Self-Work with Cards
"Self-Work with Cards" is a built-in guide that helps you pick and run a metaphor card technique without a therapist. It's there for when you've come to the platform on your own and want to try MAC cards by yourself.
What it is
Purpose
- Safety frame – a short reminder of what MAC cards are and aren't (not a diagnosis, not a treatment, not a prediction).
- Navigator – helps you choose one fitting technique out of eight, without getting lost in the choice.
- Companion – step-by-step instructions with ready questions, so you don't get stuck and don't end up alone with a topic.
When it fits
- An adult user in a resourceful state, no acute heavy feelings right now.
- You have 5–25 minutes of quiet time and want to try cards on your own.
- A good first encounter with MAC cards – techniques are short and not triggering.
When to skip
- Right now strong feelings are overwhelming you and you're not sure you can handle them solo.
- You want to work with a specific acute topic (trauma, crisis, parental figures) – that's about working with a therapist, not about a self-guided tool.
- You expect cards to give a "right answer" or a prediction. Cards aren't for that.
A footer disclaimer is always visible: MAC cards are a tool for reflection, not a treatment, not a replacement for professional support. If things get hard, talking with a therapist is the better next step.
How to open
Launcher button
The "Self-work guide" button sits in the top-left corner of the workspace, just below the version badge. The icon is an open book. Hovering shows a tooltip.
The button is visible to every user regardless of plan or role – the guide is free.
Auto-open
When you arrive at the platform and end up at an empty table with no deck and no cards, the guide opens automatically – once per page load. If you close it, it won't pop up again until your next reload.
Auto-open only fires for the host. If you're a guest in someone else's session, the guide won't auto-open over their game.
First-run intro
On the very first open, you'll see a full-screen text with a brief explanation of what MAC cards are and the boundaries the guide works within. After "Continue", you land in the main window. The intro shows exactly once – the flag is saved in your browser.
How to use
Home screen – pick a request
The home screen has six "intent cards" in a vertical list. Each card is a separate request with an icon and a short hint:
- Calm down, ease the tension – find your breath and a soft anchor.
- Understand what I'm feeling – name and recognise your state.
- Choose between options – a fork, the trade-offs, an anchor.
- Move toward a goal, something is in the way – see the obstacle, find the resource.
- Understand something about myself – a view from a step away.
- Just try the cards – a gentle first encounter.
Below the cards is an "All techniques" link – a flat list of all 8 techniques, sorted by duration.
Technique list for a request
After selecting a request, you'll see 2–3 fitting techniques with short descriptions, durations (5–25 minutes) and a depth label ("low", "medium"). Every technique answers at least one request – you'll always see recommendations.
The "Change request" button takes you back to the picker with a clean state – your previous choice is not pre-highlighted.
Technique details
When you open a technique, you'll see all the sections you need: 1. Short description – one sentence on what it gives you. 2. Suggested deck / group / room – what fits best. 3. When it fits and when to skip – gentle signals. 4. What to prepare – space, time, optionally a sheet of paper. 5. Steps – a sequence of 4–7 steps with ready questions. 6. Closing – a 1–2 minute grounding. 7. If a lot came up – gentle normalisation and a recommendation to talk with a therapist if the heaviness stays.
Active deck and room links
Inside the technique text, deck, group and room names are clickable. Clicking opens a popup card with a preview, description and a "Use this deck on the table" / "Use this room on the table" button.
The button applies the choice immediately: - Switches the deck or room on the table. - Applies the technique's recommended settings (blind / open draw, single deck / by groups, deal word cards or not). - When you click on a specific group link – it switches to "By groups" display so the named group sits on its own stack.
After the click, the popup closes, the guide window stays open – you can keep reading the instructions. A short confirmation toast appears at the top: "Deck placed on the table" / "Room applied".
"Use on table" – host-only
In a group session, only the host can change the deck or the room. If you're a guest, the button is still visible but disabled, with a tooltip "Only the session host can change the deck or room".
In anonymous mode (no session), you're your own host – the button works normally.
Other panels behaviour
When the guide opens, other overlays close: the right sidebar (deck/room picker), the left social sidebar (chat, sessions), the contextual hint panel. This is intentional – to help you focus on the technique. After you close the guide, the panels don't reopen automatically – you reopen them yourself if needed.
Tips and errors
- On a mobile screen the guide adapts: the launcher stays in the same spot, the window takes most of the screen.
- If clicking a deck link shows "Not available right now", the deck may have been renamed or removed – contact support.
- Screenshots in the guide and the technique always come in your current UI locale (Russian / English), even if the technique text itself is only available in one language (then the text falls back to English).
- The Russian and English technique texts are human-written. In the other interface languages (German, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish) they are machine-translated and not yet reviewed by native speakers, so terminology may be imprecise. If you spot a translation error, let support know.
- The guide doesn't save your answers and doesn't send anything to the server. Card sessions are saved by a separate "Save session" mechanism (for Premium / PRO).
Screenshots
Elements on the screenshot: 1. Product version badge (top) 2. Launcher button with an open-book icon 3. Tooltip on hover
Elements on the screenshot: 1. Title and subtitle 2. List of six intent cards with icons and hints 3. "All techniques" link 4. Footer disclaimer
Elements on the screenshot: 1. "Back to list" button 2. Technique title, duration and depth 3. Active links to suggested deck / group / room 4. Technique steps with ready questions 5. Closing and "If a lot came up" sections
Elements on the screenshot: 1. Deck cover preview (vertical aspect) 2. Deck name and description 3. Recommended-setup chips (blind / by groups, etc.) 4. Group list with the suggested group highlighted 5. "Use this deck on the table" button