I, Allison Shipp, have a disability. You cannot see it by looking at me; I don’t require a wheelchair to get around or need special technology to read my mail. However, my disability impacts me daily. It is a part of who I am as a person, even if it is invisible to most around […]
So many people ask me what art therapy is- or how to be an art therapist- or what exactly I do as an art therapist. Usually they excitedly tell me about the adult coloring books they have tried and loved. I love hearing these stories! And today I thought I would answer some of these […]
When someone asks, “what do you do?” I imagine they expect an answer like teaching or counseling. Based on the looks and questions that inevitably follow, “I am a music therapist” is not what they anticipated. Granted the response these days is more often, “oh, you have an awesome job!” This was not the case […]
What do Pulitzer Prize winning novels, the streets of Paris France, and tactile maps have in common? I recently read the Pulitzer Prize winning novel All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. The novel takes place during World War II and one plot of the novel centers on a young girl named Marie-Laure, […]
If you have any of the following equipment that’s in working condition, the STAR Center would love to have it. We pass on this equipment on at no cost to people who cannot afford it or do not have insurance to pay for it. Please spread the word! Wheelchair Power chair Walker Rollator Quad cane […]
Our Creative Arts Therapy Groups (CAT Groups) serve adults with disabilities. Intellectual disabilities are common in these groups, and our therapists work to build social skills and awareness of time. One of my favorite things about our Creative Arts Therapy Group is the way our therapists work to acquaint their clients to time and season. […]
One Thursday, a couple of weeks ago, I ate lunch with around 20 community leaders as we heard about ways to get involved in the work The STAR Center is doing in Jackson and beyond. It wasn’t a big group. It wasn’t an expensive meal or a shiny production. But anyone who has been involved […]
I want you to think back to a time, likely in elementary or middle school, when you were asked the question, “Would you rather lose you vision or your hearing?” Do you remember how you answered? That is a tough question. Today, there are two factors that are greatly affecting the health of our nation: […]
Senior Independence Month I took some time this week to sit down with Lorraine Harlan, our Manager of Home Care, to talk about some practical steps individuals and families can take to give Senior Citizens the best chance to live safely and independently for years to come. Before coming on at the Star Center, Lorraine […]
Thursday, I got to end my day in the best way! When asked how we should end the session, one of our clients broke out into his own original song: “Goodbye! Goodbye! Thank you for the music today.” You probably wouldn’t expect it, but this particular client doesn’t often express himself in creative or original […]