My T does Schema stuff. I didn't know what it was at first. Over time we explored some of the lacking elements in my childhood and mainly the fact that my Mom was severly depressed most of my life. This led to some lack of emotional support and allowed the internalization of uglier stuff, self-loathing, anxiety, co-dependencies, etc.

I've always known I've had a "childish" side of myself that I express when I'm feeling vulnerable in my relationships. I can say when I'm therapy I get very 'little' at times - I don't act like a child but I didn't know it until I read about reaparting, that this was basically my needy kid coming out.

So My T does a practice where I voice the role of these self-loathing thoughts and fears and then afterwards speak back to them. It's typical therapy stuff I guess, but the first time my T said, "My job during this practice is to 'be the Mom' -and tell (these voices) to leave you alone. You're safe, you're okay and you're good (etc)." Basically she played out how a Mother should be- so I could understand what it was that I lacked growing up. It wierded me out a bit at first but it did somehow click. I got it. I realized what was missing and how it played into my core issues. She doesn't do this so literally everytime - but on occasion when I am really suffering or anxious she'll subtley point out that there's a core part of me that needed that 'mothering' and she offers that role for that moment in time. Other times she can be very explicit about it, "I'll play the Mom here... " and I think she does this so there's no confusion about her own motivations when she's offering any kind of physical support.

The technique has allowed me to recognize what was missing (things my Mom couldn't do or didn't know how), how I'v sought to replicate this in some of my relationships and the unintentional consequences of that lack as the central source of a lot of my core issues.

I do not see my T as "my Mom", exactly, because I actually do get along well enough with my own that I don't have that need. I do see her as "A Mom" who can help me understand what that role is about and how mine affected me.