| name | thread-review |
| description | Cross-session review — what recurs, what has moved, what has gone quiet, and whether the frame of the issue still fits. Use when the user asks "what keeps coming back", monthly-ish, or before a therapist brief. |
thread-review
The one thing a workspace can do that a conversation can't: look across time.
Threads
A thread is something that recurs. threads/<id>.md:
---
type: thread
id: <id>
opened: 2026-07-14
status: open # open | quiet | resolved | archived
sessions: [260714-first, 260801-phone-call]
---
# <the recurring thing, in their words if possible>
## Instances
- 2026-07-14 — <what happened, one line> (sessions/260714-first)
- 2026-08-01 — ...
## What it looks like
The shape, as currently understood. Rewritten when understanding changes;
previous version moved to the History section below.
## What's changed
Movement over time — in the events, or in how they read them.
## History
- 2026-08-01 — description revised: <what changed and why>
Procedure
- Read all of
threads/, then every session file since the last review (frontmatter threads:
tells you which sessions belong where).
- For each thread: has it had new instances? Has its shape changed? Has it gone quiet — no
instance in a month or more?
- Look for threads that should merge (two names for one thing) and threads that should split
(one file carrying two unrelated patterns). Propose; don't execute unilaterally.
- Check the frame: does
context/issue.md still describe what these threads are actually
about? Frames drift, and an unexamined frame is the most common reason a workspace stops
being useful.
- Write
artefacts/review-YYMMDD.md and update threads/INDEX.md.
The review artefact
# Review — 2026-08-14
Covering sessions <first> to <last> (<n> sessions over <period>).
## Open threads
One line each: what it is, how many instances, whether it's moved.
## What's changed since the last review
Concrete differences, not encouragement.
## What's gone quiet
Threads with no instances recently. Say so neutrally — quiet can mean resolved,
avoided, or simply not now.
## What hasn't moved
The honest section. If something has been open for six months and looks the
same, say so plainly and without judgement.
## Frame check
Does context/issue.md still fit? Proposed edits, if any.
## For the next appointment
Anything here worth taking to a professional. Feeds therapist-brief.
Rules
- Report movement, don't manufacture it. "You've made real progress" when nothing has changed
is flattery, and it makes every subsequent review worthless.
- "Hasn't moved" is not a criticism. Write it as an observation and leave it alone.
- Quantify where you can. "Mentioned in six of the last eight sessions" beats "comes up a
lot" — it's checkable, and they can disagree with it.
- Don't invent themes to fill the section. Three real threads is a good review.
- Never merge or archive a thread without asking. Archived threads go to
archive/ with a line
saying why and when.
