Bypassing Mental Defenses: Why Visual Thinking Can Salvage Your Hardest Coaching Sessions
Ever feel like your clients are entirely stuck in their analytical minds during a coaching session?
As professional coaches, we have all hit that invisible wall. A client encounters a complex mental block, repeating the same narrative loop over and over, while traditional, linear questioning fails to spark a shift.
When logical words cannot capture what is happening inside, a creative, non-directional tool can break the logjam.
OH Cards are Subconscious Projection Cards, a specialised collection of watercolor image cards and text frames that act as a visual thinking canvas. They bypass systemic mental defenses, letting clients project their inner emotions, patterns, and insights directly onto the medium.
Integrating creative toolsets into your practice does not mean abandoning rigorous coaching science. In fact, when paired with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) framework, these cards serve as a powerful accelerating agent to satisfy strict ICF Core Competencies and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Markers or Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Markers.
What are OH Cards and How Do They Work?
Developed by psychologist Moritz Egetmeyer and artist Ely Raman, OH Cards contain no fixed meanings, rigid dogmas, or fortune-telling elements. The foundational rule of OH Cards is absolute: the client is always the sole interpreter of the card.
When a client selects an image card or fits it into a word frame, their subconscious makes a rapid, unedited association. This structure allows individuals to speak safely and comfortably in a metaphorical “I” mode, making it easier to navigate complex organizational stressors, interpersonal dynamics, or deep professional blind spots.
Artists and therapists have long used metaphor and nature to open conversation. The paintings in the deck do exactly that through projection: the ambiguous landscapes invite our inner stories to step forward, effectively bypassing the inner censor.
This process aligns to three core principles:
- Softening Defences: When we speak about an image, the brain’s reflex to defend or explain softens. This lowered resistance makes it easier for subtle, underlying truths to surface naturally.
- Metaphor as a Universal Language: A flooded plain can mean overwhelm at work, while a single tree on a ridge can name a longing for autonomy. Nature speaks in shapes everyone recognizes.
- Safety at a Distance: Examining a challenging situation through an external image provides psychological distance. That distance lets clients explore painful or complex material safely without being emotionally flooded.
OH Etiquette
There are no set rules that must be followed when using metaphoric cards. The guidelines recommended below foster the development of an atmosphere of trust.
- In OH, we honour each other’s privacy.
- I may choose to pass, to not play the cards I have drawn.
- I can do this with or without explanation, revealing my cards or not.
- In OH, we honour each other.
- I will not interrupt you.
- In OH, we honour each other’s intelligence and imagination.
- I do not re-‐interpret (or interpret) your cards.
- In OH, we honour each other’s integrity.
- I do not contradict you or argue about your interpretations.
- I try to remember that there are no “correct” interpretations of the pictures, no misreading of words.
- In OH, we honour each other’s individuality.
- When I interpret my OH Cards I do not assume that you see what I see, feel what I feel, read what I read.
ICF Competency & Marker Mapping Matrix
The integrated cross-reference matrix below is an example of how OH Cards could support both PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Markers and ACC (Associate Certified Coach) Markers simultaneously.
| ICF Core Competency | Target PCC Marker | Target ACC Marker | OH Cards Coaching Application |
| Competency 3: Establishes & Maintains Agreements | Marker 3.1 & 3.4: Partner to identify session goals and define underlying blockers. | Marker 3a & 3b: Explore client’s topic; reach agreement on session outcome. | Invite the client to (randomly) select one card for their current state and another for their desired session outcome, creating a visual contract. |
| Marker 3.3: Explore what is important or meaningful to the client. | Marker 3c: Explore significance of the coaching outcome to the client. | Deep-dive into a card’s visual symbols to unlock the core values or hidden motivations behind the client’s stated goal. | |
| Competency 4: Cultivates Trust & Safety | Marker 4.3: Acknowledge and support expression of feelings, beliefs, or suggestions. | Marker 4c: Support client’s expression of feelings, perceptions, or beliefs. | The card acts as a safe, neutral third party, helping clients speak about sensitive topics without fear of judgment. |
| Marker 4.4: Partner by inviting the client to respond to contributions. | Marker 4b: Express respect, support, or concern for the client. | Present word-image combinations and allow the client to actively validate, reject, or reshape the meaning. | |
| Competency 5: Maintains Presence | Marker 5.1 & 5.5: Act in response to the whole person and allow for silence/reflection. | Marker 5a & 5d: Observant/responsive; use silence to allow time for reflection. | Use imagery to capture the client’s identity (the who), using the card as a focal point for deep, silent reflection. |
| Competency 6: Listens Actively | Marker 6.3 & 6.4: Explore emotions, energy shifts, and nonverbal cues. | Marker 6a: Listen by recognizing feelings, perceptions, or beliefs. | Observe changes in facial expression, tone, or posture when a client flips a card, using it to explore somatic reactions. |
| Competency 7: Evokes Awareness | Marker 7.2 & 7.3: Support client in exploring beyond current thinking about self/situation. | Marker 7a & 7b: View from different perspectives; inquire about feelings/beliefs. | Ask open-ended questions about unexpected visual elements to disrupt cognitive loops and spark new frames of mind. |
| Competency 8: Facilitates Client Growth | Marker 8.5 & 8.6: Partner to design post-session actions and address barriers. | Marker 8b: Support the client to use learning to plan next steps. | Have the client select a final card illustrating their accountability path, mapping out resources and potential roadblocks. |
Key Benefits of Using Metaphorical Cards in Professional Coaching
- Bypasses Cognitive Resistance: Traditional talking methods can trigger overthinking; images tap into the intuitive right hemisphere of the brain.
- Accelerates Session Breakthroughs: Speeds up the time it takes to identify root issues, making short-term coaching packages significantly more impactful.
- Reduces Fatigue: Gives both coach and client an engaging, interactive focus point, easing the pressure of constant verbal performance.
- Completely Adaptive: Works across leadership coaching, neurodivergent-affirming spaces, corporate teams, and personal development tracks.
Combining decks
All OH Card series decks are designed to be used in conjunction with others. For example, placing a Habitat picture card inside an OH word card can lead to new combinations and insights or reflecting Habitat action cards with Personita cards. This modularity allows users to combine different themes, expanding the possibilities for storytelling, reflection, and therapy. Don’t know which card deck to use? Read blog.
Elevate Your Practice with Joyful Soul Psychology
Bringing creative, metaphorical approaches into clinical or corporate spaces requires specialised, hands-on training to maintain ethical boundaries and psychological safety. At Joyful Soul Psychology, we bridge evidence-based psychological modalities with creative coaching tools to facilitate deep self-discovery and meaningful personal growth.
As pioneers in bringing therapeutic card frameworks to Singapore, we provide certified avenues to integrate these transformation-accelerating tools into your daily workflows:
For Individuals seeking a Breakthrough
If you are navigating a major life transition, feeling professionally stuck, or searching for personal clarity, experience this methodology firsthand. Book a private, tailored OH Cards Consultation at our Singapore office to uncover hidden patterns and clarify your way forward.
For Coaches, Therapists, & Facilitators
Ready to master this framework? Don’t rely on guesswork. Join our professional OH Cards Trainings & Workshops. Acquire practical, hands-on techniques to confidently apply metaphoric associative cards, design transformative sessions, and build instant client trust while easily hitting your ICF competency markers.
Email us jsp.wyeo@gmail.com or WhatsApp +65 8835 3015; Check out JSP IG = https://www.instagram.com/p/DQCC3_DAs1j
Register for the upcoming inner child work with OH Cards training by Mr Moritz = https://forms.gle/pTnyQztjYkRQzSd67
