'The Bear Cards' represents a confluence of my two paths in life as mental health professional and children's book illustrator. I live in a small rural city near Melbourne, Australia and have worked for many years with adults suffering from mental illness. I have also designed and illustrated a number of children's books.Many of my clients find it difficult to recognize, accept and express their feelings in a healthy way. Their lack of emotional awareness often leads to an inability to communicate their needs effectively. It may also lead to relationship breakdowns due to an inability to control strong emotions such as anger. Either way, the long term outcomes are seldom positive.Much of how we react emotionally to situations is learned in the early years of our development. Assisting children to better understand their feelings is crucial to their emotional well being throughout life. Indeed, 'emotional intelligence' is increasingly regarded as a key to both success and happiness.I first came up with the idea of using bears as characters for 'feelings cards' when working with St Lukes Innovative Resources. 'The Bear Family' and 'The Bears' were an instant success. Their simplicity and lack of words made them appealing to a wide audience and cut through any gender, culture, literacy and age barriers.I then decided to take the bears a little further and established Qcards. At Qcards we aim to publish card sets that promote social and emotional well being. We also believe that the cards should be accessible to anyone, especially families. So we provide plain english instructions, fun games and activities and make the cards affordable. The Qcards website also offers an expanding range of information and downloadable resources to inspire our customers with areas devoted to children, parents, teachers and therapists.I am currently working on the next Qcards publication which explores and celebrates individual personal qualities in children. John Veeken