Deconstructing a Problem Pattern

Deconstructing a Problem Pattern

This directive is indicated for clients who report feeling trapped in a specific, recurring reaction. It is most effective for situations where a problematic response seems to happen automatically, without conscious input, leaving the client feeling confused or frustrated by their own behavior. The goal is to move from being a participant in the pattern to an observer of it.

The framework externalizes the problem, allowing for a structured analysis of its composition and function. By disassembling the experience into its constituent parts and mapping the sequence of events, the client gains critical distance. This reframes the issue from an abstract personal failing into a concrete, mechanical process that can be understood and ultimately altered.


Deconstructing a Problem Pattern

The specific recurring problem you will analyze:



Internal Experience Components

Describe the specific qualities of the experience as it happens.

ComponentSpecific Details
What You See (Internal Image)Brightness, size, color, focus, distance, movement
What You Hear (Internal Sound/Voice)Tone, volume, tempo, location, clarity
What You Feel (Physical Sensation)Location in body, pressure, temperature, texture, movement

Trigger and Sequence

The cue that starts this pattern (an event, a person, a thought, a location):



Map the sequence from the trigger to the final outcome.

StepAction, Thought, or Feeling
Step 1 (Immediately after the cue)
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Final Result

Consequences and Effects

CategoryNegative Consequences (What this pattern costs)Payoffs (What this pattern gets for you or lets you avoid)
For You
For Key Relationships
For Work / Responsibilities

External Points of View

Describe this entire pattern (trigger, sequence, and behavior) from a different perspective.

Describe the pattern from the point of view of another person involved in it:




Describe the pattern as a neutral third-party observer would see and hear it:




Generated with Rapport7 — rapport7.com

Print it. Hand it over. See what changes.

Every directive in the library is printable — branded with your clinic name and logo, ready to go home with the client at the end of the session.

See Membership Options