“Things To Know” Cards

Testimonials

"The cards provide an amazing opportunity when working with victims of violence to have  thought provoking conversations on what a healthy relationship should consist of including how you should feel in a healthy relationship. They are great to use with those who are resistant to open up with. I have used them in both a group and individual setting. We have  used them to explore past relationships as well as what a future relationship should look like  hoping to prevent future violent relationships."
S.B.  Primary Prevention Coordinator  Domestic Violence Center  Evansville, IN  

"Elsbeth Martindale’s, Things to Know Before You Say Go, book and cards are an engaging way to get students thinking and talking about all-important relationship topics. At the high school level, students are developmentally ready to learn about themselves and analyze their love relationships but often don’t know how to go about it. The book and cards present a fun, non-threatening path to self-knowledge and a way to open up to each other. I hope that many students will access the cards and become more thoughtful upon entering romantic relationships."
Nancy Sullivan Librarian, Madison High School  Portland, OR  

"Elsbeth Martindale has created an innovative and extraordinarily useful tool for people of all ages standing on the threshold of a possible partnership. The questions are pertinent,  insightful, and far-reaching and will absolutely help people ask all the right questions before making the decision to put their heart into someone else’s hands. I highly recommend them!"
Evelyn Resh CNM, MPH  Certified Sexuality Counselor, Author of The Secret Lives of Teen Girls: What Your Mother Wouldn't Talk about but Your  Daughter Needs to Know  

"These cards are great. A most illuminating way to vet out any relationship."
Christiane Northrup, M.D.  Author of the New York Times bestsellers: Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The  Wisdom of Menopause 

"These cards are immediately accessible and welcoming. The ideas and issues are simple -- but hardly simplistic. Great self-conversation starters. For someone in the throes of new love, they are the voice of calm and reason -- maybe not what someone in the throes wants to hear...but what they should hear. This is a terrific, wise-without-pretense product."
Lauren Kessler  Author of My Teenage Werewolf 

"The Things to Know Before You Say “Go” cards are a helpful way to help a client get the  debate out of their head and out onto the table, literally."
Evie Telfer,  College Pastor, Messiah College  Mechanicsburg, PA 

Essential Questions Your Clients Should Ask BEFORE They Give Their Heart Away

The “Things To Know” Cards are a powerful way to teach your clients how to be selective when choosing a romantic partner.

Don’t Let Your Clients Make The Same Relationship Mistakes Over And Over

It’s time for your clients to stop wasting their time on bad relationships. SHOW them what they have learned from their past “mistakes” and set them up for successful romance in the future.

Help Your Clients Select An Emotionally Healthy Partner

Finding someone healthy isn’t always easy. The “Things To Know” cards will finally show your clients the essential issues to consider when looking for a romantic partner. Each of these cards are great conversation starters, whether between you and your client or the client and their potential partner.

Show Clients How To Find Partners That Match Their Values

Before your clients can find a healthy partner, they need to clearly understand what THEIR values are. The “Things To Know” Cards will teach your clients how to identify their preferences and values in romance, help them figure out their deal-breakers, and teach them how to assess the other person BEFORE it’s too late.

Tips For Using The “Things To Know” Cards

The “Things To Know” Cards are a kinesthetic tool that can be sorted into piles based on varying questions or intentions, such as:

• What information matters most to me in a romantic relationship?
• How does my current love interest match up with my values and desires?
• Why did my last relationship fail? What did I neglect to understand?
• Do I have what it takes to create a healthy relationship?
• What do I want my daughter or son to understand about partnership choices?

By examining the cards and answering the 76 questions, you enter into a very personal and extraordinary exploration of values, desires, and limits. Your clients will discover how much they know or don’t know about their expectations for future, current, or past relationships. The cards will stir deep dialogue with another person and/or they can be used in personal contemplation and reflection. No matter how they are sorted, explored, or discussed, these cards are sure to lead you to new knowledge about yourself and relationships.

Additional Resources

1. Professional Guide—Use as a way to deepen your clinical work, build referrals and reputation, and offer easy workshops in your community.
2. Activity Book—2012 Winner of the Innovation Award by the Association for Educational Publishing. Use the Activity Book to teach students about healthy relationships.