FREE Therapeutic Worksheets for Kids and Teens - Free Printable

You’ve uploaded a completed Schema Therapy Worksheet for a client named William Clayton, dated 05/22/2022. This is not a “problem to solve” in the traditional math or logic sense — it’s a self-assessment tool used in psychotherapy to identify and rank maladaptive schemas (deeply held beliefs and patterns) that influence behavior and emotional responses.

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## ✔ What This Worksheet Shows

The worksheet lists 18 common early maladaptive schemas from Schema Therapy (developed by Dr. Jeffrey Young). For each schema, William:

- Wrote personal notes/examples of how he relates to that schema.
- Assigned a ranking from 1–10 indicating how strongly he identifies with it (1 = not at all, 10 = very strongly).

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## 🔍 Key Insights from William’s Responses

Let’s analyze the most strongly endorsed schemas (rankings 6–7):

🟡 Highest Ranked: Defectiveness/Shame (Ranking: 7)

> *“I feel self-conscious about the way I look and talk. I know I am insecure but I don’t know how to change that.”*

This suggests William has a core belief that he is flawed, inadequate, or unworthy — a very powerful and painful schema. It often underlies social anxiety, perfectionism, and relationship difficulties.

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🟠 High Rankings (6):

#### Negativity/Pessimism (6)
> *“I don’t see myself as pessimistic (more of a realist), but I am often described as this by people in my life.”*

He may minimize his tendency toward negative thinking, but others notice it — suggesting it impacts relationships or outlook.

#### Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness (6)
> *“My greatest fear is disappointing the people around me.”*

This indicates high internal pressure to perform perfectly, likely tied to approval-seeking and fear of judgment.

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🟢 Moderate Rankings (4–5):

These include:
- Mistrust/Abuse (5) – Belief that others will take advantage
- Emotional Inhibition (5) – Fear of showing emotions due to shame
- Approval Seeking/Recognition Seeking (5) – Values others’ opinions over his own
- Subjugation (4) – Gives in to peer pressure to avoid conflict
- Vulnerability to Harm/Illness (4) – Fears external catastrophes
- Abandonment/Instability (4) – Fears loved ones will leave

These suggest patterns of people-pleasing, fear of rejection, and external locus of control.

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🟣 Lower Rankings (1–3):

Schemas like Dependence/Incompetence (1), Entitlement/Grandiosity (1), and Failure (2) are minimally endorsed — meaning William doesn’t strongly believe he’s helpless or entitled, nor does he see himself as a failure (though he feels defective).

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## 💡 Therapeutic Implications

Based on this worksheet, William’s therapy might focus on:

1. Challenging the Defectiveness/Shame Schema
- Cognitive restructuring: “What evidence do I have that I’m fundamentally flawed?”
- Behavioral experiments: Trying new social interactions without hiding parts of himself.
- Compassion-focused therapy: Developing self-kindness.

2. Addressing Approval-Seeking & Unrelenting Standards
- Exploring origins (e.g., childhood messages about worth being conditional)
- Setting boundaries and practicing saying “no”
- Redefining success beyond external validation

3. Processing Mistrust & Abandonment Fears
- Identifying triggers and early experiences linked to betrayal or loss
- Building secure attachment through therapeutic relationship

4. Reducing Emotional Inhibition
- Learning to safely express vulnerable emotions
- Understanding that showing emotion ≠ weakness

5. Managing Catastrophic Thinking (Vulnerability to Harm)
- Mindfulness and grounding techniques
- Reality testing: “How likely is this disaster? What can I control?”

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## 📊 Summary Table of Top 5 Schemas

| Schema | Ranking | Key Note |
|----------------------------------|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Defectiveness/Shame | 7 | Feels self-conscious, insecure, doesn't know how to change |
| Negativity/Pessimism | 6 | Seen as pessimistic by others; self-identifies as “realist” |
| Unrelenting Standards | 6 | Greatest fear is disappointing others |
| Mistrust/Abuse | 5 | Many people have taken advantage; feels used to it |
| Emotional Inhibition | 5 | Hates feeling embarrassed; hides emotions |

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## 🧭 Next Steps in Therapy

1. Prioritize 1–2 schemas to work on first (e.g., Defectiveness + Approval Seeking).
2. Use schema mode work to understand when these schemas activate (e.g., “vulnerable child” mode).
3. Develop coping strategies and eventually healthy adult modes to counteract maladaptive patterns.
4. Consider imagery rescripting or limited reparenting to heal early emotional wounds.

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## 🙋‍♂️ Final Thought

This worksheet is a valuable starting point. William shows strong self-awareness — he recognizes his patterns and even questions them (“I don’t see myself as pessimistic…”). That’s a great foundation for meaningful therapeutic change.

If you’re William or his therapist:
✔ You’ve done excellent work identifying your core schemas.
🧠 Now let’s build healthier ways of relating to yourself and the world.

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Let me know if you’d like help creating a treatment plan, designing coping strategies, or exploring any specific schema further!