National Services

Helpline (1-844-WE-WONDER)

If you are unable to come to one of our offices for in-person support, you can call our helpline at 1-844-WE-WONDER (844-939-6633) or email us at [email protected] to connect with Wonders & Worries’ expert staff on how to talk to children and teens about any adult illness.

Parenting Podcast

Join Julie and other Wonders & Worries professionals as they discuss common parenting issues that arise when a parent within the household is enduring an illness.  Each episode is about 20-30 minutes and addresses a specific area of concern for parents related to communication with their children, feelings/emotional regulation, as well as coping and resiliency. 

This podcast is beneficial for ALL parents and is especially helpful for parents experiencing an illness by providing brief bits of education in a small time-frame, specific to their needs. Listen to an episode now or subscribe to our RSS feed on any one of the major online podcasting platforms.

Teen Mobile App (Sup!)

Our teen mobile app (Sup!) was specifically designed with the teen in mind, and contains valuable information in formats best suited for teenagers, including activities, tips, information, a motivational wall, discussion forms, and direct access via in-app messaging to a child life specialist.  Download our app today!

Parent Mobile App (W&W2Go)

Our mobile app for parents (W&W2Go) was specifically designed with families in mind. It contains valuable information about how to best communicate and support children, parent and family activities, bereavement support, and additional resources to aid parents.  Download our app today!

Central Texas Services in Greater Austin, Houston and San Antonio

First Meeting

Before a child or teen starts with Wonders & Worries, parents and caregivers are asked to meet the staff who will be working with their family. This builds the foundation for staff and parents to support a child or teen, together.

The parent intake meeting can occur at a Wonders & Worries office, virtually via a video connection, in a treatment facility or hospital, or over the phone.  It takes about one hour.

Individual Sessions

We work with each family to determine if the child or teen would thrive best in individual sessions or group sessions. For example, siblings may meet together or have separate support plans.

Using the exclusive Wonders & Worries Illness Education and Coping Curriculum, the sessions are customizable. The individual sessions are free of charge and available for ages 2-18.

Group Sessions

Group sessions are also free of charge and are designed for children age 5-18 years, with groups aligned by age.

Group support gives children and teens the opportunity to bond with others who are experiencing similar situations and provide an outlet for learning and sharing.

New Wonderers Six-Session Groups

New Wonderers groups are designed for children and teens who are new to Wonders & Worries.

These groups are separated by age, with elementary school-aged children meeting together and middle school-aged children meeting together. Based on the curriculum, the six-session groups are customized to the needs of the children and teens.

General topics covered in Wonders & Worries 6-session Illness Education and Coping curriculum include:

• Illness education
• Treatment center tour (when possible)
• Feelings
• Coping
• Hopes for the future and closure

No Worries Monthly Check-in Groups

No Worries monthly check-in groups are offered for children and teens who already completed the Wonders & Worries initial six-session support. These monthly groups allow children and teens to check-in as needed, and are available for:

• Elementary school-aged children who have a parent with an ongoing illness
• Middle-school or high-school tweens/teens who have a parent with an ongoing illness or have experienced the loss of a parent

Parent Consultations

Parent consultations keep parents and caregivers involved throughout the support process. They happen in person, virtually via a video connection, over the phone or through email.

During consultations, parents can discuss and receive feedback on their child’s understanding and coping. This also gives parents the opportunity to ask questions and to update us on illness information.

Parenting Classes

The child-parent relationship can become harder to navigate after a parent or caregiver has been diagnosed with a serious illness. To make the transition easier, we offer periodic parenting classes. Parenting classes are offered virtually to families in the greater Austin, Houston and San Antonio areas.

Reflective listening and limit setting are helpful parenting tools for all parents and are especially important when families are coping with parental illness.