“Bloom Together”
The idea of implementing my PhD research project - during which I designed, constructed and implemented the specific Schema-based psychoeducational program- derived from different but interrelated personal paths. Firstly, I was highly affected by my training and specialty in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. The more I was studying the therapeutic model of Schema Therapy, the more I was excited by the warmth and the focus on the core emotional needs of children. My clinical experience with the children increased my need to facilitate the fulfillment of their emotional needs and to enhance the relationship between parents and children.
I felt that Schema Therapy combines the therapeutic elements that I needed as therapist and as mother. The experience of motherhood combined with all those new emotions and experiences that it offers me, and the relationship with my kids, increased a lot my need to protect and promote children’s mental health. Motherhood led me to observe and notice which are children’s needs and try to correspond to them. My motivation to create a program that could connect children and parents with safety and warmth, preventing mental health difficulties in childhood and adolescents, incited me to implement such a research project.
Each group includes 10-12 members, in order for all the members to have equal time to participate in the activities.
The structure of the program is very specific and each session has a specific aim and goal.
The children's groups consist of 16 weekly meetings while the parents' groups consist of 10 meetings per fortnight.
The research context of the psychoeducational groups
The thesis is: " Promotion of children’s mental health through Schema Therapy: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a preventive program for children and their parents", Department of Pedagogy and Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The research project received a 3-year scholarship from State Scolarships Foundaton from Greece and the European Union.
The PhD research project was implemented under the academic supervision of Professor of Developmental Psychology, Galanaki Evaggelia, Department of Pedagogy and Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as under the clinical supervision of Dr. Aggeli Katerina, PhD Clinical Psychology, CBT, and Schema Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer for Children, Adolescents and Adults.