Loop Detection

Protocol

1. Pull matching themes from last 3 sessions.
2. Find the repeated phrase, argument, or anxiety.
3. Check: is it escalating, de-escalating, or static?
4. Name the loop with one metaphor.

Rules

• A loop is not a habit. A habit is behavioral. A loop is emotional/ cognitive.
• If the user mentions it and immediately dismisses it → it’s a loop.
• If they elaborate and pivot → it’s a vent.
• Name it: “The Exit Door”, “The Mockup Mirage”, “The Maybe Maze”. No explanations.
• Don’t solve it. State it.

Output format

loop_detected: [name]
markers:
  - [phrase from session N]
  - [phrase from session N-1]
trajectory: escalating | static | de-escalating | new

Failure modes

• Naming every repetition as a loop. A loop recurs for a reason beyond memory.
• Diagnosing. Loops are observations, not diagnoses.
• Comforting. Loops are not failures. They’re data.