When It Is Used
Use it during schema couples therapy when the clinical task is to externalize a repeated reciprocal mode cycle and help partners recognize the loop as shared therapy material.
Mode Cycle Clash-cards for schema couples therapy
Mode Cycle Clash-cards is a schema couples therapy formulation tool for schema couples therapists. It helps practitioners and partners map a recurring dyadic mode cycle, including each partner's triggers, activated modes, visible coping reactions, hidden needs or emotions, and maintaining responses.
Open the sample cycle card and try the practitioner, partner, and review views.
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Tool guide
Learn more about this tool
Use this background section to understand when the tool fits, how practitioners use it, and what to consider before sharing it with clients.
What It Captures
The card captures partner triggers, modes or unresolved mode labels, visible reactions, hidden needs or emotions, interpretations or responses, and maintaining effects on the other partner.
Relevant Limits
The result is descriptive organization of the reported and practitioner-entered material. It does not score relationship health, infer mode categories, assign blame, or generate intervention steps.
Is this a couples assessment?
No. Mode Cycle Clash-cards is a schema couples therapy formulation tool for mapping a reciprocal mode cycle, not a stand-alone assessment or relationship score.
Can partners complete it without the therapist?
The client-facing view supports collaborative completion, but the tool is not intended as a stand-alone partner assessment. The practitioner controls the formulation frame and final therapy-facing card.
What happens if only one partner's side is complete?
The card remains partial. The review view marks missing partner sections or loop links and does not present the record as a complete dyadic formulation.
Does the system choose mode labels?
No. Mode labels are entered or confirmed by the practitioner and partners. The product may allow unresolved labels but does not infer mode categories.