The Healthy Adult mode is a central concept in schema therapy, which is a type of therapy that helps you identify and change negative patterns of thinking and behavior. The Healthy Adult mode represents your functional self that can cope with challenges, meet your needs, and balance the influence of other modes (Young, Klosko, & Weishaar, 2003; Rafaeli, Bernstein, & Young, 2011).
There is no definitive answer to how long it takes to develop the Healthy Adult mode, as it depends on factors such as personality, history, goals, and motivation. While general habit formation research suggests that it may take about four weeks to build a new habit (Lally, van Jaarsveld, Potts, & Wardle, 2010), schema therapy emphasizes that strengthening the Healthy Adult mode is a longer, individualized process (Arntz & van Genderen, 2009).
Schema therapy involves various techniques to help strengthen the Healthy Adult mode, such as imagery, imagery rescripting, role-playing, chair dialogues, journaling, flash cards, and behavioral experiments (Young et al., 2003; Arntz & van Genderen, 2009). These techniques aim to foster self-reflection, emotional regulation, and healthier coping strategies.
You can learn more about these techniques from a qualified schema therapist or reliable resources (Rafaeli et al., 2011).
References
Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A practitioner’s guide. Guilford Press.
Arntz, A., & van Genderen, H. (2009). Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder. Wiley-Blackwell.
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
Rafaeli, E., Bernstein, D. P., & Young, J. E. (2011). Schema therapy: Distinctive features. Routledge.