Check-In Cards for Teens & School Counselling

Q: How many cards are in the deck?

{{cardsCount}} scenes and one back, in six groups: inner weather, school days, friends and connection, home and family, fitting in, and roads and open space.

Where I Am Now is a 60-card check-in deck for the everyday life of young people. A crowded school corridor, a bench apart from the group, a text left unanswered, tea at the kitchen table, a quiet road out of town. Teenagers pick the scene that looks like their week — and say more through a picture than they would ever say to a direct question.

When to reach for it

Check-ins that go past "fine"

The start of a session. "Which card looks like your week?" works when "how are you?" doesn't.

School stress. Exams, homework piles, the empty classroom — pressure made visible.

Belonging and friendship. Fitting in, being left out, the friend who stopped texting.

Home life. Family tension or comfort shows up in the kitchen and living-room cards.

Social media and phones. Notifications, likes and screens are part of the picture — talk about them without judging.

Low mood and anxiety. Fog, an empty battery, a cracked silhouette: a way in for feelings that are hard to name.

Classroom and SEL sessions. A whole class can check in with cards in five minutes.

Parents and teens together. Each picks a card for the same week and compares.

The cards

Scenes from an ordinary week

Soft, faded colours and familiar places — school, home, friends, the road ahead.

+42 more

Open the deck to see all 60 scenes.

Questions to ask

Questions teens actually answer

“Which card looks most like your week?”

“Where are you in this picture?”

“Who is missing from this card?”

“What would make this scene a little better tomorrow?”

“Which card would your best friend pick for you?”

“What's happening just outside the frame?”

What's inside

Six corners of a young person's life

Grouped by where life happens — so you can bring school, home or friendship to the table on purpose.

Inner weather15 cards

Silhouettes, masks, fog, a glow in the chest, a battery running low.

School days12 cards

Classrooms, corridors, lockers, stacks of books, the clock on the wall.

Friends & connection12 cards

Arguments, phones, shared benches, two cups on a cracked table.

Home & family10 cards

Kitchen tea, the living-room couch, a lit window, a quiet bedroom.

Fitting in7 cards

Circles and crowds — the one in the spotlight and the one on the edge.

Roads & open space4 cards

A field path, a swing, still water — room to breathe.

Cards60 illustrated scenes + 1 back

Format2:3 portrait, 1728×2592 px

Text on cardsNone

Best forAges 12–20, and adults who remember

Typical check-in5–15 minutes

Works with1:1, classroom, groups, families

How to work with it

A check-in in four moves

1

Lay out a handful

Ten to fifteen cards face up is enough for a quick check-in; all 60 for a longer session.

2

Let them choose

One card for "where I am now". No explaining yet.

3

Ask about the picture

Talk about the card first, the person second. It lowers the stakes.

4

Save and compare

Keep the card with the session — next week's choice shows the change.

Who it's for

Made for work with young people

School counsellors

A fast, non-clinical way to open a conversation — in a one-to-one, a small group or a whole-class wellbeing lesson.

Teen therapists

Adolescents who shut down at questions will point at a picture. The scenes are close enough to their lives to feel real.

Parents & youth workers

Choose cards side by side for the same week. The differences start a conversation neither side would begin on their own.

Example spreads

Layouts for young people

Keep it short — two or three cards say plenty.

My week

3 cards

1At school
2At home
3With friends

Three-column desk

Now and next

3 cards

1Where I am now
2What would help
3Where I'd like to be

Timeline matrix

Inside and outside

2 cards

1What people see
2What I feel

Two-sided desk

Card from Where I Am Now: a pale silhouette with a warm glow in the chest

The artwork

Familiar places, softened

Every card is an original illustration made for MindTrays in faded pastels — like a memory of a school day rather than a photo of one. Faces stay small or turned away, so any teenager can step into the scene.

There are no words on the cards. Phones and notifications appear the way they appear in real life — as part of the picture, not as a lesson.

Questions

About this deck

What age is Where I Am Now for?

It is designed around teenage life — roughly 12 to 20 — but adults use it too, especially for reflecting on school years and family.

How many cards are in the deck?

60 scenes and one back, in six groups: inner weather, school days, friends and connection, home and family, fitting in, and roads and open space.

Can I use it in a classroom?

Yes. It works well for social-emotional learning and wellbeing check-ins; each student chooses a card and shares only as much as they want.

Is it a therapy tool or a teaching tool?

Both. The cards carry no fixed meanings, so they fit counselling, therapy, youth work and education alike.

Can I use it online?

Yes. Start a collaborative session and send the link — students join with a display name, no account needed.

Do I need training?

No. Lay out the cards, ask a simple question and listen.

Other decks

More decks for young people

MindTrays Relationships

60 cards

MindTrays Faces & Expressions

60 cards

MindTrays Doors & Thresholds

45 cards

Start your next check-in with a picture

Open Mindtrays Where I Am Now , put a handful of scenes on the table and ask which one looks like this week. Online? Start a collaborative session and send the link.