The History of ‘The Stellar Way’
Dedicated to my brother, Don, my very first superhero, whose light I want to emulate and whose steps I follow.
The Stellar Way: Discovering the Star Within focuses on two main characters:
- Kelly, a 12-year-old girl who believes that she has a miserable, rotten life and wears a “chip” on her shoulder as proof
- Sparky, a 500-year-old star — a superhero — who teaches Kelly to become a star in her own right.
The story is fiction, but it’s based in bibliotherapy — a story with therapeutic value — and accompanied by a proven anger management curriculum guide. The curriculum grew out of a conversation between two female executives I met more than 20 years ago at a charity event, discussing the need for anger management for second graders. Having recently completed The Stellar Way, I was putting the finishing touches on an anger management curriculum for second graders, and its testing was to be the basis of my master’s thesis. Children everywhere needed a superhero with the magnetism of SpongeBob, the goodness of Mister Rogers, and a therapeutic/educational foundation that only comes from solid research. In two reliable studies, my curriculum proved to be statistically significant.
Clinically speaking and based on extensive research, when a child feels a strong connection with another person—a secure attachment—the three parts of the brain operate properly and efficiently: The executive state oversees the activities of the emotional state (the prefrontal lobes) and the survival state (the brain stem). When a child does not have secure attachment, the brain becomes disorganized and is wired ineffectively with the emotional state taking charge — which inhibits the executive state from developing.
My pursuit of understanding emotions began in 2001, when I started working at juvenile court. In many cases, I saw a noticeable void: Sometimes, children’s eyes lacked any connection or even a desire to have one. They had lost their way and had no desire to find it. They were resigned to the painful path they were on. They knew no other way.
The breadth and depth of children’s involvement in violence and crime was staggering. I was determined to do what I could to proactively keep children from becoming involved in the court system.
This desire led to my creation of Sparky, a superhero who helps children connect and regulate their emotions. In that moment, I believed — and still do — that Sparky was God’s gift to me — and one I was to give to the world. My soul’s purpose had been defined, and I was determined to tender it accordingly to help children increase their social and emotional intelligence and better connect with others—and ultimately improve our villages, our communities, and our world.
-Tina Donovan, M.Ed., LPCC
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The Story Behind The Stellar Way
I met Anger shortly after turning the age of forty. It was not an amiable introduction. No pleasantries were exchanged – not even a handshake and certainly no eye contact was made. Instead, my body felt like it had been taken hostage. I felt out of control as a foreign wave of emotion swept through…
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My First Counseling Attempt
Let’s face it – stuffing my feelings for most of my life has caused considerable difficulties for me both personally and professionally, particularly given that Happy and Sad have predominantly been behind the steering wheel. It’s like driving a car with two gears. Except each gear has varying degrees; put on the song Rocky Top…
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The Story Behind the Story – The Beginning
When I met Anger on that fateful day in the department store I knew my life had dramatically changed. In that moment, there was simply no way for me to understand its impact but I could sense its threat and it terrified me. My body had felt the commotion when Anger unpacked, moved in and…
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The Story Behind the Story – Understanding Connections
We need one another. Existence otherwise is unbearable. The trauma that my mother and father both experienced growing up created a disconnection with their parents. So naturally this impacted the cast of Emotional Characters that appeared on their stage. On my mother’s stage Love, Happy, Jealousy, Shame, Fear, Worry, Sad, Alone and Anger all vied,…
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The Story Behind the Story – A Connection Crisis
If you read my last blog post, I might have left you with a wrong impression so let me start off by saying, all things considered, I had a great childhood. I grew up in a suburban, middle-classed neighborhood where Happy and Joy were present and connected with us daily. Excited was responsible for leading…
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Watt Smith, my Superhero
“The brightest stars are those who shine for the benefit of others.” – Unknown Meet Watt Smith, my Superhero. His superpower: one beaming, bright Light that can instantaneously fill an entire room and brighten even the darkest of places. I found his Light when I began working at the juvenile court. My internal makeup was…
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – A counselor’s reflection
Dedicated to my brother, Don, my very first superhero whose Light I want to emulate and steps I want to follow. I count my lucky stars for my brother, Don, as he was my first superhero. His larger-than-life presence captures the hearts of many – especially mine. He’s comfortable in his own skin in a…
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Counting My Lucky Stars!
Today, I am counting my blessings and am so grateful for your stellar influence in my life! I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by people like you – my village of superheroes – who have been my guiding light, and who have helped me find my way – The Stellar Way! Whether it…