Integrating Theme Statements: Workflow Insights Needed!

Hey everyone, I'm working on a psychological thriller right now, and I've been wrestling with this idea of having a strong theme statement actively drive every single scene. It makes total sense on paper (a cohesive, impactful story) but I'm finding it a bit tricky to implement in practice, especially with how I usually work.

My usual process involves a lot of character exploration and plotting first, and then the theme tends to solidify more in later drafts, often through a series of discoveries. I've tried to consciously front-load a theme for this current project, but it feels a little forced sometimes, like I'm reverse-engineering scenes to fit.

For those of you with established screenwriting workflows, how have you successfully integrated this concept? Did you start with a theme and build from there, or did it emerge organically later in your outlining? What are your practical steps to ensure each scene truly serves that core theme, from initial concept all the way to the final draft? Really curious to hear your insights!