Rita Younan, PhD

Dr Rita Younan is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in inpatient, outpatient, and community mental health settings. She is an Advanced Schema Therapist, Supervisor, and Trainer (ISST), an EMDR Consultant-in-Training, and a qualified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist. Rita is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Schema Therapy Institute Australia and also serves as Director of Allied Health for national programs at a leading private psychiatric hospital. From 2020 to 2024, she served on the Executive Board of the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST) as Training Coordinator, where she played a key role in shaping global training standards and produced numerous international events, workshops, and conferences. She has published in schema therapy, trauma, and attachment and is known for her work developing and delivering innovative, evidence-based psychological programs.

3.00 PM - 4.00 PM

Friday Dec 5th

THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTACHMENT THEORY IN SCHEMA THERAPY

Working with clients who face chronic relationship difficulties can challenge even the most experienced schema therapists. Beneath the surface, much of this struggle arises from early attachment injuries that continue to shape relational patterns in adulthood. Research shows that while around 35 to 40 percent of the general population have an insecure attachment style, this figure rises to nearly 80 percent in clinical populations. Individuals with insecure attachment styles are also two to three times more likely to endorse early maladaptive schemas.

This presentation bridges the science of attachment and Schema Therapy, showing how attachment patterns influence the formation, activation, and maintenance of schemas. Attendees will learn practical strategies for case conceptualization, assessment, and treatment that integrate attachment system dynamics with Schema Therapy techniques. The goal is to help clients move beyond resistance and toward secure connection and lasting relational change.

10.15 AM - 11.15 AM KEYNOTE

Thursday Dec 4th

KEYNOTE: SCHEMA THERAPY: THE STATUS OF RESEARCH ON THE MODEL

What does the science really say about Schema Therapy today—and where is it headed next? In this keynote, Dr. Rita Younan and Professor Gery Karantzas, two of the field’s leading researchers, present a powerful overview of the latest global findings. Drawing on a bibliometric analysis of more than 300 studies and a recent Delphi consensus project, they’ll reveal where the evidence is strongest and where important gaps remain.

Attendees will gain an insider’s view of how Schema Therapy’s scientific foundation is evolving, including new insights into core needs, schema domains, and mechanisms of change. This keynote invites you to see the future of Schema Therapy through the lens of data, discovery, and innovation.