Clinical Psychologist, Supervisor & Accredited Schema Therapist
I’m Cienna Baker, a Clinical Psychologist, Board Approved Supervisor, Advanced Certified Schema Therapist and Schema Therapy Supervisor. Alongside clinical practice, I work in psychology education and supervision, with a particular interest in helping therapists translate theory into confident, flexible clinical practice.
ABOUT MY WORK
From theory to the therapy room
My clinical work has consistently drawn me toward clients whose presentations do not fit neatly into a single symptom or protocol — complex trauma, personality pathology, emotional dysregulation, chronic depression and anxiety, addiction, and longstanding interpersonal patterns.
Schema Therapy became a natural fit because it gave me a way to hold formulation, the therapeutic relationship and experiential change within the same model. Over time, I have also integrated EMDR, in both standard and intensive formats. DBT and CBT strategies are added as needed and clinically indicated.
Alongside private practice, I work in academia teaching and coordinating postgraduate psychology training, including teaching Schema Therapy and DBT. I supervise provisional psychologists, clinical psychology registrars and clinicians developing their Schema Therapy practice and accreditation.
The part of therapist development I am most interested in is the gap between knowing the model and being able to use it in the room, confidentially. My supervision, consultation, resources and training therefore focus heavily on formulation, clinical decision-making, therapist responsiveness and what to actually do when a session becomes messy.
EXPERTISE / CREDENTIALS
Background & accreditation
Clinical Psychologist
Psychology Board of Australia Board Approved Supervisor
ISST Advanced Certified Schema Therapist
ISST Schema Therapy Supervisor
EMDR trained
University lecturer and postgraduate psychology educator
Experience supervising provisional psychologists, clinical psychology registrars and therapists pursuing Schema Therapy accreditation
Clinical interests in personality disorders, particularly BPD; complex trauma and PTSD; emotional dysregulation; chronic depression and anxiety; addiction; and complex interpersonal presentations
WHY SCHEMA THERAPY?
A model built for complexity
Schema Therapy gives clinicians a rich way of understanding not only what a client is struggling with, but why the same patterns continue to be activated and maintained across situations and relationships. It is particularly useful for complex and longstanding presentations where symptom-level work alone can feel insufficient.
What I value most about the model is that it combines a strong formulation framework with an active therapeutic relationship and experiential interventions. It also asks us to pay attention to what is happening in the room — including schema and mode activation in the client, and the therapist’s own responses.
My approach to teaching and supervising Schema Therapy is practical. I am less interested in clinicians being able to perfectly label every mode and more interested in helping them understand what is happening, formulate it coherently and respond therapeutically.
Enquire about therapist services
If you're looking for supervision, consultation, mentoring or training, you're welcome to get in touch and tell me a little about what you are looking for. We can work out which option best fits your goals.