Using in Therapy Sessions
The cards can be used as prompts during one-on-one or group sessions.
The Question cards present common problem people get ‘stuck’ on, with some cards focusing on similar issues but approaching them in different ways.
When a Question card resonates with the client, read side 1 of the Answer card and discuss their experience of this issue.
Consider the impact it has on their life and how it affects their happiness. Ask them to consider how they typically respond to such a situation. What is the main emotion they feel? How are they left feeling afterward?
Side 2 of the Answer card suggests visualizations they can use to think about and approach the problem differently. Read through these together and discuss how there are approaches to the problem that differ from the response they’ve had in the past.
Ask them to imagine their future self as they face this problem again. Ask them to choose one of the suggested visualizations, or to create their own. Ask them to picture their future self responding to the problem in this way.
What emotion do they feel after using the visualization to deal with the situation? How does it compare to the emotion they felt when they had experienced this in the past?
Using Cards for Calm Alone
Pick a Question card from the deck and think about the problem it presents. Have you faced this problem in the past? Do you have this problem now?
If so, read Side 1 of the Answer card and explore the problem. Remember times you’ve faced this situation in the past. What emotion did you feel when facing it? How did you react? What emotion did you feel after?
Try the suggested visualizations and see if they help you think differently. Try adapting them to your situation, or creating visualizations of your own. Don’t limit yourself to realistic responses, let your visualized response be as incredible as you can imagine.
After facing the situation with a visualization, what emotion do you feel? How does it differ from the emotion you would normally feel?
When you next face this problem in your life, take a moment to picture your visualized response so you can respond in a more positive way.
You can play a card any time during the day when you feel anxious or negative. This can be a time when you feel uneasy and want to find calm, or want to prepare against anxiety.
To start your day mindfully, put the deck on your phone before going to sleep. Instead of picking up your phone in the morning, play a card instead.
Cards for Calm 