© 2020 Kristin Osborn and Jenny Svebeck
The Two Triangle Form (To be used inside or outside of therapy)
What problems do you want to resolve?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________
Can you give an example of the problems you want to resolve?
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________________
What emotional conflicts (affect phobias) contribute to your problems (i.e. closeness, anger, rage, sadness,
grief, positive feelings of the self and or other, joy, etc..)?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________________
Core Conflict Formulation: What is your hypothesis about your emotional conflict? Where does it come
from? How is it playing out in your life? What feelings are you avoiding? How are you avoiding your feelings?
Why are you avoiding your feelings? With whom did your emotional conflict originate? With whom is it
maintained? With whom is it challenged or resolved?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2020 Kristin Osborn and Jenny Svebeck
TRIANGLE OF CONFLICT
Defenses:
Maladaptive affects,
thoughts and
behaviors
How are you avoiding
your feelings? Is it
helpful or hurtful?
Feelings:
(i.e. closeness, anger, sadness)
Adaptive affects, thoughts and
behaviors
What feelings are you avoiding?
What feelings do you need to
experience and express? What
feelings would be constructive?
What do you need?
Anxieties
(i.e. shame, guilt, disgust):
Inhibitory affects, thoughts
and behaviors
Pay attention to any affect,
thought or behavior that
causes you to pull back from
your adaptive feelings.
Be curious about why you are
pulling back from your feelings.
Ask yourself how much anxiety
you are experiencing (low,
medium, or high)?
TRIANGLE OF PERSON
CURRENT
PEOPLE
PAST PEOPLE
REFLECTION: How are you working to resolve your emotional conflicts today? Are you experiencing
more of your feelings? If not, what is getting in your way? Do you need more support or guidance?
What can you do to help yourself? How compassionate are you being with yourself? Could you feel
more?