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Give every child the words they need.
A complete six-deck card system for children aged 4–16. Designed for psychologists, OTs, school counsellors, teachers and parents. Evidence-mapped. Australian made.
How it works → Shop nowWhat is Power Phrase Universe?
Every day, children sit with feelings too big, too tangled, too fast for words. Power Phrase Universe gives them the language they need — before they are ready to find it themselves.
Six decks. One therapeutic arc. From the moment a child walks into a session to the moment they walk out with something that belongs to them.
Created by Shree Danistha — Australian teacher and SEL practitioner with 20+ years experience.
"Something quiet happens when a child finds the right words. Let us show you how."
Discover how the system works →From dysregulation to agency — in one session.
Six decks. One complete arc. Each step prepares the child for the next — from the moment they walk in, to the moment they walk out with something that belongs to them.
The six steps
Every session follows this order. You cannot rush the steps. Each one earns the next.
PILA Cards — Safety first
The practitioner shows cards like "I Won't Rush You." Nothing else happens until the child feels safe. Safety is not a warm-up — it is the foundation everything is built on.
Feelings Intensity — Find where you are
Ten cards from completely calm to completely overwhelmed. The child simply points. No words needed. In that one gesture, the session finds its starting point.
Anchor Cards — Find your words
"I Am Enough." "I Belong." "I Feel Safe." The child picks the ones that feel true — or the ones they wish were true. They don't have to believe it yet. That is exactly the point.
Modal Verb Series — Open possibility
A gentle shift from "I must" and "I can't" to "I could" and "I might." One small change in language. A measurable shift in the brain. The door to possibility opens.
Power Action Cards — Choose one thing
The session ends with one card the child chooses for themselves. It goes home with them. Not an assignment. A choice. Their choice.
Modal Sequences — See the whole journey
Three-stage cards showing the complete arc in one — "I could → try something new → BRAVE." The child sees the whole story of who they are becoming.
"Every journey begins with safety. This is where it starts."
Meet the PILA Cards — where every session begins →PILA Cards
Before a child can open — they must feel safe enough to begin. The PILA Cards are the practitioner's first words. They do not ask anything of the child. They only offer.
Practitioner-facing · Relational safety · All agesWhat PILA cards do
PILA cards are held by the practitioner — not the child. Each one carries a simple, powerful statement. Not a question. Not a task. Just a truth the child needs to hear before anything else can happen.
Research in trauma-informed practice shows that the nervous system must feel safe before the prefrontal cortex — the thinking, reflecting, deciding brain — can engage. The PILA cards establish that safety in language a child can understand at any age.
For parents
These are the words your child's practitioner says before anything else happens. They are not techniques. They are a promise. "I won't rush you." "I won't judge you." "I see you." Before your child shares anything, they need to know those things are true.
For practitioners
PILA cards activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce cortisol, and establish the relational safety that is the prerequisite for all therapeutic work. Mapped to Attachment Theory, Trauma-Informed Practice, and Person-Centred therapy.
"Once a child feels safe enough to look — they need a way to show what they cannot yet say."
See how children show where they are — without a single word →Feelings Intensity Scale
Ten cards. One simple gesture. The child points. And suddenly — the practitioner knows exactly where to begin.
No words needed · Level 1–10 · Universal · All agesWhat the Feelings Intensity Scale does
Before a child can name a feeling, they need to locate it. The Feelings Intensity Scale is a 10-card scale — from "Still and Settled" at level 1 to "Completely Overwhelmed" at level 10. The child simply points to the card that matches where they are right now.
No words. No performance. No right or wrong answer. Just a point. And that one point gives the practitioner everything they need to know where to begin.
For parents
Your child does not need to find words for how they feel. They only need to point. That single gesture — quiet, private, no pressure — tells the practitioner where your child is right now. It is one of the most powerful things in the whole system.
For practitioners
An interoception tool that helps the child locate and measure their emotional state before naming it verbally. The pointing gesture activates agency without requiring executive function. Provides a baseline reading and determines the appropriate pace and depth for the session.
"Now that we know where they are — it is time to find the words that belong to them."
Discover the Anchor Cards — the emotional heart of every session →Anchor Cards
Twenty phrases a child can hold onto. Not techniques. Not instructions. Just true things — or things they wish were true. The emotional heart of every session.
Identity phrases · 20 cards · The emotional coreWhat Anchor Cards do
An anchor keeps you steady when everything else is moving. The Anchor Cards give children a phrase — simple, true, theirs — that they can return to when feelings become too much to hold alone.
The child looks through the cards and picks the ones that feel true. Or even just the ones they wish were true. That distinction matters more than almost anything else in the system.
For parents
If your child comes home and says "I Am Enough" — respond simply: "That sounds like you." Don't analyse it. Don't question it. Just affirm it. The phrase is doing something important. Let it.
These are not affirmations to be repeated. They are anchors to be found — at exactly the right moment, for exactly the right child.
For practitioners
Identity-level cognitive anchors working through cognitive reappraisal. The phrase "you don't have to believe it yet" removes performance pressure and allows aspirational identity engagement — particularly powerful for depression, low self-worth, and trauma presentations.
"When a child finds a phrase that feels true — watch what opens up next."
See how possibility thinking changes everything →Modal Verb Series
One small shift in language. A measurable change in the brain. From "I must" to "I could." From "I can't" to "I might." The door to possibility opens.
Possibility thinking · Language shift · CBT · ACT · All agesWhat Modal Verb cards do
Children who are stuck often speak in absolutes. "I must." "I can't." "I should." These words lock the brain into rigid thinking — and rigid thinking locks children out of the very flexibility they need to heal and grow.
The Modal Verb Series introduces a different kind of language. Softer. More open. "I could." "I might." "I hope to." Each card is a small linguistic bridge — from where the child is, to where they might go.
For parents
You might notice your child starting to use different words at home. Instead of "I can't do that," they might say "I could try." That is not a small thing. That is the brain learning a new way to think — one word at a time.
For practitioners
Targets absolute thinking schemas — a key driver of anxiety, depression, and rigidity. The linguistic change precedes the cognitive change. Multiple card versions per modal allow selection based on visual register and cognitive profile.
"Something shifts when a child moves from 'I can't' to 'I could.' Now watch what they do with it."
See the cards that turn insight into action →Power Action Cards
The session ends with a choice. One card. One action. Chosen by the child — not assigned by the practitioner. It goes home with them. Theirs to take into the week.
Child-chosen · One action · Goes home · All agesWhat Power Action Cards do
Insight without action stays inside the room. The Power Action Cards close the gap between what a child discovers in a session and what they carry into the world.
The child looks through the cards and chooses one. Not two. Not three. One. The card — "Joyful," "Present," "Carry On," "Safe" — goes home with them. It is not homework. It is a choice they made freely. And that distinction changes everything about whether they follow through.
For parents
If your child comes home with a card, ask them to show you — but do not ask them to explain it. Just say "I love that you chose that." The act of choosing matters more than the explanation. Leave the card somewhere they can see it during the week.
For practitioners
Self-chosen behavioural activation is significantly more effective than practitioner-assigned tasks. The child's ownership reduces psychological reactance. The physical card acts as an environmental cue supporting between-session generalisation.
"One action chosen freely is worth a hundred assigned. Now see the whole journey in a single card."
Discover the Modal Sequences — the complete arc in three stages →Modal Sequences
Three stages. One card. The whole journey visible at once. "I could → try something new → BRAVE." This is where a child sees who they are becoming.
Three-stage sequences · 30 cards · Identity outcomes · Ages 5–16What Modal Sequence cards do
Every sequence card tells a three-part story — a modal verb phrase, an action, and an identity outcome. The child sees the entire arc of change in a single card. Not just where they could go. But who they could become when they get there.
These cards are most powerful after a child has worked through the first five decks. They have been through safety, location, identity, possibility, and action. Now they see it all reflected back — in three simple stages.
For parents
When your child picks a sequence card, they are not just choosing a phrase. They are choosing a version of themselves — brave, calm, cooperative, heard. That is a remarkable thing for a child to be able to do. The card makes it possible.
For practitioners
Thirty sequences spanning all five CASEL domains. Each card functions as a complete micro-intervention — modal entry, behavioural action, and identity outcome in one. Particularly powerful for children who have completed the full five-deck arc and are ready to see their therapeutic journey as a coherent narrative.
"Behind every child who finds their words — there is a practitioner who held the space."
Information for psychologists, OTs and school counsellors →A clinical suite built around what you already do.
Power Phrase Universe does not replace your approach. It gives it language. Mapped to CBT, DBT, ACT, and all five CASEL domains. AHPRA-compliant. Designed for the real conditions of a clinical session with a child.
Access digital viewer → Claim your kitFull CASEL mapping
Every card mapped to its CASEL domain, therapeutic framework, and clinical rationale. Ready for case notes and supervision.
In-session tool
AHPRA-verified access to all 6 decks. Response logging, session export as CSV, transition guidance and practitioner notes.
AHPRA-compliant
20% referral commission or charity donation. Full conflict of interest disclosure. Ethical, transparent, and documented.
1,000 free kits
Full physical deck kits gifted to verified AHPRA practitioners across Australia. First come, first served.
Framework mapping
Founding Practitioner Program 2026
Verify your AHPRA registration and receive a full physical kit — free. Psychologists, OTs, and school counsellors across Australia.
Verify and claim →"You do not need a clinical background to give your child a language for their feelings."
A guide for parents — what to know, what to say, what to watch for →Your child already has big feelings. Now they have the words.
Power Phrase Universe gives children a language for feelings too big, too tangled, or too fast for words. You do not need a clinical background to use it — or to support it at home.
What your child experiences in a session
They feel safe first
Nothing happens until your child feels safe. The practitioner holds up cards like "I Won't Rush You." It sounds simple. It changes everything.
They show — not tell
Your child points to a number from 1 to 10. That is all. One point. And the practitioner knows exactly where to begin.
They find their words
"I Am Enough." "I Belong." "I Feel Safe." Your child picks the ones that feel true — or that they wish were true. They don't have to believe it yet. The phrase does the work.
They open up what might be possible
From "I can't" to "I could." One card. One small shift. A different way of thinking that the brain can actually build on.
They choose one thing to take home
One card. One action. Chosen by your child. It goes home with them — not as homework, but as a choice they made freely for themselves.
What to do at home
After a session
Ask "How are you feeling right now?" and accept whatever answer comes. The work has happened. Your job is just to be present.
If they show you a card
Say "I love that you chose that." Don't analyse it. Don't question it. Just affirm it. Let it land.
If they seem overwhelmed
You can gently ask "Can you show me where you are on the scale right now?" — using the language they know from their sessions.
What not to do
Don't quiz your child about what happened in sessions. Don't push the cards at home unless they choose to use them. The cards work because the child owns them.
"This is not just for therapy rooms. It belongs in every classroom too."
See how Power Phrase Universe works in schools →SEL that works in the classroom, not just the clinic.
Power Phrase Universe was designed for clinical settings — but it belongs in schools too. A universal language for emotional regulation that every student, teacher, and counsellor can share.
Shop school sets → Practitioner access →Why schools use it
Every student, every classroom
When a whole school uses the same language — "Where are you on the scale?" "What's your anchor today?" — regulation becomes part of the culture, not a clinical intervention.
Teachers can use it from day one
The cards are self-explanatory. A teacher does not need a psychology degree to place a Feelings Intensity scale on their desk and invite a student to point.
Meets your curriculum requirements
Every card is mapped to the five CASEL competency domains — the gold standard for school-based SEL curricula globally.
Works with every learner
Colour-coded, visually rich, and language-minimal. Works with non-verbal students, students with ASD, ADHD, intellectual disability, and trauma profiles.
How it works in a classroom
Morning check-in
Place the Feelings Intensity Scale on the student's desk. Ask them to point to where they are. It takes five seconds. It tells you everything you need to know before the lesson begins.
Anchor phrase of the week
Choose one Anchor Card phrase as the class focus for the week. "I Am Enough." "I Belong." Display it. Talk about it. Let it become part of the classroom culture.
End of day action
Ask students to choose one Power Action Card for the afternoon. One thing they will try. The act of choosing — freely, without pressure — builds agency and self-regulation over time.
What teachers say
Bring Power Phrase Universe to your school
School sets, classroom packs, and professional development resources available. AHPRA-compliant referral model for school counsellors included.
Shop school sets → Counsellor access →"You have seen how the system works — now find the deck that belongs in your hands."
Start from the beginning — visit the About page →