FAQ's

Ibrahim Al Sadi, a Registered Nurse and Certified Nurse Psychotherapist specializing in couple's therapy & mental health practice across crisis, inpatient, and private practice settings. Every prompt was drawn from real patterns he observed across hundreds of sessions.

Any couple who feels stuck, disconnected, or tired of the same fight — whether in active conflict, healing from something hard, or just not talking the way you used to. You don't need to be in crisis to deserve better conversations. Therapists also use this deck as a between-session resource for their clients. This deck meets you where you are — not where someone else thinks you should be.

No — it's a companion to it. If you or your partner are experiencing serious distress, please seek professional support. The Repair Deck is designed for couples who want to do the work between sessions, or who want a structured starting point.

Yes. The Repair Deck was built on three of the most rigorously researched frameworks in modern relationship and mental health science: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, with one of the highest evidence bases of any couples therapy modality; Gottman Method repair research, based on over 40 years of couples study; and Trauma-Informed Care principles that recognize how unresolved trauma shapes relationship behaviour.

The deck was designed by Ibrahim Al Sadi — a Registered Nurse (RN) and Certified Nurse Psychotherapist (CNP) specializing in Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Care — who has applied these frameworks clinically with real patients. This is not a wellness product built on intuition. It's a clinical tool made accessible.

The Repair Deck contains over 100 clinically-grounded cards distributed across six progressive stages. Each card carries a single, carefully crafted prompt — no filler, no repetition.

The number of cards in each stage varies intentionally. Stages designed for foundational work contain more prompts to allow deeper exploration before moving forward. Later stages — where the emotional terrain is more nuanced — may contain fewer cards but carry more weight.

No. The prompts are designed by a therapist for the two of you — alone, at home, at your own pace. The six-stage system does the heavy lifting. We did the thinking. You just show up.

That said, The Repair Deck works beautifully alongside professional therapy. Many therapists use it as a between-session tool, and some couples find that what surfaces during the deck provides rich material to bring to their therapist.

If at any point a prompt surfaces something that feels too big or overwhelming to sit with alone, we always encourage reaching out to a qualified mental health professional. Knowing when to ask for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

The Repair Deck is built for two people at a table. That is what it does best, and that is what it was designed for.

If you are doing this work on your own right now — because your partner is not ready, or because you are healing from a relationship that ended — start with Start Without Him. It is a six-stage workbook that walks you through the same framework alone, and it leads directly into the deck when the two of you are ready.

Healing does not require two people to begin. It requires two people to finish.

This is one of the most common concerns we hear, and it's completely understandable. Resistance to emotional work is almost never about the activity itself — it's usually about fear: of vulnerability, of conflict, or of what might come up.

Our suggestion: start with Stage 1, which is intentionally light and grounded in appreciation. You might simply say "Can we try one card together?" rather than framing it as a therapeutic exercise. Many partners who were initially resistant became the biggest advocates after that first card.

If resistance continues, don't wait for him. Start Without Him is a six-stage workbook built for exactly this — the work you do on your own so that when he finally does sit down, you're ready. Your healing doesn't have to wait for his readiness.

As long as you want — most couples do one card per sitting, which usually takes 20–40 minutes. Some cards spark conversations that last hours. There's no pressure to rush through.

There is no set timeline, and this is by design. Healing cannot be scheduled. Some couples move through a full stage in a weekend. Others return to the same stage for months — and both experiences are entirely valid.

A single card session can last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours depending on where it takes you. We recommend resisting the urge to "get through" the deck quickly. The depth you find by slowing down is the whole point.

You'll know you're ready to move to the next stage not when you've finished all the cards, but when the prompts begin to feel genuinely settled — when you can approach them with curiosity instead of anxiety.

First: this is okay. Being emotionally activated during meaningful conversation is not a sign that something has gone wrong — it often means something important is being touched. Strong emotions are information, not emergencies.

If you feel flooded (heart racing, shutting down, or feeling overwhelmed), the most therapeutic thing you can do is pause. Say "I need a moment" and take a 20-minute break before continuing. This is a Gottman-informed technique called "self-soothing" and it genuinely works.

You can always set a card aside, return to a lighter stage, or end the session entirely. There is no failure in this work — only pacing.

Orders are processed within 1–2 business days. Once your order ships, you'll receive an email with full tracking details so you can follow it to your door.

Yes, we absolutely ship internationally — because healing should never be limited by borders.

USA: 4–8 business days with full tracking. We take care of any tariffs upfront, so you won't need to pay a thing when your order arrives.

Canada: Just 2 business days with full tracking. Nice and simple.

Everywhere else: 7–27 business days with full tracking. We'll stay with you the whole way.

No matter where you are, you'll receive full tracking details so you can watch your cards make their way to your door. We're honoured to ship to you, wherever home may be.

A small note: Depending on your country's customs policies, you may be charged local duties or fees upon delivery. This is rare, but we want you to know upfront — just so there are no surprises.

Because we want you to love this deck — but we also need to be honest about how this works.

Please reach out before sending anything back. If you're thinking about returning your deck, just email us first at hello@therapycards.co. Any package that shows up without a heads-up will not be accepted. We promise we're easy to reach — just ask.

The deck must be unopened and unused. We can only accept returns if the deck is still sealed in its original packaging — not damaged, not opened, not used. If you've opened it, it's yours. But we hope you understand — and we hope the deck meets you exactly where you are.

Something wrong with your deck? If anything is damaged, defective, or not what you ordered upon receipt, contact us right away with photos. We will make it right.

Shipping returns is on you. You'll cover the return shipping cost. We recommend a trackable service. Once we receive it, we'll inspect and notify you — if approved, we refund the full deck price (not original shipping) to your payment method within 10 business days.