is incredibly common to find yourself reacting to present-day situations in ways that feel intense, exhausting, or difficult to control. At Pillars Psychology Practice, we provide compassionate Schema-focused Therapy in Wollongong to help you gently uncover and understand your emotional responses.
Healing is about understanding how you learned to survive. Through schema therapy, we work together to transform ingrained survival patterns into avenues for lasting peace, self-compassion, and emotional freedom.
Benefits & Outcomes of Schema Therapy
Understanding and healing deep emotional patterns
Breaking cycles of unhelpful behaviours
Building healthier relationships
Developing self-compassion and emotional resilience
What is Schema-Focused Therapy?
Schema therapy is an integrative approach that helps you identify and change deeply ingrained patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving—called "schemas." These patterns often develop in childhood or adolescence as ways to cope with unmet emotional needs. While they may have been protective once, they can become obstacles to wellbeing in adulthood.
Through schema-based therapy, you'll learn to recognise these patterns, understand where they came from, and develop healthier ways of meeting your needs and responding to life's challenges.
Who Can Benefit from Schema Therapy?
Because this modality goes much deeper than surface-level symptom management, Schema Therapy for trauma is highly effective for individuals who feel traditional short-term therapies haven't quite reached the core of their struggles. It can be particularly helpful if you:
Find yourself repeating the same patterns in relationships
Struggle with long-standing emotional difficulties
Experience childhood trauma or unmet emotional needs
Feel stuck despite trying other forms of therapy
Want to develop deeper self-understanding and lasting change
What to Expect in Sessions
Schema Therapy sessions are collaborative and compassionate. Together with Felicity, you'll explore your early experiences, identify your schemas, and understand how they show up in your current life. The therapy uses a variety of techniques, including imagery, experiential exercises, and practical strategies, to help you develop healthier patterns.
This approach emphasises the therapeutic relationship as a safe space for healing, where you can experience having your emotional needs met in a healthy, attuned way.
Pricing
Initial Consultation: $245
Subsequent Sessions: $220 per session
Medicare Rebates: Medicare rebates may be available to help cover a portion of your session fees if you have a valid referral in place (such as a Mental Health Treatment Plan). Please speak with your General Practitioner (GP) or referring doctor to discuss your eligibility for a referral before your first appointment.
Meet Felicity Kyngdon
Registered Psychologist
With extensive experience in trauma-focused care, Felicity works closely with survivors of developmental trauma, attachment difficulties, and emotional dysregulation. Her therapeutic style is grounded in deep empathy and practical support for long-term healing.
Felicity firmly believes that true healing happens when we feel safe enough to explore what once felt unbearable. She provides a warm, non-judgmental, and comfortable space where you can safely process your past and reclaim your present.
Specialties
Older teens (15+) and adults
Developmental trauma and attachment difficulties
Anxiety and depression
Long-term trauma recovery
Begin Your Healing Journey in Wollongong Today
Taking the first step toward trauma recovery takes immense courage, and we are here to walk alongside you every step of the way. Take a short reflection to explore your needs and readiness for support. For any questions about Schema Therapy at our Wollongong practice, call or leave a message on the contact page, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is schema therapy used for?
When exploring what schema therapy is used for, it is most frequently utilised to treat complex, long-standing psychological challenges that do not fully respond to short-term treatments. It is highly effective for complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), developmental and childhood trauma, chronic depression, persistent anxiety, deeply rooted low self-esteem, and severe relationship or attachment difficulties.
Who is Schema-focused Therapy for?
This therapy is specifically tailored for individuals, including older adolescents and adults, who experience deeply ingrained, rigid patterns of emotional distress. It is for anyone who feels like their current reactions are disproportionate to their present situations, or for trauma survivors who find themselves trapped in survival modes like fighting, fleeing, freezing, or fawning.
What is the process of Schema-based Therapy?
The journey of schema-based therapy unfolds in three distinct, gentle phases:
Assessment & Education: Together, we identify your unique schemas and coping styles and clearly connect them to your childhood experiences.
Emotional Awareness & Experiential Work: We use specialised techniques, such as imagery rescripting, to connect with and heal the vulnerable, hurting parts of your inner self where trauma resides.
Behavioural Pattern Breaking: We focus on the present, replacing old, unhelpful coping behaviours with healthy, adaptive habits that align with the life you want to live today.
How many sessions does it normally take before changes take effect?
Because schema-focused therapy rewires deeply ingrained core beliefs and nervous system responses formed over a lifetime, it is considered a medium-to-long-term therapeutic approach.
While many clients report feeling relief, validation, and increased self-awareness within the first 2 to 3 months, true structural, behavioural, and personality-level change typically requires sustained work. Felicity will work entirely at a pace that feels safe, sustainable, and effective for your unique healing journey.