Programs: 

The impact of chronic or life threatening illness on children and youth can be profound. It can affect their mental health, family functioning, school performance, growth and development, and overall adjustment. Typically, behavioral changes, physical complaints, anxiety, decreased use of effective coping skills, and changes in sleeping and eating patterns are reported. 

Wonders & Worries can help parents mediate these potential negative effects of chronic illness, and actually help children gain the resources to grow through crisis.

Our services are always offered free of charge and most are available in Spanish as well as English.

Working in groups or an individual setting, our therapeutic programs are designed to: 

• Provide an age-appropriate understanding of the illness, its treatment and side effects;
• Facilitate expression of feelings related to the changes in the family;
• Identify individual coping skills to help ease feelings of sadness, anger, etc.

All services are provided by Certified Child Life Specialists, professionals who are specially trained to help children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and stressful health care experiences. Clients must participate in an intake interview prior to enrolling in any Wonders & Worries program. Please call 512.329.5757 or contact us to get more information or to begin the intake process.

• Individual Counseling Sessions
• Group Counseling Sessions
• Bereavement Support Counseling Sessions
• Informal Support / Recreational Group Activities
• Child / Parent Relationship Training
• Bilingual Program

 · Individual Counseling Sessions (for parents, children or youth)

W&W is unique because we offer individual counseling as an option for our clients. Our experience shows that individual sessions are vital to self-expression and growth, particularly for children, adolescents and teens.

· Group Counseling Sessions (for children, youth or young adults)

We offer several groups for children age 6-11 and an ongoing Teen Night for ages 12-18. All groups are designed to help children meet other children coping with similar experiences, and gain an age-appropriate understanding of the illness. Teens can build support in a peer group designed for them, focused on their interests and concerns.

Wonders & Worries now offers support groups in some schools.

Children with a chronic illness can now receive group support, as well. Groups are currently forming for children with Rheumatoid Arthritis and children with Cerebral Palsy. W&W may add additional groups for children with other illnesses as the need arises. Call 512.329.5757 to indicate interest in additional groups.

Download Support Groups Flyer

· Bereavement Support Counseling Sessions (for children or youth)

Unfortunately, some of our Wonders & Worries families are faced with the loss of a loved one. For these families, we offer support designed to help families prepare for end-of-life and gain the skills necessary to cope with the loss.

· Informal Support / Recreational Group Activities (for families)

These fun activities are designed for Wonders & Worries families to experience together at no cost to them. Activities such as an annual Ice Cream Social, Bat Cruise on Town Lake and outings to sporting and cultural events, allow our families to take a break from whatever they’re dealing with and enjoy being together in a fun, relaxing environment. Call 512.329.5757 for information about our current activity.

· Child/Parent Relationship Class (for parents, with child care provided)

Maintaining positive relationships between parents and children can be challenging in the strongest families. To strengthen family ties and help children gain the resources to grow through crisis, Wonders & Worries offers a free Child-Parent Relationship (CPR) Training class designed to help parents reconnect with their children during illness or following a loss. Offered several times a year, this course meets once a week for 8 weeks and includes free childcare and a light meal.

 Bilingual Program

All of our programs are offered in English and Spanish. In Spring 2006, we will be opening a satellite office in East Austin to provide bilingual services to underserved members of the Central Texas Hispanic community.