People have asked me where they can find inspirational gifts suitable for young people. I’ve been on the look out and found a lovely set of angel cards by Diana Cooper, the UK’s answer to Doreen Virtue, illustrated by Cecilie Okada called Teen-Angels: 52 Card Deck

Each card is illustrated with a different teenager, their faces drawn in a realistic contemporary style, with angel wings shining behind their shoulders and light shining in a halo around their heads. There is a multiracial mix of faces and a good balance between the sexes too. Each card carries a different guidance message, all worded in a positive and reassuring way.

Shuffling and drawing three cards at random for today I got:

Freedom: Don’t carry anyone else’s burden. Your own is quite enough.

Laughter: Laugh at yourself and the world laughs with you.

Dreams: It’s great to have dreams. Put them into action now.

That’s a great mini reading for me! As a therapist, teacher and writer I do have to be careful not to take on the issues that my clients, students and readers bring to me. There is a delicate balance to be maintained between helping people within my role & shouldering their burdens.

I liked the laughter card too- sometimes I know I can take life just that bit too seriously and I often get ‘lighten up’ style messages.

The Dreams card is fantastic as I am just in the process of sifting through the many and varied ideas I have and looking at birthing a few of them into reality. This is a lovely 'go ahead' message for me.

I guess that shows you that although these cards are designed for teens their mums and dads might be wise to take a look too!

The back of each card is identical and very attractive, coloured deep navy blue and featuring a pretty silver embossed angel with two silver butterflies. The quality of the card stock is very nice and the cards slide well over each other as they have a slightly glossy finish. They are quite compact in size, making them easy to shuffle and handle, which is worth considering with teens in mind.

The cards come with a simple instruction card that reminds you that the angels are there and ready to help, but that you must ask them first. I feel the wording of the whole pack is gentle, wise and comforting. It would be a lovely gift, especially for the more sensitive youngster who is finding the progression through teens towards adulthood a little overwhelming.