lai, kõikehõlmav enda ja oma suhete kohta käiv kogum kognitiivsetest ja emotsionaalsetest mustritest, mis on kujunenud lapsepõlves või hilisemas elus ning kinnistunud läbi elu, ning need võivad olla positiivsed või negatiivsed, adaptiivsed või mitteadaptiivsed, broad, pervasive theme regarding oneself and one's relationship with others, developed during childhood or later in life and elaborated throughout one's lifetime, and it can be positive or negative, adaptive or maladaptive, However, in the context of psychology and psychotherapy, a schema can be thought of generally as any broad organizing principle for making sense of one’s life experience. An important concept with relevance for psychotherapy is the notion that schemas, many of which are formed early in life, continue to be elaborated and then superimposed on later life experiences, even when they are no longer applicable. This is sometimes referred to as the need for “cognitive consistency”, for maintaining a stable view of oneself and the world, even if it is, in reality, inaccurate or distorted. By this broad definition, a schema can be positive or negative, adaptive or maladaptive; schemas can be formed in childhood or later in life., Schemas, many of which are formed early in life, continue to be elaborated and then superimposed on later life experiences, even when they are no longer applicable. This is sometimes referred to as the need for “cognitive consistency,” for maintaining a stable view of oneself and the world, even if it is, in reality, inaccurate or distorted.