COLLEGE STATION, TX — As of May 4, the United States is reporting an estimated 96,472,537 people, or about 29% of the entire population, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
For Texas, however, the Lone Star State ranks #42 in terms of their total population being vaccinated. All things considered though, Texas is also the #2 most populated state, with roughly 29 million residents.
So what do you... if a friend, a family member, or a loved one is still afraid of joining this public health effort?
KRHD 25 News reached out to Annmarie MacNamara, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Texas A&M's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, who shared, all effective communication starts with being understanding.
"My advice would be to try to start from a place of understanding, I think it's hard to close the gaps that divide people in terms of their own opinions and perspectives... if you don't first start, by trying to understand where the other person is coming from." MacNamara, Ph.D. shared in part.
While we've all felt frightened, anxious, or unsure before, MacNamara explained, it's important to remind the person you're reaching out to about this reality of life too.
"Even if it was about something totally different if you can at least try to bridge that gap, reflect back their feelings, and show that you have also experienced something similar before, that kind of thing. That's a good place to start."
A leading researcher in cognitive behavioral therapy, MacNamara shared that effective treatments for phobias do exist and are available.
Over at Texas A&M University, people wanting to speak with a counselor can schedule sessions with a Ph.D. student training to be a psychologist. Under the supervision of a fully trained clinical psychologist, these services allow students to earn their training hours while clients get to pay at a reduced cost.
To schedule an appointment, click here.
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