The CheckPoint Coping Companion is a personalised wellbeing assistant that you can use in any way that suits you.

Melbourne, 17th July 2019 – Non-Profit Organisation, CheckPoint, has announced their new product, the Coping Companion, a deck of 55 illustrated cards which each contain a unique coping tip. The deck has been created to be as portable as possible, so you can take whichever cards you need on the go and use them if you’re feeling distressed, anxious, panicked or experiencing anything else you’re needing help with.

Now available to preorder on CheckPoint’s new website (https://checkpointorg.com/coping-companion/), each Coping Companion comes with 55 illustrated cards and guidebook. There’s also an option to purchase an accompanying hardcover artbook, which collects high quality prints of all illustrations. The deck on its own costs $29.99, while the deck + artbook is priced at $55.49. All other options are available to view on the site.

The Coping Companion is made up of 5 suites, Everyday Basics, Grounding and Mindfulness, Mindful Mantras, Thought Exercises and Problem Solving. These suites all contain a unique tip that’s been taken from a number of psychological therapies, including CBT, ACT, DBT, Behavioural Activation and more. The included guidebook expands upon these exercises so you don’t feel lost while practicing.

When starting out, CheckPoint suggested a number of prompts for their artists to draw from. Each artist contributed a piece of work that was either inspired by their mental health journey or a reflection of their self-care tactics. CheckPoint were incredibly privileged to have so many talented artists and studios contributing to this project, including the talented team behind the award winning, The Gardens Between.

Many of the artists sent in an accompanying statement on what games and this project means to them. Diana Nguyen (@ddruanruan) said, “A lot of my friends and I struggle with mental health. Working on this submission made me realize that I want to make art that can help other people find strength or comfort.” While Lewis Holms (@LHspartan) shared, “I’m not great on advice with mental health, but as someone who has gone through some major lifestyle changes in the last couple years I’d say just keep going. Take some time for yourself now and then, but keep going for yourself and others”.

Once the artworks were submitted Director and Founder of CheckPoint, Dr Jennifer Hazel, matched each illustration with the corresponding coping tip. With the help of Blake Wood (@blakemwood), the team were able to create a full deck.

Dr Hazel is excited about what this deck will mean for vulnerable people out there. “This deck is a world first in creating a real, physical resource that can help people through the challenges of life.” she said. “We opted for a card deck as it’s something people find familiar and discreet, as well as being small enough to carry around with you daily. You can easily personalise it and even make it into a motivational gaming experience. We are so grateful to our artists — their contribution to the project will genuinely change people’s lives all over the world. I’m so thrilled and excited, I can’t wait to see what people think!”

About CheckPoint: CheckPoint is a non-profit organisation based in Australia and New Zealand, which acts to connect mental health resources with video games and technology.

The organisation is run by mental health and games industry professionals, and exists to provide consultancy, advocacy, recreational activities and free resources. The amalgamation of these knowledge-bases and professional networks enables CheckPoint’s reach to span across both industries comprehensively, and ensure that the information and education that it provides is accurate, relevant and implementable.

You can find out more on http://checkpointorg.com or follow CheckPoint on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.