What is Child Life?
And how can you help my child?
LLC
Child Life Specialists:
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See children and teens in the context of their developmental stage
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Utilize the language of the child - PLAY
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Focus on enhancing children and teen's abilities to cope with stressful events ​
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Provide preparation and support before, during and after medical experiences to reduce trauma and associated phobias
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​Use strength-based approaches to help children/teens with special needs
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Support parents and caregivers navigate loss - illness of a child, sibling, parent, grandparent or a loss of any kind
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Support children/teens cope with school related anxiety - provide teacher and classroom education on students' medical conditions - support parents as they advocate for their child
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Provide a variety of interventions to address medical related fear (Needle-phobia, Pill Swallowing, Medical Visits)
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Connect children and parents to supportive resources and programs (Hole In the Wall Gang Camp, Team Impact, Make A Wish Foundation, Camp Sunshine etc.)
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Child Life Specialists are not traditional therapists - they utilize supportive approaches to help children and families. Child Life Specialists refer and recommend families to appropriate providers as needed. ​
About Emily
Emily is the founder of Chickadee Child Life Consulting LLC.
Emily has held a Certification as a Child Life Specialist (CCLS) since 2019. She obtained a Masters in Child Life and Family Centered Care from Boston University and a second Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of New England prior to becoming a licensed Masters Level Clinical Social Worker (LMSW).
Emily has over 5 years experience working in some of the top ranked pediatric hospitals in New England (Boston Children’s Hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children Boston, Elliot Hospital, and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center). ​Her experience supporting children, teens and families includes pediatric and adult ICU, inpatient and outpatient settings.
Every child and teen experiences stressful events in different ways. Child life specialists are trained to enhance children and teen's coping through compassionate and supportive interventions. These interventions aimed to strengthen coping skills through developmentally appropriate preparation, education, advocacy, procedural and developmental support.
