Worksheet · Coaching and self-discovery

Old reaction cycle: S.I.E.R.R.A.

See how an old experience sets off the same role and reaction every time — and choose a new role to break the loop.

20–30 minutesAuthor’s methodOnlinePDF

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Old reaction cycle: S.I.E.R.R.A.

When it helps

Situation 1

Similar situations keep ending the same way — and you know in advance how.

Situation 2

Your reaction feels too strong for what happened and somehow reminds you of the past.

Situation 3

You notice you’ve slipped back into a familiar role: the guilty one, the rescuer, the invisible one.

How it works

Why it works

An old reaction works like a loop. Situation → interpretation: what I tell myself → experience: a past trauma or hard experience that gets switched on → the role I fall into → reactive emotions → actions. The actions create a new situation — and the loop repeats. S.I.E.R.R.A. is made up of the first letters of these steps: Situation, Interpretation, Experience, Role, Reactive emotions, Actions.

This technique helps you break the loop. First you go through it step by step and see the whole of it on paper. Then you choose where to break it: a new interpretation, a new role and a new action — plus a first step you can take right now.

How to fill it in

Situation: facts only.
Interpretation: what you told yourself about what happened.
Experience: what it reminds you of from the past.
Role: who you become in that moment.
Reactive emotions: what you feel and how strongly.
Actions: what you do and what new situation it leads to.
Where to break the loop: a new interpretation, a new role, a new action.
A first step — and a check on how your feelings have changed.

See a filled-in example

Situation: In front of everyone, my boss said my report had mistakes again.
Interpretation: I’ve messed everything up again. I’m no good at anything.
Experience: It’s how my strict father spoke to me as a child: every mistake meant a telling-off.
Role: A guilty child waiting to be punished.
Reactive emotions: Shame and fear.
Actions: I make excuses and stay late. Next morning I’m tired — and make even more mistakes.
New interpretation: My boss was talking about mistakes in the report, not about me. Mistakes can be fixed.
New role: An experienced professional who calmly goes through their mistakes.
New action: Ask what exactly to fix, get it done by lunch and go home on time.
First step: Write to my boss: “Which points should I fix first?”

What it is based on

An author’s tool by Nikita Grigoriev

A technique from Nikita Grigoriev’s practice. In its logic it is close to the “situation — thought — emotion — behavior” chains of cognitive behavioral therapy and to the idea of old schemas in Jeffrey Young’s schema therapy.

Young J. E., Klosko J. S., Weishaar M. E. Schema Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide. Guilford Press, 2003 — close in logic.

This is not trauma therapy. If the past feels overwhelming and the memories are too heavy, work through them with a specialist rather than on your own. If things feel very bad or you are having thoughts of death: 112 — immediate danger to life, around the clock; 116 123 — emotional support, 10:00–24:00; 116 006 — victim support crisis line, around the clock; Eluliin 655 8088 (Estonian), 655 5688 (Russian) — 19:00–07:00.