Managing Pandemic Stress: 10 Ways to Find Peace
By Jessica Kilpatrick, MA, LPC-S | STARRY Chief Program Officer Our bodies are meant to protect us from danger, to alert us if something is wrong, and to regulate and organize our nervous systems once the danger has passed. With the current pandemic, focus on racial...
read moreThe Myth that Fathers Must Be Manly and Tough
By Aldo Ortiz, MA, LPC | Fatherhood Team Supervisor As of late, I have spent time sitting and contemplating my current stage of life, especially since COVID-19 has afforded me a lot of opportunity to reflect. One of the biggest things which resonates with me is the...
read moreMaking Texas Count
by Jessica Kilpatrick, MA, LPC-S | STARRY Chief Program Officer We face unprecedented times with the current public health crisis, however it is crucial that Texas gets an accurate count of its population for the 2020 Census. Population data collected during the...
read moreStuck At Home With A Toddler? Sensory Play To Save The Day!
by Jessica Kilpatrick, MA, LPC-S | STARRY Chief Program Officer Last night I received a text from a good friend letting me know that he and his wife were needing help. You see, during social distancing, they introduced a new baby into the home and to her big brother-...
read moreFinding Acceptance in COVID-19
By Jessica Kilpatrick, MA, LPC-S | STARRY Chief Program Officer In times like these we can choose to fall into feelings of depression, or we can we can be grateful, or we can be a bit of both. AND THAT’S OKAY. We can hold onto two opposing thoughts at the same time....
read moreWhat Really Matters?
By Ashley Sleaper, LMSW | STARRY Community Education Specialist Parental performance is a very real and very stressful thing in the 21st century. Our grandparents were considered good parents if they kept their children quiet while adults were talking. Our parents...
read moreUsing Playful Engagement To Get Kids To Wash Their Hands
by Laura Lanford, M.A. LPC Intern -STARRY Fatherhood Counselor Supervised by Nidal Pascoe, M.A. LPC-S “Why?” asked 2-year-old Everett again. “You need to wash your hands because they have germs on them,” I insisted, using up large quantities of my dwindling patience...
read moreThe Art of Modeling
By Ashley Sleaper, LMSW – Community Education Specialist As a counselor who primarily focuses on parenting issues, I am often asked how someone can get their children to behave or respond in a certain way. Parents want to know how to help their child handle...
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