Rule Assessment

This directive is for when a client operates from a rigid, unexamined assumption—an internal ‘rule’ that consistently leads to unwanted outcomes. The client may recognize the recurring pattern of behavior but remains unaware of the specific principle guiding their choices and reactions. It’s an effective tool for making the implicit explicit, bringing a foundational belief to the surface where it can be properly addressed.

The tool facilitates a structured process for externalizing that belief for objective review. By guiding the client to weigh evidence for and against the rule’s validity, it creates the necessary distance to formulate a more functional replacement. The aim is to move from a rigid precept to a more flexible guideline, which allows for different behavioral choices and outcomes.