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!

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Back 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 moreThe Impactful Role of Fathers on Kid’s Mental Wellness
The role of a father exists in everyone’s life story. Fathers, present or not, known or not, give us some image of what it means…
read moreSelf-Care for Parents Who Don’t Have Time
Without a good understanding of and proper attention to their own needs, parents are ill-equipped to help their kids and less able to meet their…
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 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 moreWhen Traumatic Stress Looks Like ADHD or ODD: Digging for the “Root” of Behavior
Let’s say you wake up one morning with a sore throat. You go to the doctor, and they give you a physical exam and ask…
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 New Normal: What Will Be Different When Teachers Return to School This August?
For most teachers, myself included, the start of school in August 2020 was unlike anything we had ever experienced. In the fall, instead of returning…
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…
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How to help my daughter feel good about herself despite social media?
Have you ever found yourself in long grocery line, thinking of all the things you still have to do and wondering if the chicken will…
read moreUnderstanding Secondary Trauma Stress – A Guide For Families
When a child is injured or traumatized in some way, it’s not unusual for the parents to also experience some emotional impact from the trauma. This…
read moreSchool’s Out – Structure The Summer For Fall Success
The school year is coming to a close and your kids can’t wait for summer. They’re looking forward to staying up late, sleeping in, playing…
read more4 Reasons Why Military Moms Are True Superheroes
As Mother’s Day approaches, I would like to take the opportunity to shine a light on military moms. You are all truly amazing, and here…
read moreIs Social Media Impacting Your Child’s Mental Health? What You Can Do To Help
Since the inception of social media in 1997 with the launch of the social site Six Degrees, internet users have been connecting with each other…
read more5 Habits For A More Mindful, Healthy Approach To Life
As a teacher and a parent of four children, one of whom has bipolar disorder, some days I find myself staring at my computer screen,…
read moreHow Self-Care Can Make You A Better Parent
As the parent of a child dealing with mental illness, you spend a lot of time and energy focusing on your child’s day-to-day well-being. Whether…
read morePromoting Military Family Resilience Through Self-Care
Resilience is a word that military families hear often, so often that it may just sound like a modern buzzword tossed out at briefings and…
read more5 Healthy Habits To Promote Mental Wellness For Military Families
It’s a new year, and that means it’s a perfect time to reflect on our habits and goals for ourselves and our family – especially…
read moreParenting Through Winter Break And Starting The New Year Strong
The end of the year is approaching, which means we are already halfway through the school year. Holiday parties, special religious celebrations and services, snow…
read moreYour Child’s School Can Be Part Of Your Mental Health Support System
One out of five children will experience mental illness. That’s 80,000 kids in Bexar County alone. The need for support for these children, their parents…
read moreSeasonal Affective Disorder And The Winter Blues
As the nights get longer, the days get colder and the sky clouds over for days at a time, many people – including children –…
read moreUnderstanding Bullying Is The First Step In Stomping It Out
Bullying is a common topic discussed by parents, teachers and mental health professionals. Most everyone, including children and teens, agree that bullying is a problem…
read morePathways To Hope: The Intersection Of Faith & Mental Health
Our faith leaders – pastors, priests and rabbis – are in a unique position to be the first line of defense when confronting mental illness.…
read moreBack-To-School, Back-To-Mental Health Concerns?
For many, back-to-school brings with it plenty of excitement. There’s the joy of opening fresh school supplies, the shopping for backpacks and clothes, and the…
read moreTiny Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen: How Children of Active Duty Military Families Thrive
In this video, Aisha Woods, LPC, discusses some of the seen and unseen obstacles faced by children and adolescents of military families. Her presentation also…
read moreLaw Enforcement and People With Mental Illness: Trends, Innovation and Policy
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) approach and interaction with people with mental illness has been hailed as a national model. Officer William Kasberg, has…
read moreAre School Counselors Outnumbered?
When people bring up the subject of public schools, the most often discussed topics revolve around academic standardization, teacher accountability and high stakes testing. But…
read moreEating Disorders: Signs, Symptoms and Interventions
In this video, Kasi Howard, PsyD, covers the clinical presentation of eating disorders and reviews diagnostic changes from DSM-5. Her presentation also includes statistic and…
read moreWhat Are The Warning Signs Of Mental Illness?
The following are some of the warning signs that a child may be struggling with mental illness. A child is troubled by feeling: Really sad…
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Tiny Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen: How Children of Active Duty Military Families Thrive
In this video, Aisha Woods, LPC, discusses some of the seen and unseen obstacles faced by children and adolescents of military families. Her presentation also…
read moreAttention: How ADHD Can Affect Children at School and at Home
Ariel De LLanos, MD, psychiatrist and the owner and president of Focus & Balance LLC, is the guest speaker for the Clarity Child Guidance Center…
read moreWill Neuroscience Ever Provide Anything Useful For Children’s Mental Health?
This is the decade of the brain, as reflected by a major research initiative launched recently to map the human brain. However, unlike the human…
read moreModern Conversations Around Death and Dying
In our latest video series, Modern Conversations Around Death and Dying, Martha Atkins, PhD, LPC-S, chief executive officer of Atkinsosity, LLC, and founder of the…
read moreLearning About Back To School And Mental Health
If you ask a child what they think of when it comes to summer, you’ll probably get responses like, “vacation,” sleeping in,” “ice cream,” “being…
read moreAutism and Aggression: Strategies for Success
Steven Gonzalez, PhD, BCBA-D, LCDC-I, Clinical Director for the South Texas Behavioral Institute, Lead Faculty Psychology Chair for the University of Phoenix, San Antonio campus…
read moreBright Kids Who Can’t Keep up
In this on-demand video series, Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up, Ellen B. Braaten, PhD., (APA, APS, Harvard Medical School Professor of General Child Psychology,…
read moreFictional Explanations of Autistic Behavior
Lee Mason, PhD, BCBA-D, presents ‘Fictional Explanations of Autistic Behavior.’ During this Clarity Child Guidance Center community presentation, Dr. Mason discusses autism as a contingency-shaped…
read moreThe Relationship Between Attachment, Trauma, and the DSM-5
Richard Layne, MA, LPC, TIC, licensed professional counselor in the state of Texas, presents ‘The Relationship Between Attachment, Trauma and the DSM-5.’ During this Clarity…
read moreHow Trauma Impacts a Child
Trauma impacts the development of a child, increasing the risk for emotional, behavioral, academic, social and physical problems throughout life. During this Clarity Child Guidance…
read moreApplying Neuroscience to Psychotherapy
Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain as they relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors. In this 9-part video series, Rowland Folensbee,…
read moreFor Educators: The Unique Challenge of Working with Military Kids and their Families
Mrs. Lori A. Phipps is the Military Dependent Education Specialist for Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Her Military Child Education Program – School Liaison Office…
read moreFor Educators: Engaging Hispanic Families around Mental Health
Recent research has found that 15% of Latina teenagers reported attempting suicide in the past year, compared to only 8% of African-Americans and non-Hispanic Caucasian…
read moreFor Educators: The Importance of Play in Children’s Mental Health
Many argue that the higher rate of mental illness in kids is only because we’ve gotten better about diagnosing the problem. Not so, argues Dr.…
read moreFor Educators: What to Do When a Child is Withdrawn
When a student is sullen or withdrawn, they can develop behaviors in your classroom that need to be addressed. The student might not be ready…
read moreFor Educators: What to Do When a Child is Distracted or Fidgets
When a student is distracted or fidgety in class, they’re presenting a problem behavior that you need to address. Students can sometimes be naturally wiggly,…
read moreFor Educators: What to Do When a Child Throws Fits
Students are people, and like all humans, they can get frustrated and angry sometimes. The challenge, when it comes to effectively managing classroom behavior, is…
read moreFor Educators: What to do When a Child is Disruptive
When a student is consistently disruptive, they present a disturbance to you and the rest of your class. Disruptive students can interrupt you or their…
read moreFor Educators: What to Do When a Child Refuses to Engage
Managing students in your classroom is challenging, even under the best circumstances. You prepare your lesson plans, organize the material, and make the most of…
read moreAs a Teacher How Can You and the School Help?
“Kids spend six hours a day in school, and mental health is essential to learning. So schools that are very data-driven understand that in order…
read moreBully-Bully: Knowing Signs to Look for and Ways to Keep our Children Safe
Melisa Fleming, PhD, LPC-S, and Program Director for Laurel Ridge Treatment Center, leads a session for educators and mental health professionals using experiential activities and…
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