The PRISMAS Group Therapy Handbook - A Brief Intervention Integrating Affirmative and Schema Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minorities

This handbook presents and describes how to apply the PRISMAS Group Therapy, a brief intervention that combines Affirmative and Schema Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGM). PRISMAS is a new therapeutic intervention that builds upon the concepts of Schema Therapy to create a brief group intervention aimed at helping SGM cope with the stress and prejudice they have internalized by living in societies that stigmatize and attack the LGBTQIA+ community. This intervention manual provides a detailed breakdown of the 12 therapeutic sessions in which the intervention is organized, showing practitioners how to conduct it.
 
The PRISMAS Group Therapy Handbook: A Brief Intervention Integrating Affirmative and Schema Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minorities will be an invaluable resource for psychotherapists, clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals working with Sexual and Gender Minorities.
 
While Schema Therapy offers a broad range of applications, there remains a gap in understanding how its principles apply to minority groups, including LGBTQIA+ individuals. Bruno s work in this area is groundbreaking. His research on minority stress and the inner critic (oppressive sociocultural) schema mode sheds light on how societal influences shape individual experiences, schemas, and modes. Wendy Behary, Former President, The International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST)
 
Bruno and Ana present a framework that is both sexual and gender affirming. It resonates across borders by addressing the shared experiences of minority stress, internalized oppression, and systemic barriers faced by SGM communities worldwide. By bridging societal oppression with individual healing, their approach fully leverages the integrative potential of Schema Therapy. Bruno and Ana s work is a gift to the field of psychotherapy. Xi Liu, Co-Director, SchemXcollective: Integrative Schema Institute Sydney, Australia
 
The original manuscript of this book was written in Portuguese and translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

List of contents

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Part I. Initial Sessions: Understanding Schema Therapy and my internal way of functioning.- Chapter 2. "Connecting with my network and understanding my way of functioning": Bond creation and self-monitoring.- Chapter 3. "Getting to know my different sides": Presentation of modes.- Chapter 4. "How society influenced the criticisms that I internalized about myself": inner critic modes, minority stress, and prejudice against sexual and gender diversity.- Chapter 5. "Knowing and highlighting my strengths": Strengthening the affirmative healthy adult mode.- Chapter 6. "Connecting with my history": Deepening self-knowledge about how what I went through influenced who I am.- Part II. Intermediate Sessions: Changing my way of thinking, acting, and feeling through the integration of Schema Therapy and Affirmative Therapy.- Chapter 7. "I think, therefore I (do not) criticize myself": Cognitive strategies for coping with the inner critic (oppressive sociocultural) mode.- Chapter 8. "The child who lives in me": Welcoming the child modes.- Chapter 9. "Where does this internal storm come from? Understanding my emotions": Emotion-focused strategies for understanding and regulating various modes.- Chapter 10. "Allowing myself a new way of feeling": Experiential strategies for coping with the inner critic (oppressive sociocultural) mode.- Chapter 11. "Acting as the person I aspire to be": Behavioral strategies for coping with the inner critic (oppressive sociocultural) mode.- Part III. Final Sessions: Consolidating and strengthening my Affirmative Healthy Adult and having fun with my Happy Child.- Chapter 12. "Connecting our individual strengths to health and affirmation": Building the healthy adult connected to the social group.- Chapter 13. "Releasing the happy child": Allowing the expression of creativity and fun for the group s closure.- Chapter 14. Final Considerations.

Summary

This handbook presents and describes how to apply the PRISMAS Group Therapy, a brief intervention that combines Affirmative and Schema Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGM). PRISMAS is a new therapeutic intervention that builds upon the concepts of Schema Therapy to create a brief group intervention aimed at helping SGM cope with the stress and prejudice they have internalized by living in societies that stigmatize and attack the LGBTQIA+ community. This intervention manual provides a detailed breakdown of the 12 therapeutic sessions in which the intervention is organized, showing practitioners how to conduct it.
 
The PRISMAS Group Therapy Handbook: A Brief Intervention Integrating Affirmative and Schema Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minorities will be an invaluable resource for psychotherapists, clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals working with Sexual and Gender Minorities.
 
“While Schema Therapy offers a broad range of applications, there remains a gap in understanding how its principles apply to minority groups, including LGBTQIA+ individuals. Bruno’s work in this area is groundbreaking. His research on minority stress and the inner critic (oppressive sociocultural) schema mode sheds light on how societal influences shape individual experiences, schemas, and modes.” – Wendy Behary, Former President, The International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST)
 
“Bruno and Ana present a framework that is both sexual and gender affirming. It resonates across borders by addressing the shared experiences of minority stress, internalized oppression, and systemic barriers faced by SGM communities worldwide. By bridging societal oppression with individual healing, their approach fully leverages the integrative potential of Schema Therapy. Bruno and Ana’s work is a gift to the field of psychotherapy.” – Xi Liu, Co-Director, SchemXcollective: Integrative Schema Institute Sydney, Australia
 
The original manuscript of this book was written in Portuguese and translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

Product details

• Authors: Ana Clara Gomes Braga, Bruno Luiz Avelino Cardoso
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 13.09.2025
• EAN: 9783031918087
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3191808-7
• No. of pages: 149
• Illustrations: XVI, 149 p. 6 illus., 1 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology > Applied psychology; Geschlechterpsychologie, bisexual, Mental Health, Clinical psychology, Psychology of Gender and Sexuality, LGBT+, Lesbians, Group therapy, sexual minorities, Gender Minorities, Internalized prejudice, Schema Therapy, Affirmative Therapy, Gays, Group Schema Therapy