Cypress Dad and Counseling Advocate Urges Families to Start the Mental Health Conversation at Home
At a kitchen table in Cypress, the mashed potatoes are warm, the homework is half-done, and the family chatter floats between schedules and sports. But something is missing—something important that doesn’t always make it into daily conversation.
“What about the hard stuff?” asks Thad Cardine, a local father of five and Executive Director of Shield Bearer Counseling Centers. “What about the quiet anxiety or the unspoken sadness? What happens when someone under your roof is silently unraveling?”
For Cardine, the dinner table isn’t just for food. It’s a lifeline for mental health—and he’s on a mission to help families across Greater Houston, from Cypress to Tomball and beyond, reclaim it as a place of connection and healing.
From Personal to Professional: A Dad’s Wake-Up Call
As both a parent and a counselor, Cardine has seen firsthand the damage silence can do. In homes where people “don’t talk about that,” stress festers, and emotional pain gets buried under the pressure to appear “okay.”
“There’s this script that says we have to smile through it all—to look strong at church, at work, at school,” he said. “But inside, so many people are barely holding it together.”
And kids feel it, too. One conversation with a local dad sticks with him. “His teenage son finally admitted he felt like a failure because he wasn’t good at sports,” Cardine shared. “That one moment of honesty changed everything. It didn’t take advice—it took listening.”
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Small Questions, Big Impact
At his own family’s dinner table, Cardine has introduced what he calls “listening posts”—simple but thoughtful questions that invite vulnerability without pressure.
Try asking:
- “What was the best and hardest part of your day?”
- “When did you feel most like yourself today?”
- “Is there something you wish we understood better?”
“Kids want to talk,” he said. “They just need the right question—and someone willing to listen without judgment.”
To help make it easier, one local family created a “conversation flowerpot” with handwritten prompts tucked into paper flowers. Another mom taped a list of emotion words to the fridge so her middle schooler had a reference when he couldn’t quite name what he was feeling.
“These little things—they’re powerful,” Cardine said. “They send a message: you’re seen, you matter, and you don’t have to carry it alone.”
What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say
Not every parent feels equipped to dive into mental health conversations—and that’s okay, Cardine reassures. You don’t need a degree in psychology. Just presence, patience, and honesty.
Here are a few openers he recommends:
- “You don’t seem like yourself lately. Want to talk?”
- “There’s nothing you could say that would make me love you less.”
- “It’s okay not to be okay. I’m here.”
And if you’re the one struggling? Cardine urges parents to be real with their kids.
“Telling your child, ‘I’ve been feeling off lately. I don’t want to hide it anymore,’ can break generational chains of silence,” he said. “It doesn’t make them anxious—it teaches them courage.”
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When to Get More Help
Shield Bearer sees families every week who delayed seeking support because they mistook real symptoms for a “phase.”
Mental illness isn’t weakness, Cardine stresses—it’s a medical condition, like diabetes or high blood pressure. “Prayer matters,” he said, “but so do therapy, compassion, and real conversations.”
Signs to watch for include:
- Withdrawal from friends or family
- Changes in sleeping or eating habits
- Sudden mood swings or outbursts
- Persistent sadness or anxiety
- Risk-taking behaviors
“When these show up,” he said, “we can’t afford to ignore them. We have to step in—not to fix, but to walk beside.”
One Conversation Can Change Everything
The message from Shield Bearer is simple but profound: Start small. Start now.
Tonight, turn off the TV. Ask one real question. Let the silence stretch if it needs to. And just listen.
“You don’t have to be a therapist to help your family heal,” Cardine said. “You just have to show up. Be honest. Be first.”
And in that quiet moment—when someone feels safe enough to speak—the healing begins.
Local Tools and Support to Help Your Family Heal
Shield Bearer is a nonprofit mental health provider serving individuals and families across Greater Houston. Their team offers affordable counseling, support groups, and mental health resources with a focus on building resilient, connected communities. Learn more at shieldbearer.org.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
