What I Needed
A gentle set of hand-drawn cards for exploring the care, comfort, protection, and connection you needed then, and what you might still need now. No right answers. No pressure. Just space to notice.
Jackie Flynn
Hey there,
I created What I Needed as a gentle reflective tool to help children, teens, and adults explore the care, support, comfort, protection, understanding, and connection they needed, or may still need today. This deck invites you to slow down and notice what feels familiar through simple images of human connection: someone staying close, offering comfort, listening, reaching out, giving space, helping carry something heavy, or simply being there.
The imagery is intentionally simple and open, allowing you to bring your own meaning and experience to each card. Rather than searching for the "right" meaning, the invitation is simply to notice: What does this image bring up for me? What did I need in that moment? What might I need now?
There is no right way to use this deck. Choose what draws you in, skip what does not, and notice what feels supportive. What I Needed is a reflection tool, not therapy or a substitute for professional care. Reach out for support when needed.
Tap any card to see the kind of quiet reflection it invites. Every card in the deck works the same way: simple image, open question, your own meaning.
Press the button below and let a prompt from the deck find you. Sit with it for a moment before moving on.
Look through the cards slowly, one at a time.
Notice what feels familiar, or what draws your attention.
Choose a card that reflects what you needed, longed for, or need today.
Point, sort, move, skip, hide, or set any card aside. It's always your choice.
Children & teens
A simple, wordless way to point to what feels familiar, without needing the right vocabulary for hard feelings.
Adults in therapy
A grounded entry point for EMDR, attachment work, or trauma-informed sessions that need a gentle on-ramp.
Personal reflection
Use it solo for journaling, mindfulness, or simply noticing what you needed then and what you need now.
Ready to notice what you needed?
Give yourself, or the people you work with, a gentle way in. The What I Needed card deck is ready whenever you are.
Get the Card Deck $39.99