Emotionally focused therapy / EFT-A05-2
Slowing the Cycle — Practice worksheet
Identify an early sign of an ordinary loop and agree on a pause with a clear return plan.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Alex and Sam notice faster speech before a discussion about chores escalates.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. A pause can create room to notice the cycle before escalating it.
1. Choose a workable example
Use the fictional example below or an ordinary situation of your choosing. Keep identifying details out of shared copies.
2. Try the practice
Identify an early sign of an ordinary loop and agree on a pause with a clear return plan.
3. Compare possibilities
Generate at least two interpretations or options. Mark what you know, what you are guessing, and what remains outside your control.
4. Decide together
What would make a pause feel like care rather than disappearance? Choose one small action, a support request, or no action. Review the fit with your clinician when relevant.
Prompts for this resource
- My chosen or fictional situation, and what I know about it:
- My response to the practice task above:
- What would make a pause feel like care rather than disappearance?
- An optional next step, support, adaptation, or reason to stop:
Conceptual background
What is EFT? — International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.