Existing numerical models for strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) are short of providing sufficiently accurate solutions to the failure patterns of coupling beams of different designs. The objective of this study is to develop an effective model that is capable of simulating the nonlinear behavior of SHCC coupling beams subjected to cyclic loading. The beam model proposed in this study is a macro-scale plane stress model. The effects of cracks on the macro-scale behavior of SHCC coupling beams are smeared in an anisotropic model. In particular, the influence of the defined crack orientations on the simulation accuracy is explored. Extensive experimental data from coupling beams with different failure patterns are employed to evaluate the validity of the proposed SHCC coupling beam models. The results show that the use of the suggested shear stiffness retention factor for damaged SHCC coupling beams is able to effectively enhance the simulation accuracy, especially for shear-critical SHCC coupling beams. In addition, the definition of crack orientation for damaged coupling beams is found to be a critical factor influencing the simulation accuracy.