Power Action Card's Guide

Audience: Children aged 5–11  nearing the end of a session — ready to choose, ready to carry something out of the room with them. Suitable across anxiety, low self-efficacy, school refusal, post-trauma recovery, and parent-engagement work.

When to use: Phase 6 — Action Consolidation, and Phase 7 — Take-Home Choice. The Power Action Cards close the session. They turn insight into a physical object the child carries.

How to introduce: Lay out the Power Action Cards — joyful, persist, satisfied, empowered, boost, defend, support, important. Say: "Pick one to take home. Not homework. Your choice. Your card." Then let them choose. The choice is the therapeutic act.

Sample language: This is yours now. You can put it somewhere you'll see it. You can show someone. You can keep it private. It's your card.

Watch for: Which card the child chooses — and whether they choose quickly or slowly. Both tell you something. Note the choice in the clinical record; it becomes a marker for next session's opening.

When NOT to use: Do not use as a reward or behaviour chart. The card is not earned. It is offered. Do not override the child's choice if it surprises you. They do not have to share with anybody what the card is, or means to them, if they dont want to.

Parent handover: The card going home gives the parent a conversation opener without the clinician having to prompt. "Tell me about your card" is enough.

Phase mapping: Phase 6 — Action Consolidation; Phase 7 — Take-Home Choice.

Clinical use: Session closure, family engagement, homework resistance reduction, self-efficacy, generalisation between sessions.