People often say that “kids don’t come with a manual” to illustrate the fear and frustration that comes from learning to parent one challenge at a time.
This is especially true for caregivers who face added difficulties due to the child’s mental health struggles. If mental health isn’t discussed in your family or social circles, you may not know where to begin. What you need is clarity about the realities of children’s mental illness. Explore our blogs and videos for tips!

blogs & videos
knowledge is power
blog categories
multisystemic therapy (mst)
for adolescents with externalizing and/or antisocial behaviors who are at risk of out-of-home placement Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a community-based program, focused on empowering caregivers…
read moreStrengthening Bonds and Fostering Resilience: How Hosting Celebrations for the Holidays Helps Children of Military Families
As the holiday season approaches, the air becomes filled with an undeniable sense of magic and anticipation. Beyond the twinkling lights and festive decorations lies…
read moreHonoring Veterans: Ways Kids Can Celebrate Veterans Day
Veterans Day, observed on November 11th each year, holds profound importance as a day dedicated to honoring and expressing gratitude to the men and women…
read moreUnderstanding the Brain and Trauma as an Addiction Counselor: A Guide for Foster Parents
As an addiction counselor, I have seen first-hand the devastating effects of addiction on individuals and families. While many people associate addiction with drugs and…
read moreFoster Parenting: A Journey of Growth, Compassion, and Rediscovering the True Meaning of Family: Stories from a Foster Dad’s Heart
As an addictions counselor/behavior analyst and foster dad, it was important for me to step away from my professional role and simply enjoy being a…
read morePardon our dust
Clarity Child Guidance Center is undergoing construction to expand and improve the services we provide to our community. The project consists of the addition of…
read moreEasing Anxiety in Military Children during Duty Station Changes
Active duty military families experience a unique set of challenges, one of which is the frequent relocation due to duty station changes. While these transitions…
read moreBack to School 2023
Like many of you, I have spent the last few weeks scouring the shelves at HEB, Target and Wal-Mart with a worn checklist in my…
read more2023 Claritycon was a Great Success: Mark your Calendars for 2024 Claritycon on July 18 and 19
On July 20 and 21, 2023, 400+ children’s mental health professionals gathered at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa to hear…
read moreConversations with Clarity: Let’s Talk About Foster Care
On May 13, 2022, Jessica Knudsen, the President and CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center, hosted a panel discussion on the foster care system with…
read moreOur Response to the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Youth Mental Health
On December 7, 2021, the U.S Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new Surgeon General’s advisory. These statements are used to bring the public’s…
read moreSo-Called Normal – A Familiar Story from Mark Henick
If you’ve already picked up Mark Henick’s book, “So-Called Normal,” you’ve likely noticed how familiar his story is. In his memoir, Henick describes many experiences…
read moreMental Health Awareness Month 2021: “I Am Feeling… Fine?”
may is mental health awareness month While every month is a chance to spread mental health education, May is a special opportunity! Mental Health Awareness…
read moreSpotlighting an Incredible Volunteer at Clarity Child Guidance Center
If you have visited Clarity Child Guidance Center’s campus, chances are you probably know Kay Perez who works as a Unit Clerk. But do you know her son and our new star-studded…
read moreHistorical Timeline: Clarity Child Guidance Center Celebrates 135 Years in 2021
2021 marks 135 years of Clarity Child Guidance Center’s mission to help children, adolescents, and families overcome the disabling effects of mental illness and improve…
read moreMental Health and My Community
Mental health is our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It is important at every stage of life,…
read moreKids Fight Bullying At The Lunch Table
When we talk about mental health and wellness in children, we often focus on what adults are doing – being vigilant for the warning signs,…
read moreHelping Refugee Children With Their Mental Health Needs
With the recent heart-wrenching images of migrant children in the news, there is an increased awareness of the unique mental health needs of migrant and…
read moreHow Does Poverty Impact Mental Illness?
Think about the last time you were hungry. Maybe you were busy at work and lost track of time or you were running errands and…
read moreFoster Parenting: A Journey of Growth, Compassion, and Rediscovering the True Meaning of Family: Stories from a Foster Dad’s Heart
As an addictions counselor/behavior analyst and foster dad, it was important for me to step away from my professional role and simply enjoy being a…
read moreBack to School 2023
Like many of you, I have spent the last few weeks scouring the shelves at HEB, Target and Wal-Mart with a worn checklist in my…
read moreConversations with Clarity: Back to School, Back to Mental Health
On Sept 27, 2022, Jessica Knudsen, the President and CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center, hosted a panel discussion on the mental health challenges facing…
read moreSpirituality in Childhood
Grief is an emotion so powerful that words cannot quite express the pain. Spirituality can be a powerful source of support during times of loss.…
read moreAttention, Connection & Love: What We’re Losing and How Improv Can Help Us Heal
A dialogue from the film Lady Bird: Sister Sarah Joan: You clearly love Sacramento. Lady Bird: I do? Sister Sarah Joan: You write about Sacramento…
read moreTips for sharing and dealing with your inner emotions
Everyone has emotions and it is especially important that we deal with those feelings in the most positive and healthy way. Our inner emotions are…
read moreBuilding Resilience in our Children: The Need to Create Collectivist Communities in an Individualistic Society
At our church, we host asylum-seeking families from around the world. Most are passing through and stay for just a day. We offer them food,…
read moreThe Value of Family Traditions for Children
Most of us love traditions. We may not have wondered why—we just know we enjoy them….especially around the holidays! It might be looking at lights;…
read moreBeing LGBTQ+ During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is full of joy and happiness across the world. For billions of people, this is the time where life starts to slow…
read moreBack to School in 2021
In August of 2020, I wrote a blog about the decision to keep my then 3-year-old twins enrolled in childcare at the early stages of…
read moremultisystemic therapy (mst)
for adolescents with externalizing and/or antisocial behaviors who are at risk of out-of-home placement Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a community-based program, focused on empowering caregivers…
read moreYouth Serving Programs and Child Safety
As the new school year begins, children go off to school and caregivers continue to work. Gaps in scheduling can mean finding others to pick…
read moreTeen Dating Violence
According to the 2021 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey “over 71% of women and over 55% of men experienced intimate partner violence (sexual,…
read moreUnderstanding Self-Harm and the Difference with Suicidal Ideation/Attempts
While self-harm can be scary and must be treated, it is very different from suicidal ideation and attempts. Parents need to understand the difference so…
read more7 Ways to Help a Friend Who Is Struggling With Their Mental Health
Being a teen comes with many challenges, and teens struggling with mental health are not uncommon. In fact, 1 in 5 teens has had a…
read moreMy World Just Fell Apart. How Do I Know That I’m OK?
When you were a kid, maybe you read the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (or maybe…
read moreScreening Tools & Warning Signs of Children’s Mental Illness
As a parent, how do you know when your child experiences a mental illness? Can you use a screening tool and find out on your…
read moreHow to Make the Most of Psychiatric Care When It’s Virtual
Because of COVID-19 precautions, most visits to psychiatrists have become virtual. Dr. Lizmarie Gonzalez-Vega, Medical Director at Clarity Child Guidance Center, discusses the topic of…
read moreSocial Isolation In Children At Home Or At School: What You Can Do To Help
Humans are wired to be communal and connected with others. So when we become socially isolated from others, it can affect our mental health. This…
read moreKey signs of mental illness in children and teens
Everyone has an off day now and again. All of us experience moments in time when we’re feeling sad, angry, impulsive or even out-of-control –…
read morehow to craft your crisis plan
Crisis plans, also known as safety plans, are a great tool that allow us to prevent, recognize, prepare for, and respond to a mental health crisis. While…
read morePost Mental Health Crisis Support for Parents & Kids
When a child experiences a mental health crisis, the entire family is impacted. While an immediate treatment will help with bringing the child back to…
read moreUnderstanding Triggers for Kids with a Mental Illness
Anyone can be set off by certain events in their environment: a criticism, a failure, overstimulation. For children with mental illness such triggers could have…
read moreWhen Your Child Experienced Trauma
More than half of children aged 3-5 experience a traumatic event. Science shows how trauma can have a long-term impact on their development. But with…
read moreHow COVID-19 is Impacting Children with Severe Mental Health Conditions & What to Do
Clarity CGC Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Carol Carver, MSN, RN discusses how COVID-19 is impacting children with severe mental health conditions and what…
read moreHow The COVID-19 Crisis May Impact Children With Severe Mental Health Conditions & What To Do
One of the hardest things about parenting a child with a severe mental health condition is a sudden and unplanned change in daily routine. I…
read moreHow To Talk With Your Child About Suicide After The Death Of A Peer
NOTE: If you know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) at 1–800–273–TALK (8255), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.…
read moreWhat Does A Mental Health Diagnosis Mean For You And Your Child? This 4-Step Process Can Help You Adjust
Following a mental health diagnosis for your child, you may feel concerned, uncertain, and even fearful. On one hand, you finally have some answers. On…
read moreA Parent’s Guide To Early Intervention For Psychosis In Children
Has your child been acting differently lately? Did they used to be organized, outgoing, and actively involved in class and social activities but have recently…
read more10 Things to Know About Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Colleen Bridger, MPH, PhD, was named assistant city manager in July 2019 for San Antonio. She oversees the Health, Parks and Recreation and Human Services…
read moreStrengthening Bonds and Fostering Resilience: How Hosting Celebrations for the Holidays Helps Children of Military Families
As the holiday season approaches, the air becomes filled with an undeniable sense of magic and anticipation. Beyond the twinkling lights and festive decorations lies…
read moreHonoring Veterans: Ways Kids Can Celebrate Veterans Day
Veterans Day, observed on November 11th each year, holds profound importance as a day dedicated to honoring and expressing gratitude to the men and women…
read moreEasing Anxiety in Military Children during Duty Station Changes
Active duty military families experience a unique set of challenges, one of which is the frequent relocation due to duty station changes. While these transitions…
read moreThe Effects of Military Life on Children with Mental Illness
Just like other institutions, the military community has its own set of values, norms and language that are unique and specific to this population. Children of military families live in…
read moreAway from home
For most of my childhood, my dad was in the Army Reserves. Our family wasn’t on the move as much as Active Duty families typically…
read moreConversations with Clarity: Month of the Military Child
On April 3, 2023, Jessica Knudsen, the President and CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center, hosted a panel discussion on the mental health challenges facing…
read moreNavigating Military Deployments with Children: Interactive Ideas to Share the Time and Experience as a Family
Deployments are a challenge. Deployments as a family have added complexities. Often, it initially seems that the nature of extended military separations and children’s capacity…
read moreTransitioning from Military Survival Skills to Family Thriving Skills
Military training is designed to make service members ready to fight enemy combatants and survive very dangerous situations. These survival skills are quite important in…
read moreResponding to Your Military Child’s Fears about War and Deployment
Military-connected children are often aware of war at a much younger age than their peers; and experience the effects of a caregiver gone for long…
read moreJust like Pop Pop
Back in the “bad old days,” as I affectionately refer to the time right after my husband Larkin got hurt in Afghanistan, we were at…
read moreUnderstanding the Brain and Trauma as an Addiction Counselor: A Guide for Foster Parents
As an addiction counselor, I have seen first-hand the devastating effects of addiction on individuals and families. While many people associate addiction with drugs and…
read moreAdolescent Sexuality in the Age of Technology
To understand how sexuality affects the lives of adolescence, it is important to understand what the term ”adolescence” means as our understanding of it has…
read moreChildren’s Mental Health and Participation in Cultural Rituals
Children are the future of the world and a reflection of the present, as well the environment they are raised in. They embody our hopes…
read moreDealing with the Anger of Trauma
Trauma is generally defined in the mental health world as an emotional response to a terrible event. However, it is really a wound to the…
read moreAdolescents: Venn-diagrams
“Yikes! this kid of mine? What in the world happened to them?” Often, counselors will hear parents lament about the challenges of their adolescent. “He’s…
read moreClearing Up the “Whatchamacallits” of Children’s Mental Health | Glossary of Terms
Mental health can be such a complex topic to navigate; from symptoms and diagnoses to medications and types of treatment, it is easy to become…
read moreToo Much of a Good Thing: The Impact of Technology on Teens’ Mental Wellness
Technology is rapidly evolving and regardless of how you feel about it, the changes are here to stay as a part of our daily lives.…
read moreAnger, Amygdalas, and Frontal Lobes: How to Take Charge of Your Brain
Maybe you heard an unkind comment whispered behind your back in the school hallway. Or maybe you saw a cruel post on social media or…
read moreAnxiety: Are All These Nervous Feelings Normal?
Surely you have felt anxious before taking a pop quiz in class or stressed when you realized that an assignment is due sooner than you…
read moreAre You Experiencing Stress Or Mental Illness? Here’s How You Can Tell
Stress is something I think about a lot. That’s because my job is all about understanding and helping families through stressful situations. When going through…
read moreManaging Expectations in a Post-Pandemic World
To quote a May 2022 LinkedIn news story: “The children’s mental health crisis didn’t start with COVID-19. But the pandemic served as an accelerant, exacerbating…
read moreTeaching in Traumatizing Times: Navigating Vicarious Trauma in the Classroom
The mounting stressors in teaching—changes in funding, pressures in state testing, disengaged parents, school violence—were already contributing to increased burnout for many teachers. Now, as…
read moreTeaching in Traumatizing Times: Fostering Parent-Teacher Collaborations
We know that collaboration between parents and teachers is critical for a student’s academic achievement. We also know it’s a difficult task, and one that…
read moreTeaching in Traumatizing Times: Listening to Misbehavior
“Why can’t you just behave?” I’m sure this thought has crossed each teacher’s and parent’s mind at least once. You may even be thinking about…
read moreTeaching in Traumatizing Times: The Power of Attachment
We are two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a time of complex and collective trauma. Collective traumas are cataclysmic; complex traumas are long-term…
read moreTeachers, How are You? Support your Students by Supporting Yourself First
Earlier this year, I was invited by a local elementary school to give a presentation on resilience and self-care for educators during the Covid-19 pandemic.…
read moreTed Lasso’s advice for managing “bad” behaviors in the classroom
Anxiety – particularly in this time of COVID, masks/no mask, vax/no vax – manifests in a surprising variety of ways. For children, a common response…
read moreFacts and Fiction Surrounding School Shootings and Mental Health
Educators have a unique, but daunting role in the identification, prevention, and mitigation of school violence. As our country and communities continue to experience these…
read moreConversations with Clarity on Kid’s Anxiety from COVID-19
Dr. Joshua Essery, the Director of Outpatient Clinical Services at Clarity Child Guidance Center, hosts a discussion on the impact COVID-19 has had on children’s…
read moreAutism & Social Anxiety Disorder Q&A with Dr. Megan Lawson
1) Why is it important to differentiate between social anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorder, even as a layperson? It is important because accurate conceptualization…
read moremultisystemic therapy (mst)
for adolescents with externalizing and/or antisocial behaviors who are at risk of out-of-home placement Multisystemic therapy (MST) is a community-based program, focused on empowering caregivers…
read morePardon our dust
Clarity Child Guidance Center is undergoing construction to expand and improve the services we provide to our community. The project consists of the addition of…
read more2023 Claritycon was a Great Success: Mark your Calendars for 2024 Claritycon on July 18 and 19
On July 20 and 21, 2023, 400+ children’s mental health professionals gathered at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa to hear…
read moreI am feeling BLUE t-shirt
The “I am feeling fine” shirts are back by popular demand! Green shirts were created to thank our donors for Mental Health Awareness Month in…
read moreOur Response to the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Youth Mental Health
On December 7, 2021, the U.S Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new Surgeon General’s advisory. These statements are used to bring the public’s…
read moreWhy do YOU give to Clarity Child Guidance Center?
To celebrate Big Give 2021, our staff shared why they give to Clarity Child Guidance Center!
read morePerspective from a Military Child
Sarah and her dad on a boat in Paris, France Have you ever heard the expression, “Bloom where you are planted?” I heard this phrase…
read moreMental Health Awareness Month 2021: “I Am Feeling… Fine?”
may is mental health awareness month While every month is a chance to spread mental health education, May is a special opportunity! Mental Health Awareness…
read moreThe Clarity Staff’s Stories On Military Life & Kids
As part of Month of the Military Child, the Clarity Child Guidance Center staff chose to share some of their own experiences to increase appreciation…
read more