speaker-photo

Paul DelGrosso, LCSW

Paul DelGrosso is a psychotherapist in private practice in Washington, DC, and a trainer and supervisor with the Schema Therapy Institute of DC. Paul first encountered schema therapy when working as a therapist with active-duty service members at the Pentagon starting in 2010. He became interested in patients with PTSD who did not respond well to traditional therapeutic models for trauma. He began researching contributing factors, discovered personality's role in response to treatment, encountered Jeff Young’s work with schema-modes, and quickly began training in schema therapy with Wendy Behary. The results have been transformative in his practice treating trauma and many other conditions. Paul’s interest in addressing unmet needs in childhood includes applying schema therapy to work with families. He met Dr. Bart Rubin in 2018 at the ISST conference in Amsterdam. Bart discussed his conversations with Jeff Young about how learning attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) helps schema therapists improve emotionally deepening techniques. Paul began training in ABFT and, seeing how this model integrates well with schema therapy, eventually became certified in ABFT. Helping individuals and families address attachment ruptures continues to be a strong area of focus in Paul’s practice.
5.15 PM - 6.15 PM

Friday Dec 5th

THE ESTRANGEMENT “EPIDEMIC”: SCHEMA THERAPY AND THE CHALLENGES – AND OPPORTUNITIES – OF ESTRANGEMENT

Estrangement is one of the most complex and painful issues faced in therapy today. Recent research shows that more than one in four Americans report being estranged from a relative, a figure likely mirrored across other cultures. The emotional toll can be immense—feelings of grief, deprivation, and isolation—but for some, estrangement represents something different: a boundary that protects against further harm.

Through the lens of Schema Therapy, this presentation explores estrangement as both a potential wound and a form of healing. It examines the schemas and modes that drive cutoff and reconciliation, highlighting when repair may foster growth and when maintaining distance serves a healthy function.

Attendees will learn how to identify maladaptive versus protective forms of estrangement, conceptualize related schema and mode patterns, and guide clients toward either reconnection or adaptive limit setting. Integrating Schema Therapy with attachment-based family approaches, this session offers a nuanced map for helping clients navigate the tension between healing relationships and preserving self-protection.