Picture This Digital Toolbox

Seeing Ourselves in the Images — A Reflection with Picture This

“I love using Picture This with my clients and marvel at the ways people can see themselves in the photographs.

For one client, the image of the letterboxes revealed so many aspects of themselves. The peeling paint and rust reminded them of a time they felt vulnerable; the sturdy wooden letterbox symbolised strength and resilience. They also used the card to express feelings of emptiness, being lost, fragile, and messy.

These cards represent a wide spectrum of emotions—strengths and vulnerabilities—from places of dread to places of hope.”

Using “Picture This” with Young People

‘I recently used Picture This cards with an adolescent expressing suicidal thoughts. The images he chose revealed powerful insights:

Hay bales — “No matter what I do I can’t please Dad.”

Burning house & crashed car — “My life is crashing and burning.”

Shredded paper — “I feel confused and messed up.”

Snowy road — “I’m always walking alone.”

Crowd — “I want to be the one people focus on.”

The session uncovered deep emotions and led to a referral for further counselling.’

Using “Picture This” in Staff Development

‘At Leeds Metropolitan University’s staff development festival, I used the new edition Strength Cards in a workshop on Emotionally Intelligent Leadership. Participants identified five personal talents and shared them in small groups, sparking rich discussion about why it’s hard to talk about strengths and how that affects leadership.

Later, I introduced Picture This cards to explore self-control. The images inspired creative, reflective conversations and made a stunning display—people even wanted to take them home! Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and I’ll be using these resources again in the Advanced Facilitators program later this year.’